TUBE!
A couple of years back I wrote a series called "The Best TV in The Past 10 Years" that was posted on my blog "King of the Whole Darned World" and last year I reposted it on this site. You have to back quite a ways to get to it, but I think it's a worthwhile read. At any rate back then, before I'd witnessed the entire Season 4 and certainly not the 5th and final season, I had ranked Breaking Bad as the number 1 greatest TV show in the last 10 years. Although the order of some of the other shows might move around a bit in my mind, Breaking Bad will stay solidly in the number one spot. And it might be a good long time before anything comes along to knock it out. First, let me start this look-back by reposting what I had to say about the show a few years ago:
Well, here we are. At number 1. And if you have bothered to watch any TV at all in the last 10 years, you must have known this was coming. "Breaking Bad" is one of the greatest things I have been privileged to witness......ever.
Albuquerque High School Chemistry teacher Walter White has a problem. He has stage 3 lung cancer. He hasn't told his family. But he is most troubled by the fact that he has not been able to adequately put aside enough money to take care of his family or send his son Walter Jr. to college after he's gone.
Walter has a brother-in-law who is a DEA agent and occasionally he lets Walter ride along on routine busts - provided Walter stays in the car. On one of these excursions, Walter witnesses one of his flunkie burn-out students narrowly escaping from the bust. Walter has an epiphany and devises a scheme to supply the needed money for his family.
Walter decides to seek out the drug-dealing flunk-out student - Jesse Pinkman - and make him a proposition. Jesse will use his street level connections to move the product, and Mr. White will cook the best and purest meth-antphetimine on the planet.
Thus begins a saga of epic proportions. And it is a tale that I believe is the best TV in the past 10 years. Maybe ever.
Creator Vince Gilligan has taken a good premise - not the greatest premise ever - but a good one, and made it a masterpiece. There are lots of reasons.
Beyond Gilligan's vision and writing the casting was fantastic. Brian Cranston as Mr. White is truly a mystical thing of beauty. Known to millions only as the Dad on "Malcolm In The Middle", Cranston definitely gets to sit at the big people's table this Thanksgiving. Could Tom Hanks have played Mr. White? Nope. DeNiro? Maybe, but not as well. And who the heck decided to give totally unknown Aaron Paul a shot at playing Jesse Pinkman? I don't know whose decision that was but give them a raise! This kid is brilliant and for my money makes the show. Jesse was originally going to be a temporary character, but sometime in the first season it was realized that Mr. White and Jesse Pinkman were one of the best TV partnerships since Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton.
Oh but it doesn't stop there. Playing Mr. White's wife Skyler is the lovely and "Murder One" alum Anna Gunn. After a couple seasons and Walter deciding to finally confess what he's been up to, Skyler leaves him in a righteous huff, only a season later to also reach a line that she reluctantly decides to cross. Therefore she too is 'breaking bad." Next there is Walter's brother-in-law Drug Enforcement Agent Hank Schrader played by brilliant (and also a "Murder One" alum) Dean Morris. This guy knows his stuff. He brings a reality to this character in a way that is not usual. He falls totally in the moment and becomes this guy. What an actor.
Somehow Walter and Jesse hook up with the slimiest of slimey lawyers in form of Saul Goodman. Another of the cast members delivering brilliance. Bob Odenkirk plays Saul. Saul sets Walter and Jesse up with a big-time-run-the-whole-west-coast Drug Kingpin played as a mild mannered businessman by Giancarlo Esposito. RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr. deserves mention too. All excellent.
Morality questions pop up more in this show than the little gophers at Chuckie Cheese. "Breaking Bad" offers a look at these questions, and as I have wondered many times in my 26 years working with criminals... where is that line? And what exactly made the point in time when it was crossed, the right time? When, why, and under what circumstances, would any of us decide to "break bad?"
I'll admit I haven't seen the entire series, but I very much look forward to seeing it all. I will always be intrigued and wonder how it will inevitably arrive at the only logical conclusion this madness can bring.
