Friday, December 19, 2008

Pop Culture Round Up: December 13 - 19

Zombie romances and rock'n'roll vampires? Sign me up!

Yay! Who's up for a road trip?

That just seems silly. If you're getting paid, what's the point?

I'm telling you, it follows me around! This one appeared in an email that I was legitimately forwarded at work. And someone sent me this one. Good points, though.

I remain dubious.

Excellent. I can think of a good number of movies that would be improved by drinking.

Gak
!

Could our criticism in crisis series be drawing to a close or is this an anomaly?

That makes sense.

Sure, if you live in the U.S.

Aw. Well, maybe. Nah, it's Rudd and Segel. Aw.

This is news?

I'd go to that.

Is that it? Really? Should I feel bad?

Sad.

'Tis the season:

The Guardian's most ridiculous plots.

There's always one.

Toronto Film Critics Association Awards.

AV Club's Year in Film. And their worst of the year. And a bonus crosstalk! I've missed crosstalks.

SAG nominees
.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008 - ?)

Last TV Thursday I told you about one of two shows competing for my Monday at eight attention. Now I shall tell you about the other.

Terminator (or T:TSCC, as I sometimes call it) came on at the exact right time: pretty much every other show that I watched and loved had disappeared thanks to the writers' strike (remember that?), and, hey, we all loved T2, didn't we? Plus, Lena Headey was in 300, Thomas Dekker played Zach on the only good season of Heroes, and Summer Glau rules. Should be alright.

And it is. It's exactly okay enough that you can watch comfortably without anyone (either the audience or the writers) taking anything too seriously. But there's always been something a little off about it, and it's not just the way that Cameron's (Glau) ability to act human varies wildly from episode to episode to suit the plot's needs.

At first, I thought it was Dekker. I didn't like his emo bangs or the whiny "Mommy, save me from the apocalypse!" attitude that went along with them. I can't imagine it's pleasant to have the weight of the world on your shoulders, but man up already. I never got why it was considered a good idea to put John in school, much less Cameron there "for his protection," and I honestly wondered how the writers were going to turn the little git into the warrior he was meant to be. Finally this season, John killed a guy (which they waited to confirm for several episodes as though it wasn't obvious), cropped his hair, and decided he was done with school. It looked like they were getting on the right track, but instead the development turned into John Connor - Least Likely to be a Hero.

In the midst of all this, though, I realized that my problem isn't John or Dekker as John at all. My problem is right there in the title: Sarah. It's not Headey as Sarah either (although her occasional wounded-bird body language can be distracting). It's the way they write Sarah and, specifically, the fact that she can't kill a man. Back in season one, Derek (Brian Austin Green) rolled in and totally shot some guys. Sarah was all, "Oh, no, you couldn't possibly kill that sweet nerd who was totally building Skynet, could you?" And Derek said no, but he so did.

And that's the trouble with Sarah. She doesn't get, no matter how many times over it is demonstrated, that burning down people's houses and stealing their hard drives isn't enough. Sometimes you've got to man up and put a bullet in their heads. Cameron gets that because she's driven by her mission, Derek gets that because he's a solider first and foremost, and John gets that because it's his only chance for a future. But Sarah just doesn't and the writers won't do a thing about it. Part of the premise they are asking you to buy is Sarah as a total badass, and everything about her - her clothes, her hair cut, her walk, her dialogue - is meant to convey that fact. But how can you believe in someone as a badass when she can't kill someone even to protect her son?

That said, the show's not all bad. At worst, you get explosions and cool robot fights. At best, you get Cameron and Derek heavy episodes. I never thought I'd be saying this about anything involving the former David Silver, but there it is. He's grown up hot and surprisingly well acted. It's even worth putting up with Jesse (Stephanie Jacobsen, and, no offence to the actress, it's again the way she's written) just to check in with Derek. As for Glau as Cameron, she's the show's strongest element, and the best episodes are built around her ever evolving humanity. We're forced to put all of the show's philosophical and pseudo-religious underpinnings into question whenever we see her form a connection with the world around her, and it's smart of them to do so. It's just that sometimes it's too bad it's not Terminator: The Derek and Cameron Chronicles.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Milk (2008)

Premise: Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) leaves New York with his boyfriend Scott Smith (James Franco) for San Francisco. He opens a small camera shop on Castro. Little by little, he becomes more political involved, fighting for gay rights in the city. Eventually, he wins a seat on city's Board of Supervisors, making him the first openly gay politician in America.

I think I might see this again.

Is there a word for the movie version of a memoir? You know how the movie version (not adaptation, mind) of a biography is a biopic? What's the word when it's just a memoir? I sense a linguistic gap here.

I love that director Gus Van Sant and writer Dustin Lance Black chose to focus on less than a decade of Milk's life. We don't need to know what Ma and Pa Milk were like. All we need to know is what got Milk to San Francisco and what happened once he got there. That's the story: the Mayor of Castroville. He picks up Scott in the subway, he offers to show him New York's gay scene (which bars to hit, which bars to avoid). Scott tells him to quit living in the closet, and -- just like that -- he does.

If you're not already a little in love with Harvey and with Harvey and Scott together by that point, I don't know what to do with you. There's something so sweet and innocent and daring about a man who can look at his life at 40, thinking nothing of it, and decide to do something about that. All of that comes across in Penn's full-bodied performance. As good as he is, for years we have been suffering under the weight of his Big Performances, all mannered and brooding, full of actorly tics. When he breaks free of that, allowing himself to childlike, passionate, and, yes, gay, Penn gives us the performance we never realized we were waiting for all along. It's exactly who he was always meant to play.

Everyone else seems equally well cast from the dedicated but tenuous Franco as Scott to Diego Luna as Latino drama queen Jack Lira to Alison Pill as Milk's tough as nails lesbian campaign manager Anne Kronenberg. The scenes in their ramshackle campaign office (Milk's camera store, which was never much of a store to begin with) flow like quicksilver, and it's hard not to get caught up in the heady rush of just trying to make a change. But then they do (finally, finally), and we run smack into Dan White (Josh Brolin).

Brolin's been a revelation in the last year or two (Goonies never say die), and he's another walking miracle here. He takes White's little boy haircut and carries it right on down into every element of his performance: an easily angered young man who tried to steadfastly hold on to tradition when the tide decidedly turned against him. It's the kind of thing that would be noble if it weren't so evil.

All that, and it was actually Emil Hirsch's big hair, big glasses, and adorable little twink walk that captured my attention. Cleve Jones must be a force of nature.

The combination of Van Sant and Black is a special gift: in the midst of telling this deeply person-specific story, they find time for sympathy for White and room to develop the minor characters. Most of all, they make narration seem not only necessary but also right. It's Harvey's story. Why shouldn't he be the one to tell it? A-

Friday, December 12, 2008

Pop Culture Round Up: December 6 - 12

I don't rightly know what happened here this week. I had movies to review but didn't. I'll get them in sometime soon, I hope.

So long as shows are still canceled for poor ratings, yes.

I think the point is to draw a line between good natured ribbing and out-and-out teasing.

What the hell? Not only do I think Hardwicke deserves greater credit than the studio is willing to give (sounds like they want to get a sequel out so fast that they are willing to sacrifice any attempt at quality), but also do they really think this guy is going to do better? You know what? I think a woman is better suited to helm the franchise, and I find it sexist to kick one out and then call her irrational. Is there a petition I can sign?

Heh. There's just something so fabulous about Schnabel.

Download the PDF today!

Dude, I think, although those are some pretty hefty cons. Ah, who am I kidding. Someone get me a subscription for Christmas, won't you?

It's spreading. I think my earlier estimate of two years is a little on the short side, though.

I would go so crazy during the chat thing! I would forget to look up at the movie.

A) Why haven't I heard of this book before? B) Why don't I own it? C) Why hasn't anyone hired me to adapt it? I already have some great, Wizard of Oz inspired ideas.

What the crap is this? I want the one with the sweet bitchface, people.

The obsession continues: More stolen art returns.

Great because he is one of those actors that you want to break out in a big way.

This looks cool.

Generally, I use the term black list to refer to something bad, but this works, too.

Sad.

Would these things ever not work on me.

It's kind of hard not to love him. Besides, Speed is a really good movie.

I think this might be a good idea.

How nice!

Send some e-cards, then watch the puppets. I defy you not to laugh.

'Tis the season:

David Edelstein's 10 best surprised me.

Critics' Choice Award nominees.

Golden Globe nominations.

New York Film Critics Circle Awards.

Los Angeles Film Critics Awards.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Pop Culture Round Up: November 29 - December 5

I can't say I'd put many of these on my list if I took the time to make one, but I can tell you that there are some great ones in there like 48 and 15. They've even got the same quote I used last January in my Culture article!

Recently I was reminded of this glorious thing, which I stumbled upon years ago for legitimate work reasons. That job was terrible, but at least it had that.

Part of me thinks that this is terrible, and the part of me motivated by scheudenfraude hopes this blows up like David O. Russell did awhile back.

If I tried this challenge, I wouldn't need new reading material for a solid two years.

The more we learn from Anton Chigurh, the better.

The first person to get me one of these wins top prize. For reals.

This never would have happened on Slings & Arrows.

I'm a little concerned that this will be awful, but I'm going to try to hope for awesome. Or at least not sucky.

"Viva Las Vegas meets Tommy?" How have I not heard of this before?

Yay! Really yay!

Alex Kingston would be an excellent Doctor. Lobby hard!

"TIME TO SPARKLE" is my new sign off.

I was unconcerned with this rivalry this summer, but now I am jazzed about the re-release. I am going to go see it again.

Holy shit! You know who they should centre this around, don't you? Eric.

Feel free to read this if you want to bring yourself down.

Go to the source and read the entire thing if you need a laugh after the above link.

And, because it is that time again: Independent Spirit Award Nominees and National Board of Review Winners.

I know, I know you are sick of my weird love-loathe thing with Twilight, but I clicked on over to The Old Hag because I used to love it and now haven't been there in, like, for-EVAH, and what do I see? A Twilight review. I don't make a point of linking reviews, but, hey, I love what she's got to say, and I can't wait to read her linked article.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Gossip Girl (2007 - ?)

I think by now my feelings about Gossip Girl may have come across on ye olde blogge. They are simple: I love this show. I acknowledge that it's not for everyone (though I'm still working on accepting that fact).

I had heard pretty good buzz about it when it premiered, and I kept an eye on Jacob's recaplets when the show started last fall. While channel surfing one day, I discovered that the CW was rerunning episodes Sundays at six, and I watched "Dare Devil." I was completely, horribly entranced from the word go.

I am going to confess something to you now that some people know about me, some people don't, and everyone treats like it's crazy, although I think it makes about as much sense as anything else: I watch soap operas. There was a crazy time when I was juggling four; there was a low time when my combined effort added up to one. I watch about two now. My love of soap operas is threefold: 1) only the least likely thing is allowed to happen on a soap opera, 2) they are always on, and 3) I'm something of a narrative junkie. As long as there is something to read/watch/follow that mildly holds my interest, I will do just that.

Now, what does any of this have to do with GG? It's simple really: I love it because it's so perfectly insane. It's a soap opera on mescaline. Blair (Leighton Meester, she of the impeccable instincts and questionable headbands) can lose her prized virginity to the sluttiest guy she can find (Chuck, played to such unbelievable perfection by Ed Westwick that you might lose your mind), go through a slut spiral, fall in love with Chuck, sleep with Nate (Chace Crawford, to whom we'll come back), and have a pregnancy scandal that reveals the entire sordid affair to everyone and dethrones Queen B in one fell swoop inside of seven episodes. A lesser show would draw this out for an entire season or even longer but not GG. They've got coke whores who sell their horses for blow and murder to get to before the season's out.

Before you start thinking that that is all crazy and weird and you want none of it, don't front with me. From Les Liaisons Dangerous on down, we plebes have been obsessed with what happens when you can afford to buy not only everything you need but also anything you want. All GG does every episode is look at a bunch of people who have wealth and power and say, "Now what?"

Of course, none of this would work if you couldn't believe that any human being, real or imagined, would do any of the crazy shit that goes down from week to week, and that is exactly where Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, et al. got it right. Teens treat pretty much everything that happens to them as life or death, so you've got to find actors who will play things that way without ever once winking at the camera, and, in that respect, this show is perfectly cast. Perhaps even more than perfectly because everyone pretty much goes for broke all the time. When you look at a wildly crazy construct like Chuck, your instinct would be to play him for laughs (as Em said, that's what happened with some of Edward's intensity in movie-Twilight). Instead, despite the deliciously deranged get ups and the insane lines, Westwick plays him like this is what would naturally happen to you if you were brought up the way Chuck was. Somehow you find yourself thinking that yes, this is just how I would have turned out if that had happened to me.

Even when you think you can pinpoint the weak link (say, Crawford or Taylor Momsen as Jenny), if you pause to consider who that character is and who that character is supposed to be, you end up believing that someone as blank as Crawford can be plays Nate exactly the way Nate should be played. He's fiercely loyal when it comes to his family, he was raised to basically not go around embarrassing them, and everything else just sort of falls by the wayside. When he plum forgets the girl that he and Dan (Penn Badgley) had a total threeway with weeks earlier and then laughs it off, you realize that Crawford is playing it exactly right. And as for Momsen, last season was sort of touch and go, but this year she is hitting it out of the park. Jenny believes that every chance is her last chance, and Momsen plays that urgency so well that even as you are like, "Damn, Jenny, get a hold of yourself," part of you still thinks, "Shit! Make it work!"

It doesn't help that Chris and Jessica are completely obsessed with the show to the point where they renamed the tag "The Greatest Show of Our Time." Nor does it help that Jacob refers to it as the same in his philosophical, mood-altering, possibly life-changing recaps. It's hard to imagine that you could dislike anything that Jacob writes about given the way he writes. He pours so much passion and imagination into simply trying to explain to you what he sees happening and how that may or may not be exactly what's going on in your life that I think if the show went off the rails to the point where I should hate it, Jacob's recaps would completely blind me to that fact.

To be honest, as much as I want to tell you about this show I love so much, I have struggled massively not to repeat that which Jacob has already said in more detail and with a better vocabulary. Think of it this way: everyone is pretty and crazy and only the most deranged shit happens in any given episode, but it's always ground in real, accessible, believable human emotion. If anything, it's exactly the show that Heroes pretends it is.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

"Actually, Billy Idol stole his look from . . . "

As promised, part two of my daring foray into telling you which movies to see continues in my latest Culture article, "December Movie Guide." (Blew your mind with that title, didn't I?)

Because I know you are all dying to read more of my opinion on the subject of Twilight, I also have a Book vs Film up in the Books section.

On the downside, Miss Smartypants took a little early holiday vacation this month so no new advice column. Keep sending your questions to advice@culturemagazine.ca. She'll be back before you know it.

Monday, December 01, 2008

JCVD (2008)

Summary: While at home in Belgium, Jean-Claude Van Damme (self) is taken hostage along with several others in a daylight post office robbery.

This movie is cool. It's not perfect, it's not even particularly substantial, but, for a mediation on fame and responsibility, it's cool.

The movie makes a point of drawing a direct parallel with Dog Day Afternoon (Zinedine Soualem is styled to look exactly like John Cazale) though it's unclear where it wants to go with that parallel, which is pretty much the problem. I found the jumbled time line, lighting, and photography closer to Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.* It's a good movie to ape, although I think the time line (i.e., release date to release date) makes it unlikely that that's what co-writer and director Mabrouk El Mechri and co-writers Fédéric Bénudis and Christophe Turpin had in mind. Too bad.

What happens to a person when you become less of a box office draw and more of a punchline is enough fodder for a movie to begin with, so you'd think that adding the hostage twist to the story of a former action star would be over the top. Somehow, though, it's not. Somehow it feels just right.

Van Damme plays the role just right as well. It's not something you could imagine happening to Stallone or Segal. There's a certain resigned air that he carries from the outside world into the situation that suits him there. He worries for his own life, he wonders how he can use a robber's fan worship against him, he tries to help the other hostages inasmuch as he can. But mostly he takes it all in with a kind of sighed, "I suppose it was always going to be this way." It's effecting, so much so that even as your rational side recognizes the obvious manipulations behind his big monologue, you find yourself moved. By his "oh, yeah, that" head tap at the end of the movie, it's hard not to smile wryly in agreement. B-

*Huh - those are both Sidney Lumet movies. Wonder what that's about.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Pop Culture Round-Up: November 22 - 28

Ha. There should be more awards like this.

I have a hard time with reruns generally, but I am known to allow Seinfeld to run in the background.

Ooo, I wish I could go to that exhibit.

Whoo, NPH! Alright, so the article isn't about him, but, if there's an openly gay man we can all agree on, it's NPH.

I don't know what to make of these stories anymore. So people watch things online. So what? The question isn't how do we stop them; it's the same questions people always ask: how do we turn a buck off it?

"We are becoming people of the screen."

Lists like this are kind of depressing, particularly 15 and 18.

This sounds like it ought to be good.

Aw, just like on Slings & Arrows!

Now that's cool.

That's all well and good, but how is it going to work? It's mostly a book about being depressed, deviating only for craziness and suicide. Can you tell it's my least favourite?

I don't even need to know what this is about to know that I want to see it.

I think Jason Stratham might be hilarious. To whit: "Listen, I've always liked boxing, I've always liked kickboxing, K1, Pride Fighting, UFC, men's Pancrase [hybrid wrestling] from Japan." He's always liked them, okay? Always.

At what point do I need to check myself re: my possibly-not-mild interest in seeing stolen art returned? Because I read this, and I thought, "Ha! It's always the Nazis." Did I just "gotcha" the Nazis?

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Supernatural (2005 - ?)

Recently, a friend and I got to talking about how the last two episodes of Supernatural hadn't really lived up to the bar none spectacular season the show has been having. It got pretty involved (as it often does), and I started thinking about this show I have come to love. Truly, it is one of my favourites.

My first taste was a preview recap that Demian wrote of the pilot. It sounded alright. I like Jensen Ackles; I like Jared Padalecki. I had asked Emily, after Angel was cancelled, where we were going to get our "supernatural fix." Still, it wasn't appointment viewing for me until "Home." It was a great episode for a variety of reasons: excellent work from the leads, solid Monster of the Week (MotW), tie-in to the series myth-arc. It was exactly the kind of episode that you want to use to hook viewers (like the season one episode of Buffy "Angel"), and it certainly worked on me. After that, I made a point of getting caught up and staying on track.

Of course, it wasn't always pretty. A scant four episodes later, "Route 666" was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the worst episode of the entire series. It's so bad that I can say, "So, I was watching the worst episode of Supernatural . . . ," and another fan will interrupt to yell, "Racist truck!"

But look at it this way: how good does a show have to be that (a) I can easily point to one episode and call it the worst without any hesitation and (b) it happened three seasons ago? Supernatural is like Veronica Mars in reverse: it gets better with every passing season. Minus the last two episodes (but including the last five minutes of the latter one), this season, the fourth, is the best one that the show has ever had. It feels like everything is finally falling into place.

For seasons past, the majority of the episodes were MotW. There's nothing wrong with that. "Tall Tales," "Heart," "A Very Supernatural Christmas," and "Mystery Spot" are among my favourite episodes. The myth-arc centric episodes, while they were often very good, had a tendency to raise more questions than the show seemed interested in answering most of the time. It didn't much matter once you got used to the formula: hot guys, gore, and bittersweet endings. Good times!

Then at the end of last season, the writers went all in. Dean (Ackles), having sold his soul to Lilith in exchange for Sam's (Padalecki) life, actually went to Hell. There are two main characters on the show, only two, and they killed one and sent him to Hell. How ballsy is that? Sure, we knew there had to be a way for him to get out of there, but still. They went there.

That's when things got even crazier. On Buffy and Angel, they were sure about demons, the devil, and all manner of other supernatural being. God? The jury was out. Supernatural was also quick to sidestep that particular televisual landmine. Sam had faith, Dean didn't, they weren't sure where you went after you died, just that there was some place other than Hell for good little boys and girls.

All of that changed when the gorgeous Misha Collins stepped onto our screens in a blue suit that could have only been chosen to highlight his striking blue eyes and uttered, "I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition." No vomited up snakes or dark magic for our gang. An angel named Castiel marched into Hell on God's orders and pulled Dean out. Seems the Lord's got a plan for our boy, and it's got something to do with the coming Apocalypse.

This end of the world stuff is new territory for our writers, and, amazingly, they haven't (completely) botched it. Things are starting to make sense as they pit angel against demon, brother against brother, and Dean against Armageddon. What if we finally bottomed out Dean's self-loathing? What would be left? Apparently startlingly compelling viewing.

Dean goes from hating himself just about as much as anyone could, to finding out that God has a purpose so big for him that He’ll send an angel into Hell to pull him out, to both Sam and Dean thinking that angels are made of stone (in terms of their wills), to finding out that angels are far more human than they could have ever imagined (starting with Castiel’s confession that having faith can be hard and continuing into Anna’s reveal that she was willing to damn herself in order to give being human a whirl).

Guest recapper Cindy has compared the myth arc this season to racism, and it’s a comparison that holds. It starts out with this instant hate of the Other (Dean is automatically assumes that every supernatural being is bad news), moves othering the Other (they might not be bad, but they are certainly different), and has now started to reach an understanding that the Other is just Another You (but not in a cheesy “Angels: They’re just like us!” Us Weekly/Star magazine sort of way).

We know that Lilith has to break 66 seals, and the writers could have easily used that to fill out three more seasons of episodes without a second thought. I don't want to sound too ridiculous here, but they've boldly decided to put that aside in favour of deepening the mythos in a way that previous seasons would not have indicated that they were either interested in or capable of. They're reaching for grand and epic, and they're bound to fall a little short once in a while.

The show's not perfect, mind. It's not the bends in the time-space continuum, the circuitous dialogue, or the way that Sam and Dean seem to trade off days being stupid that really bother me. It's the anti-feminist current that seems to be at the root of every MotW. Women are either T&A, damsels in distress, or lambs for the slaughter, and usually they get to be all three. Rare is woman who is smart and capable in her own right, and even rarer is the one who is smart, capable, and gets to survive through to the end of the episode. I don't need all the fingers on one hand to count these women, and the only one to get moved up to recurring status (the totally bitchin' Ellen Harvelle as embodied by Samantha Ferris) mysteriously disappeared at the end of season two.

Still, you've got Ackles as the goofy brother who can summon heartbreaking depths of emotion week in and week out; Padalecki is the upright brother and talented physical comedian; and Jim Beaver, our erstwhile Ellsworth and now deadpan Bobby Singer, a brilliant character actor and the show's greatest resource. Even if the last two episodes went right off the rails, there's been enough A material this season to trust the show to right itself when it's back in the new year. And a show that's earned your trust? That's something else.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Twilight (2008)

Brief: Bella (Kristen Stewart) moves to small town Forks, Washington with her dad, Charlie (Billy Burke), after her mom gets remarried. She gets instantly obsessed with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who seems repulsed by her but saves her from a car accident. Turns out that thing about Edward is, well, he's a vampire.

Rarely have I read the book before I've seen the movie. Sometimes I read the book afterwards (e.g. Bridget Jones's Diary, Little Women, Gone with the Wind), but, if I haven't read the book before hand, I usually never do. Twilight is a special case: two friends read it in anticipation of the movie, and I followed suit.

I can see why Stephenie Meyer's series is so popular with the pre-teen and teen set: smart ordinary girl, Adonis vampire-boy. It's the kind of doomed, helpless romance that would have had me in tears at 12, and you can burn through it in a weekend. Meyer taps into teen angst deftly, and vampirism as a metaphor for sex has been popular with teen girls for some time. It works because it has all the big scariness of sex (desire/danger/intimacy) without any of the actual scariness of sex (sex). Edward's filled with an overwhelming desire to drink Bella's blood (sex!), but he resists (chastity!). Dreamy, right?

Except that Edward and Bella are easily the least interesting characters in the book. Meyer's does her character and the audience a disservice by making Bella so obviously depressed. Nothing matters to her save Edward, and it makes Bella seem boring and silly (although realistically teenage). Her depression, and the suicidal tendencies that go along with it, go unaddressed. The worst sections of the book are devoted to the time that Bella spends thinking alone and to Edward and Bella's declarations/arguments of love.

Forsooth, I can see how Edward would develop an OME following. On the surface, at least. He's exceptionally good looking, smart, and charming, and he spends all his days struggling against his near-overwhelming natural inclination in order to be with the woman he loves. Once you get past those qualities, though, you can see that he's selfish (according to him, he loves her so much more than Bella loves him), controlling (it works in life or death situations, less so in the cafeteria), and a lunatic drama queen. The latter is actually my favourite quality for its unintentional hilarity. Edward never says anything; he prefers to whisper, chuckle, or roar. Edward's not Edward unless he's freaking the fuck out over one thing or another.

Going into this, I worried for Pattinson and Stewart. If Bella's to be taken as a reliable narrator (and let's just say she is, given her attention to Edward), Pattinson's got his work cut out for him: impossibly beautiful, graceful, and eerie, Edward's mouth doesn't match his eyes 90% of the time. Bella's less a character than an audience stand-in (another reason girls love this stuff), so she's got to be all things to all people: depressed without being off-putting, smart without being arrogant, a crafty manipulator of her peers without being condescending. Oh, and believably klutzy. That's my favourite of Bella's characteristics, actually, because it makes her seem more real and more likely to notice how gracefully the vampires move.

What a wonderful surprise it was, then, to see how well Pattinson and Stewart pull it off. Stewart makes Bella a little more sassy and a lot more present, and she has a winning way of pacing certain lines so that they seem more natural and less crazy. She immediately follows up one of Bella's more ridiculous lines, "I'm only afraid of losing you," with another line almost directly on top, playing the scene as though Bella's embarrassed to have said that out loud. It works because her choice makes it feel genuine.

Pattinson's saddled with the more ridiculous character, so it's fortunate that screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg chose to sidestep a lot of Edward's worst characteristics. As written, Pattinson's free to play Edward as teen-in-love first, vampire second. He nails the first scene in the bio lab: we can see how Bella could easily read his reaction as repulsion and how it's obviously (to the audience) an overpowering desire to kill. Later, in the car, when he turned red and let out a high pitched laugh, I totally bought that as a moment of flat out panic. Mostly he toes the line between sexy and creepy, but there are occasions of overacting. At least the chemistry between Stewart and Pattinson is there, though. Damn.

I've liked director Catherine Hardwicke for a while now, and she certainly seems like a natural to take on this tale of teen angst. It wasn't until I started noticing the visual clues she put in (Edward proffers an apple, he sports an arm cuff with the Quileute symbol for cold one) that I started to think of her as clever. Well played, Hardwicke. As much as I thank Rosenberg for reeling the story in, Hardwicke's the one who pushed it out into the lush surroundings (stunning work by DP Elliot Davis) and past the essential whiteness of Meyer's story into colour blind territory. She even has us meet the trio of bad vamps (Cam Gigandet, Rachelle Lefevre, and Edi Gathegi) early, erasing the inertia of the source text.

All in all, it's quite the successful translation. Now if only they could have made it not quite so silly, and given the Cullens more to do. Kellan Lutz nails Emmett in few moments he has on screen, but I always want to spend more time with Carlisle (an unfortunately dyed but otherwise great Peter Faccinelli), Esme (a well-cast Elizabeth Reaser), Rosalie (a well turned bitch in Nicki Reed's hands, although the blonde hair makes her look more like Isla Fisher), Alice (total badass Ashley Greene), and Jasper (an oddly played but still adorable Jackson Rathbone). At least that baseball scene totally fucking rules. Of course they would wear those outfits. B

Also, I don't know if you know this, but Twilight coverage is hilarious. I mean, "
Edward Cullen is a dreamboat Nosferatu for Hannah Montana times."? Funny stuff. Very funny.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Pop Culture Round Up: November 15 - 21

Yay! Pretty much any colour other than white excites me, though.

Punk's great, and I totally want you to read about it, but a pop culture curator? How do I get that job?

Didion and Linney are enough to make me forget pretty much anything. Including the fact that I don't get HBO. Sigh.

You should read this entire gallery because Seth Green is great, but what the? How far into the bell jar have I gone that I didn't realize he was going to be on Heroes? Just when I was thinking of breaking up with Heroes for real.

Oh, wait, maybe I should. Tim Kring is an idiot.

They are all good reasons to go see the movie, but it's A that really excites me. Wouldn't it be great to point to something you've done and say, "That about sums me up"?

It is extraordinarily quotable, and it does lend itself to repeat viewings, but I don't know if I'm down with a road trip to Kentucky just for The Dude. Well, maybe I am.

I'm down with that.

A Center for Future Storytelling? Again, how do I get it on that?

Now French cinema is being rejuvenated? Was it withering before?

I think that's an excellent pick. It was my favourite show when I was a kid, and he was a total badass.

Yes!

I should probably be upset by some of these, but I find them too funny instead.

You guys, my mom is not going to be impressed when I tell her about this.

So, my obsessive reading and sometimes overwhelming social schedule of late have made me happier? Actually, that makes sense.

Is it bad that after six years, I've still never been there?

Why is there only one photo with this profile?

See? All stolen art stories are WWII related. Or maybe not.

Aw, poor unscripted shows. No, wait, I only watch one unscripted show. Never mind then. Ha.

NOOOOOOOOO! I cannot underestimate my reaction to this news to you. It's melancholy that's been bubbled over by rage. I don't mean to alarm you, but I love Lee Pace now. Also, that show is genius. But where am I going to get regular doses of Lee Pace? Or Jim Dale? Or Chi McBride? Fuck, Television. Why do you have to be like this? That's gangsta love.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Plot: Picking up directly where Casino Royale left off, Bond (Daniel Craig) kidnaps Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) to get information about the events that lead to Vesper's death. What he get is a shadowy organization tied up with ecopreneur Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), deposed Bolivian dictator General Medrano (Joaquín Cosio), and Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a woman on her own quest for revenge. A quest that M (Judi Dench) would prefer Bond put on hold.

Let me just tell you this right now: Jack White and Alicia Keys should never sing together ever again. Separately I like their voices, but together it's horribly, insufferably sharp. What a terrible fusion of styles. In trying to remember the song in order to describe it to you here, I wound up with Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" instead. It's better that way.

I forgot this movie. The very next day, I walked into the office and thought, "Wait, what did I do last night?" That's how little an impact it had on me. I was so excited for the reboot and liked it so much that maybe I set myself up for disappointment. But the buzz wasn't very good and a co-worker specifically detailed his problems with the movie for me, so maybe I wasn't it. All I know is that the movie is treading water.

At what point are we going to get to the real Bond? Sure, I celebrated the thug with icy menace in his glare last time around, and I still do. I still love that Craig makes him feel like not only someone who could kill you with his bare hands but also probably will. And just for funsies. It's his favourite approach to problem solving (Malcolm solves his problems with a chainsaw/And he never has the same problem twice). What I wonder is when we are going to get past this malcontent who doesn't care what he's drinking and barely pauses for seduction. It's supposed to be fun to be Bond.

It's a toss up whether screenwriter Paul Haggis (co-writing with Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and an uncredited Joshua Zetumer) or director Mark Foster is more responsible for the inert, in between feeling that this movie produces. Foster filmed the chases and fights in that shaky, handheld, Paul Greengrass-style that makes it difficult to tell what's going on (especially when most of the key players don't have heads. Is it hard to find convincing stunt doubles nowadays?). On the other hand, Haggis wrote in the foot, car, boat, and plane chases (what's next? Rocket ships?), and he's responsible for the ridiculous dialogue that poor Dench and Amalric are saddled with (No, florist do not say that. No florist would ever say that. Also, "a nice way of saying that everything he touches seems to . . . wither and die?" Withering implies protraction. These people just die, straight up, and it's a little rich, considering the source).

There are still things I do like. I quite like Kurylenko as well as Kurylenko and Craig together. She's smart, pushy, and accesses vulnerability in a childlike way that makes sense with her origins. Amalric is so rad. I love the way he turns on a dime (I love you! I kill you!). And Tom Ford, we owe you a great debt for those impeccably tailored suits.

I don't need gadgets. I like it when things blow up. I don't want to see Bond turned Bourne in a generic actioner. Where is the intrigue? Quantum has been moved into position as the shadowy conspiracy, and the survival of certain key players suggests that they'll be back in future installments. While that's great for Felix (Jeffrey Wright), what does that mean for the rest of the series? Why do I get the feeling that this is only part two of a trilogy? If so, what happens when it ends? B-

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Even you must be in to you

Did you know it's been a year since the last time People told us which men we could find sexy based on what they had to promote? I know! I could hardly believe it either. Three makes a rule, so let's make it a rule that I'll criticize their picks every year.

1. Alright. He's got Austrailia to promote, and, while I think he's a little passé at this point, I wouldn't hold it against you if he got you all hot and bothered.
2. Oh, hells ya. I would have put him in the top slot over Jackman.
3. Mmm-hmm. A lot is made of his good looks on the show as well, but who can blame them? That man is foxy.
4. Oh, goodness. Is there something timeless about suits, Zac? Thanks for that. When it comes to singing and dancing, he's tops, but I could do without the rest.
5. His character gave me the creeps on Lipstick Jungle (he's so into her, it's weird), but, again, if you got the vapours, I wouldn't hold it against you.
6. It's not okay, Blair, but I understand the temptation.
7. Not to sound creepy and weird about the young'uns, but, yes please. This time last year I would have said no, but something has changed about our Chuck Bass. He's a sexy vampire that cannot be denied.
8. I don't see it.
9. Um, maybe from the music? I wouldn't know because I don't know his music, but he just looks like a regular dude in that photo.
10. He's not wearing one here, but I find his Liberace style ensembles off-putting.
11. What the? I would normally stick up for him, but neither that photo nor that hair are doing him any favours.
12. Oh, hells ya again. That is right.
13. Speaking of (supposedly) sexy vampires, I cannot get a read on this kid. I've been bombarded by coverage, and I just cannot tell if he is good looking, weird looking, or both.
14. Yup, he sure is. All grown up and workin' it like he should.
15. Not for me, but it's accepted by this point.

How does this year stack up? Last year the ratio was 7.5 to 14, an improvement over 2006's 6.5 to 15. Now we've got 8 to 15. On par with last year, then. At least I think you were trying this time, People.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Role Models (2008)

Story: After a particularly bad day, Danny (Paul Rudd) crashes his work truck into a school's statue where he has been hawking an energy drink as an alternative to drugs. Beth (Elizabeth Banks) helps Danny and Wheeler (Sean William Scott) plea bargin their way into 150 hours of community service, and they are assigned to Sturdy Wings, a Big Brothers-type after school program run by a recovering drug addict (Jane Lynch). Wheeler gets Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson); Danny gets Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).

Listen, this movie is totally funny. Possibly even funnier than it has any right to be. I know that it looks kind of dumb and probably not funny, but those looks are deceiving. Sure, you might have wondering things like, "Doesn't Scott play the same role in every movie? Isn't Ronnie pretty one note? Is Mintz-Plasse a legitimate actor now?" Or you might be wondering, "How do I get Paul Rudd to marry me?" Fortunately, I have answers to three of those questions.

1) Doesn't Scott play the same role in every movie? Yeah, but that's not as important here. For one, you probably realized you should avoid that slightly glassy, mostly happy stoner dude sometime in 2000, so you're probably not as oversaturated with the trope as some would be. For two, it works here. He plays naturally enough that even though he may not like him all the time, you certainly feel like you know the guy. It ends up working in his favour more often than not.

2) Doesn't Ronnie look pretty one note? Um, yes. In fact, for a good chunk of the movie, he is pretty one note. A child of a single mom that acts out? Fancy that. The shock value of a child with his vocabulary gets old pretty quickly, but there's enough real need and realistic trashiness that you're on his side when he yells, "Fuck his shit up!"

3) Is Mintz-Plasse a legitimate actor now? Sure is! You might of thought he would cost on McLovin' for forever (and who would blame him if he did?), but he's got the chops. There's real, hard to ignore vulnerability behind his every action, making it virtually impossible not to root for him.

4) How do I get Paul Rudd to marry me? Wish I knew! Oh, Paul Rudd, what would we ever do without you? What would co-writer and director David Wain without you? You co-wrote the screenplay, and you still make the best lines sound like fresh improvs (maybe they were? Wain is into the sketch comedy, after all). You've got a winning way with a one-liner, dramatic chops, and movie-start good looks. Truly, that you are not a more popular leading man remains a mystery.

The movie's not perfect: it's far too conventional, Lynch's character's past is milked for all its worth (not that much, although she remains wonderfully off), and Paul Rudd doesn't dance nearly enough. Still, it's funny. Wain's got enough chops to make you think that he's capable of worthwhile comedy even within the confines of the studio system. That's enough for now. B

Friday, November 14, 2008

Pop Culture Round Up: November 8 - 14

I was hoping this would go away.

Hey, good for Wally!

"His basic tenet is that good manners will spring from 'the ability to ignore the faults of others and avoid falling short yourself'." Sounds about right to me.

"Chuck and Blair are the king and queen. Everyone else, except Serena, is a pawn." What? Eric is a rook at the very least.

When I first saw a link to this article, the subtitle was, "Geek superstar or parasite?"

As a Christian, I've never found that there is a correlation between religion and niceness either. He's right about our need for voluntary association, though.

I want to compete on this show.

See? Most stolen art does have to do with WWII.

I don't normally go in for Angel Cohn in a big way, but this photo gallery had me laughing pretty hard. I think I'll go read it again.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

"Did it have to be so filthy? I mean, really, if Rambaldi can prophesize the future, he might have advised me not to wear $500 shoes."

Listen, trying to pick a movie to see this weekend or any weekend is hard. Do yourself a favour, and let me pick one for you via my latest Culture article.

Over in the advice section, Miss Smartypants takes on cleaning issues, academic issues, sleep issues, and grammar issues. Got issues? Sure ya do. Send 'em over to advice@culturemagazine.ca.

If you're looking for more Culture goodness, I'd recommend Will's potluck article in the food section and Steve's TV article, "Smart People like Dumb Things."

Monday, November 10, 2008

RocknRolla (2008)

Story: Lenny (Tom Wilkinson) wants to get in good with a new Russian, Uri (Karel Roden), so he offers to smooth over the building permit process for Uri's new stadium. Things go poorly when the seven million euros Uri owes Lenny disappear along with Uri's favourite painting, so Lenny calls in his number two, Archie (Mark Strong), to sort the whole thing out, a complex scheme that involves an accountant (Thandie Newton), the Wild Bunch (Gerard Butler, Idris Elba, and Tom Hardy), and a dead rocker, Johnny Quid (Tom Kebbell).

Writer-director Guy Ritchie, back on track at last. No Nietzsche quotes, no Ray Liotta. Just London's underworld, more slang than you can shake a stick at, and a handsome man (Strong) narrating it at all as the pieces fall into place. The audience gets the full story sooner than the characters, making the entire thing fun rather than boringly "twisty." And, really, Mark Strong is one handsome man.

The enterprise isn't perfect: I'm not sure why we needed Chris Brown and Jeremy Piven, the plot doesn't come together in a way that feels particularly clever, and they sort of lost me on the whole "and that's why I'm keeping the painting" monologue.

But the movie's entertaining. It moves quickly, and I find myself starting sentences with "Now, we all like a bit of the good life . . .." It's not quite a real rock'n'rolla yet, but he's getting there. I'll stay tuned for a sequel. B

Friday, November 07, 2008

Pop Culture Round-Up: November 1 - 7

Born Republicans? That doesn't sound right. Well, maybe it does.

Sad.

Poor Jamie. I'll still love asparagus, don't worry!

If Bertram Cooper knows enough to buy a Rothko, the Tate should have been all over that.

Yes! Now I will only call him a duck.

Does anyone else feel like Shostakovich is everywhere nowadays?

I'm sure there will still be plenty of other stupid public figures.

Stolen art that doesn't have to do with Nazis? Huh.

So ugly we didn't even run a picture!

Do we really need three?

Also sad. And fun to read.

Chuck Bass but not Nate? Nate sleeps with everyone and then forgets about it! He would have taken the prize if I had written that list.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Veronica Mars (2004 - 2007)


Veronica Mars (or V-mars) is the real reason I came up with TV Thursday. I re-watched all three seasons this summer. Afterward, I wanted someone to talk to about what I loved, what I missed, and my lingering issues with the show. The answer was right there before me: you, gentle reader. I can always talk to you. Not only is V-mars in my personal pantheon of favourite shows ever, but it also happens to be one of the best shows ever made. Though season three barely reached the glory of season one (surely one of the greatest seasons of any show to ever be recorded), its cancellation still stings. For me, the strength of each season is a combination of three elements: the season mystery, the supporting characters, and Veronica herself.

The creators could not have been luckier to have had Kristen Bell in the lead role. She is a genius at creating a multi-layered, believable, mature character who felt like a real teenager. Veronica was tough and jaded when we met her, making her vulnerabilities and her occasional rebellion, as well as her even more rare silliness, that much more moving.

Season one's big mystery was Lilly's (Amanda Seyfried) murder, but the murder connected to the other mysteries of Veronica's rape, her mother's disappearance, her break up with Duncan (Teddy Dunn), and even her parentage. One of that season's great strengths was that it sprinkled at least one clue about one of these mysteries, if not more, in every single episode. We always saw Veronica working to bring these mysteries to a close, and watching a teenage girl trying to solve such overwhelming cases while still dealing with being a teenage girl and solving often personal mysteries of the week (MotW) made for some pretty compelling drama.

Even in the midst of all this, the writers took time to develop the supporting characters in such a way that we cared if we saw them in the next episode. Weevil (Francis Capra IV) and Logan (Jason Dohring) were standouts that season, thanks to tremendous talent, charisma, chemistry with Bell, and links to the season mysteries (not to mention the HoYay. Oh, the HoYay was strong between those two). Weevil went beyond young thug thanks to his emotional ties to family, Veronica, and Lily, and Logan's family situation and self-destructive streak pushed him past the poor little rich boy archetype.

All of these things came to a head in the season finale when Veronica finally solved Lilly's murder: Aaron Echolls (Harry Hamlin), Logan's famous actor dad, had an affair with Lilly and killed her in a fit of rage with she threatened to go public. It was incredibly well developed (Aaron's violence, abuse, and philandering were well established over the course of the season), and it had satisfying repercussions that lasted through the rest of the show.

Season two began with a mystery carried over from season one (Felix's murder - a plotline that was once again was heavy on Logan and Weevil) and picked up a new mystery (bus crash) by the end of the season opener. Despite the fact that she early on drew the erroneous conclusion on that the bus crash was meant for her, Veronica was never particularly emotional invested in figuring out who caused it. Entire episodes could go by without any forward motion on the case, and it became difficult to see why we should care when Veronica didn't. Episodes like "Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough" stood out instead because of their creative mix of MotW and character development. "I am God" provided boatloads of information about the crash, as well as a renewed fervour on Veronica's part to solve the case, but, at episode 18, it came too late in the season to spark audience interest in the same way. It didn't help that it followed "Plan B," which, for me, was the high point of the season.

"Plan B," episode 17, saw the conclusion of the Felix murder storyline. This mystery arc was far better handled than the bus crash. It was addressed in nearly every episode, had a tangible emotional involvement for two main characters (Logan and Weevil), and drew Veronica in. It showcased Logan and Weevil at their worst (Logan planting drugs) and best (Weevil's courtyard declaration). Like the conclusion of Lilly's murder, it had rich emotional and plot ramifications that rippled out for the rest of the season and the series.

Cassidy 'Beaver' Casablancas (Kyle Gallner) was by far the standout of season two, so making him ultimately responsible for the bus crash was good in theory. The writers carefully sowed the seeds of of his abuse, and it was abundantly clear that he was one seriously sad, messed up kid by the end of season two. So why, then, did they suddenly write him as a sneering villain? It was obvious that Gallner was talented enough to switch back and forth between the personae, as he did in those final scenes. It was also obvious that Beaver was very smart, so we could believe that he was a criminal mastermind/evil genius (although that stuff with Curly Moran never really added up for me). Throwing in the possibility that he murdered Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), Veronica's dad, was cheap. Keith and Veronica's relationship was central to the show, and there was just no way it would go on without it.

It didn't help that the last two episodes also focused on Aaron's murder trial, recalling the better handled season one mystery and manging to be risible simultaneously. That the defense would base their entire case on the idea that Veronica was a slut (I am not making this up) and that the prosecution would be absolutely unable to counter this was a slap in the face to intelligence and dedication of the audience. The two narrative reasons for the disaster of a trial were satisfactory: 1) Aaron finally confesses that he murdered Lilly to Veronica and 2) in Duncan's best move ever, he has badass motherfucker Clarence Wiedman (Christoper B. Duncan) kill Aaron; however, the trial was emblematic of the way things would go down hill in season three.

New network, new structure: season mysteries were dumped for three smaller arcs. When things didn't look good for the show, the two smaller arcs were followed by five stand alone episodes. The first arc, a serial rapist on campus, came from a realistic post-secondary place, and the culprit was handled well. The entire thing fell apart for me when Veronica revealed that Claire faked her rape and accused the Lilith House of faking the series of rapes, a charge which they did not deny. In hindsight, it's clear to me that the first two rapes were real (especially given that the first victim didn't report it), and Parker's (Julia Gonzalo) rape was real. The rest are questionable, which is murky moral territory, even for this show. That the Liliths held Pis responsible for their friend's suicide attempt and subsequent institutionalization and that they wanted restitution wasn't the problem. Even that Nish (Chastity Dotson) would draw the conclusion that the Pis were responsible and getting away with something horrible once again wasn't the problem. It was the idea that such radical feminists would chose to fake that particular crime that rankles. They knew that both Veronica and the police were on the case, and Veronica cracked the case in two episodes makes it all the more ridiculous that they would do it in the first place. Just how stupid are these girls supposed to be?

The second mystery, Dean Cyrus O'Dell's (Ed Begely, Jr.) murder, was better handled by far (sensing a pattern here?). It relied on solid detective work, and, despite the fact that Veronica is herself a rape victim and that she held herself responsible for one of the rapes, both Veronica and her dad were emotionally involved in solving the case. The case pointed clearly to two possible murderers and, in a nicely done moment, indicted a third.

Unfortunately, Veronica, the character, hit a real low point in season three. In season two she was sort of all over the map, but it tied into a believable emotional place: for two years, her life had been hell, and now it just . . . wasn't? What was she supposed to do with that? Solving Lilly's murder hadn't fixed everything, and it makes sense that it would be difficult for Veronica to move forward. One of the show's strengths was that they would let Veronica be an asshole once in a while (we all do it, after all), but they took it too far in season three. Instead of maturing and growing up in college like we would have wanted her to, Veronica started wildly jumping to conclusions in her cases (often nasty ones like when she accused Weevil of holding up the on-campus casino, even no there is no way in hell that Weevil would ever get violent with Veronica) and showing a shocking combination of indifference and judgment toward her fellow man (what was with her immediate dislike of the perfectly friendly Parker? why was she so tough on Max when he fell for a hooker? how could she not see that Piz was pining away for her?). In short, Veronica slid toward insufferableness.

When Veronica broke up with Logan for sleeping with Madison (Amanda Noret) while they were broken up because she held Madison accountable for her rape (a complete retcon), Veronica's character's low point hit its nexus with my biggest problem with the series on the whole: the complete lack of accountability for Dick's (Ryan Hansen) involvement in her rape. There were plenty of other good reasons for Veronica to dislike Madison, so there was no reason to go there. There was no indication at the time or at any point thereafter that Madison knew the drink she handed Veronica was drugged; all she thought it was laced with was saliva and sugar. Dick was the one who put the GHB in the drink; Dick had every intention of drugging and raping his girlfriend; Dick plied Veronica with alcohol after he drugged her; Dick put Beaver in the room with Veronica; and Dick told Beaver to rape her. And what does Dick get for his troubles? A busted surfboard? Fuck. I understand why the writers would want to keep Hansen on the show (he's a treasure), but, from a narrative point of view, the fact that Dick gets away with everything and that Veronica doesn't even blame him or try to ward other women off is the most glaring narrative failure on the part of the show.

The stand alone episodes were hit and miss (the first, "Un-American Graffit," is arguably the worst entry in the series), although they seemed to be pushing the show closer to a procedural and away from its noir roots that helped it command attention and critical praise in the first place. The series went out on a high note with the two-parter "Weevils Wobble But They Don't Go Down" and "The Bitch is Back," an episode that once again proved that a Veronica wronged is the best Veronica to watch. It also set up what could have been an interesting fourth season if they picked up where season three left off: Sheriff Van Lowe (?), the dissolution of Piz and Veronica's burgeoning relationship, the certain knowledge that Veronica and Logan remain as in love as ever. Most importantly, what would happen after Keith put himself on the line for Veronica (again) even though she lied to his face and possibly cost him the election?

We'll never know, so we'll just have to take the show for what it was: a brilliant and occasionally flawed gem, centred on a truly worthwhile protagonist, surrounded by talented and dynamic supporting players, and mounted on a seething underbelly of noir. Ah, television: sometimes you're just so damn good.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Pop Culture Round Up: October 25 - 31

Grab your footie jammies, every body! Sleepover at the Guggenheim!

"Is fiction inherently capitalist?" Um, maybe? You could always go to the library and "borrow" a book for "free" like a dirty commie.

Who's up for this challenge?

Heh. We're too poor to make better shows!

I like the idea that the Independent is running around solving Big Questions for us.

Hurray! More returned art!

"Modeled after Walt Whitman?" Sure! Who doesn't associate the transcendentalist with vampires?

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Prison Break (2005 - ?)

Since the last TV Thursday was devoted to Heroes, it seems like I should write a little bit about the other competition for my attention Mondays at 9: Prison Break.

Or as I called it in season 2: Prison Broke.

Then in season 3 it was Prison Break (Panama Edition).

Now in season 4 it's Stay out of Prison by Taking Down the Company, which isn't really as catchy, so I just call it Prison Break.

There are quite a few things that PB has in common with Heroes, and, although Heroes has been better in the last two episodes, PB still does those things better.

1) The Company

In Heroes' land, the Primatech Paper is a front for the shadowy and mysterious "The Company," a nefarious organization behind pretty much every bad thing that happens on the show: the virus, the formula, kidnapping, murder, synthetic abilities. You name it, they did it. The Company on PB is much the same: an overarching, multinational corporation that is responsible for every bad thing, ever. In season 1 we learned that they sent Linc (Dominic Purcell) to prison, and they've been behind everything that has happened to the brothers ever since (although it's kind of funny that Michael's (Wentworth Miller) the genius who engineers prison breaks and all manner of escapades, but they still consider Linc a serious threat). Both Companies can be difficult to swallow at times (just like the hotels in Monopoly), but the difference is the way they are treated on the shows.

In Heroes, the Company is a catch all. The bad thing (e.g. the formula) is invented first and then linked it back to the Company (turns out they used it years ago to create synthetic abilities, felt bad about it for unspecified reasons, and hid the formula rather than destroy it).

On PB, however, the Company is the show's driving force. What the Company does and why is almost a Macguffin at this point, but it's existence is enough. What they've already done (put Linc in jail, killed his ex-wife, set up his son for her murder, put Michael back in jail, Head in a Box,* etc.) is reason enough to want to take the Company down. Their nefarious dealings in Laos or anywhere else are just the icing on the evil cake. Each person as his or her own personal reason to want revenge, which makes it all the more interesting to watch. It's not just blathering about heroes and villains.

2) The Brothers

At the centre of both shows are a pair of brothers: the older, former bad boy (Linc, Nathan) and the idealistic, fatally loyal younger one (Michael, Peter). Nathan's conversion from bad to good happened onscreen over the course of season 1, while Linc's seems to have happened before we even met him. Linc was never that bad a person to begin with (he never plotted to blow up New York and his brother), but he's still trying to be a better person, brother, and dad. He's even put aside his quest for revenge against the man who killed his father, Alex Mahone (William Fitchner), and offered to help Mahone track down the man who killed his son instead.

Michael's a tougher nut to crack and, like, Ventimiglia, also had trouble with the Blue Steel early on. Miller's less reliant on it and more expressive as the seasons go by, and he gets to do something new this season: jokey Michael! When Scott Tobias pointed out earlier this year that, "
as an actor, Ventimiglia seems incapable of having any fun," it was one of those thunderbolt moments for me. That's totally the problem. He never smiles or laughs ever even when it would be appropriate, script-wise. Miller, on the other hand, now gets to joke at least once an episode, and it allows him to keep sharpening Michael as a well developed person.

Though both shows have large casts, Michael and Peter are definitely their central characters, and it can be limiting to build a show around an actor who is, well, limited. Kristen Bell could take whatever the Veronica Mars writers threw at her (the subject of another TV Thursday, I suppose); others cannot. Despite the outlandish plots, the PB writers respect that they have a genre show/live action graphic novel on their hands and have carefully and slowly developed their characters (for the most part) accordingly.

Also, they are not afraid to kill a bitch. Roland, Whistler, and Cameron are characters that died just this season. Who will be next? That's half the fun of watching.

*Sadly not as cool as Chief Head in a Box, largely because the head in question turned out to be a fake.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Premise: Kym (Anne Hathaway) leaves rehab to attend her sister Rachel's (Rosemaire DeWitt) wedding to Sidney (TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe) at their father's (Bill Irwin) estate.

This movie might be the hardest I have ever chosen to review because it feels like the hardest to explain. I saw it without reading any reviews, and I read three in preparation to write to you now. I'm still unsure that I have a handle the movie.

The lyrical way Declan Quinn's camera follows characters around the house, never afraid to cut them out of the frame, lends an authenticity to the movie that's difficult to transcribe. It's as real as any movie in recent memory and more so, for Jonathan Demme delicately picks up Jenny Lumet's screenplay and weaves colour, texture, and life into her carefully selected words. It catches the temporary suspension that many would like to go with a wedding and acknowledges how it only seems to underline longstanding tension and long held resentments.

There's a decade old tragedy at the centre for these characters, and everything that happens seems to grow out of it, pushing the characters forward while pulling them back in. DeWitt, as Rachel, struggles to find a place for herself that isn't defined in contrast to her junkie sister, and she creates a mix of compassion, anger, and forbearance. The movie isn't "about" how difficult it must be for Rachel to have a sister like Kym, and DeWitt's nuanced performance never suggests it should be.

There's a wonderful matter of fact/this is life quality to the movie gives the sense that, in fact, there's nothing it "should" be. It just is. Hathaway, in a difficult role that would be easy to overplay and even easier not to like, brings that same level of authenticity in a way that she has rarely had the opportunity to in the past. If we're lucky, it's only the beginning.

If we're really, really lucky, it's only the beginning of Debra Winger's return to film as well. What a relief to see her again. A

Friday, October 24, 2008

Pop Culture Round-Up: October 18-24

Another accidental hiatus? I've got a problem.

That's all well and good, but who will design their costumes?

Ha! I mean, you know, saving lives is good, but laughing is good for your health, too.

None of these responses are sufficiently crass, Les Grossman style answers, as one would want.

Sad.

Well that sucks.

This is a little bit gross, but it also might be the funniest thing I have read all week.

If you've found yourself wondering whatever happened to Christo, wonder no more.

"Like Freud and Betty Crocker, the name 'Emily Post' became shorthand for authority itself." As well it should be.

By showing it in the thrall of a violent attack, of course!

Beats me. He's too cute to hate.

Oh, please let them. I would love to hear that.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Pop Culture Round-Up: October 11 - 17

This week went much better than last week, round up-wise. I checked my folder last Friday afternoon to discover that I had bookmarked absolutely nothing. I guess I was too busy/bored last week.

I don't know if one article is going to shake up our opinions, but he's got a few good points. I do want to see Lost Boys: The Tribe, after all.

What the? I don't know how I feel about this.

Hee! It's funny 'cause it's true. 'Cept that violin thing was a total rip off of Ironside's character on Seaquest. (Yeah, that's right. Seaquest.)

I saw this trailer before Nick & Norah but had a slightly different reaction.

I could get behind that. But what about The Daily Show? Not that we see much of Sam these days.

"Has appeared in films"? Ouch. It's like when people say "a number."

Music of the future!

Why is Jude Law playing Hamlet in the first place?

Despite the fact that this is a blatant rip-off of the greatest episode of Angel ever, it was the greatest episode of Angel ever (probably), so I think the awesomeness will transfer.

Aw. The Batman theme rules.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Heroes (2006 - ?)

First I saw Sarah's DVR Break-Up, and I thought, "I didn't think it was that bad." Then the rotation of TV Clubbers have been (not unfairly) hating. Couch Baron even outed the show as a soap opera. Last Monday's episode was the final straw for me.

SPOILER (ish) Alert: If you haven't already watched the episode that aired on Monday, October 13, 2008, read no further, as I intend to discuss it at length.

I talked up Heroes to pretty much everyone I knew when it premièred two ago. It was the one new show you had to watch. When it went off the rails in season two, I stuck by it, sure that it could pull itself out of its funk. When Tim Kring apologized and promised that he could do better in season three, I took him at his word. As it turns out, that was a mistake.

Last week, Hiro and Ando dug up not-at-all-dead Adam Monroe's (the always welcome David Anders) grave, thereby undoing the coolest thing that Hiro has ever done on the show (other than be Future Hiro, of course). This week, Hiro spends several of my viewing minutes popping Adam in and out of the coffin during their negotiations. Why, pray tell, did Hiro and Ando have to dig up the grave in the first place then? It's time consuming and difficult, and, as Hiro just proved in the very next scene, completely unnecessary. Exactly how brain-addled are the writers that they can't establish internal logic for a single subplot?

This development also goes against the graphic novels that have never have (and probably never will) tie into the show on air. Early this summer, back when I used to read them, an entire issue was devoted to Adam's many wives over the years, and it ended with his conviction that his current wife, whoever she might be, would rescue him. Since he was still down there when Hiro went to pick him up, that didn't happen. No doubt, we will never meet this mysterious wife nor will she be mentioned again. She can live on the Beach of Dropped Plots with Micah, Monica, and Caitlin, the girlfriend Peter is content to abandon in the future. Her family's dead, too!

Adam leads Hiro and Ando to a bar and shakes them off his tail. So Daphne shows up. Alright, fine. We've had a quite of bit of Daphne in this episode, but I don't care. I don't know a damn thing about Daphne, and I don't care if that ever changes. I liked Brea Grant on Friday Night Lights last year, but there writing's not there to back her up when it comes to Daphne. She's a construct, a cardboard cut-out, and she'll probably stay that way.

Somehow, this latest confrontation between Hiro and his "nemesis"* leads to Hiro killing Ando. For real. Hiro murdering his best friend for the greater good has the emotional devastation of a paper cut. No one stays dead on this show. If they do die, the actor just comes back as another character (hey, Ali!). That's what makes this show a soap opera. It's not that I don't loves me a soap. It's that I don't love a soap that takes itself so seriously yet never pays out.

What happens every season, really? Someone goes into the future, sees something terrible, and heads back to prevent terrible thing (explosion/world ending, virus/world ending, formula/world ending) from happening in the first place. It ends with Peter going nuclear. Maybe Peter will destroy a lab full of the formula in nuclear explosion come May sweeps.

The problem with characters changing personalities and loyalties to fit the episode's needs has been around a while and well covered elsewhere (from Monday, for example - Claire wants to take bad guys down, Claire wants to help them reunite with their families, Claire hates Sylar and wants to kill him, Claire doesn't want her dad to kill Sylar. Huh?). Let's move on to the final moment: Arthur Petrelli lives.

Listen, it's not that I don't want to more about Pa Petrelli. I'm sure that it would be interesting to know more about the early days of the Company, what Pa's power(s) might be, how he was with his sons, and what they know about him. There was an arc over several graphic novels way back in the day about how the elder Petrelli and Linderman met (short answer: Nam), which was probably my favourite. It's just that . . . reviving a character that established to be dead in the pilot? What's the point? Let's bring back the elder Suresh while we are at it. I bet he could find an antidote.

I'm probably not at the breaking point just yet; I am getting very close. I have lost any confidence that the show could take a development like that and make it exciting. They've already used it poorly: paralyzing Angela. She's one of the good (read: interesting to watch) characters! Maybe Elle can come back and zap her out of it. Sigh. I miss Kristen Bell.

*Which, Hiro is supposed to be my age, if not older, right? Adults do not talk this way. The time gap between Hiro and Future Hiro is closing, but the personality gap remains vast.