So here, we are. The fourth season came and brought with it more interest and intrigue, with Gus deciding to turn on Walt and Jesse, and Walt turning on Jesse. The storyline was woven finer than a Persian rug, and the performances only seemed to get better. Skyler cuts a deal with her boss and he ends up being an idiot about it, only to force her to break even badder. The final episode of Season 4 was a masterpiece. Walt outsmarts and ultimately overcomes Gus, and continues on his journey from a mild mannered High School Chemistry teacher to a treacherous criminal kingpin. Amazing.
Season 5 came to us in two 8 episode installments. And it was known from the outset that this would be the final season. In this season we were introduced to an element that had criminal ties globally and is masterminded by a status seeking woman in a corporation. Jesse ascertains Walt has betrayed him and is disenfranchised himself from Walt. Walt has to flee and hide out, and has become one of the most sought after criminals in America. But as Jesse has been taken hostage and is forced to be a slave, cooking meth for a bunch of thugs, Walt's cancer has come back and has changed his outlook on everything. So Walt devises a plan, and decides to make it all right.
Walt does love Jesse like a son, but in doing so, he has done terrible things like trying to poison Jesse's girlfriend's son Brock. He also let his darling junkie girlfriend die in season 2 (or was it 3), and so Walt Break's more and more Bad.
In the end, Saul takes a new identity, Walt dies in a shoot-out, and Jesse escapes to who knows what, or where. But it was perfect. This was the best series endings since "Newhart" and that's saying something.
Thanks Vince, and Bryan, and Aaron, Anna, Dean et al for this wonderful journey and fantastic TV experience. What a great use of what has become the premier artistic medium.
Rock on, y'all.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Captain Phillips
FLIX!
Tom Hanks plays the Captain of a cargo tanker on a routine run down the coast of Africa. But this isn't made up mumbo-jumbo hollywood fodder for the masses. This stuff really happened. And if you were paying any attention to the news in the last few years, you probably remember this story. Sudanese pirates overtook a cargo tanker on a routine run down the coast of Africa. When the Captain of the tanker, Captain Richard Phillips was taken captive by pirates and Navy Seals were called in?
The film starts routinely enough, and that is good. It shows a nice thorough Captain taking control and tightening down a new-to-him cargo ship. He even decides to run some training "pirate" drills, because of where they are geographically. But then, the drama takes on an new dynamic.....they spot approaching vessels and they quickly ascertain that they are indeed marauding pirate boats coming to do their dirty work.
The film takes on a tension that is not easily described. It is intense, and immediate. I kind of knew the story-line, but that did not give me a free pass on this one. It kept my attention and intrigued me the entire time. Tension....tension.
The rest of the cast as the crew? Not so much. The pirates? What an exciting and interesting bunch of guys. They lent a dimension of truth and reality to this that totally sold me. They were very skinny men, but very formidable. And very smart. And very, very dangerous.
It ends the way you know it will, but not entirely. Hanks has a scene with a Navy nurse (she actually got physically ill the first take just from being in a room with Tom Hanks...but Tom talked her through it, and she became wonderful.) She became a terrific platform for Hanks to work from..to show that even though he's been on a coffee break with stuff like "The Terminal", "Cast Away", "Catch Me if You Can" etc....he still has his chops. Hanks does some great and gifted work in this scene, and to me, it's worth the price of admission.
So, note to all adults. Go see this really good movie. Because see, if we don't, then Hollywood will truly believe that, all we as an audience really want, are super-heroes blowing up. We need to stop this trend. We are the biggest demographic with the most money. Let's make the pimply-faced Hollywood execs dance to our piper for a change.
Go see this gang. It is a great movie experience.
GRADE: B+
Tom Hanks plays the Captain of a cargo tanker on a routine run down the coast of Africa. But this isn't made up mumbo-jumbo hollywood fodder for the masses. This stuff really happened. And if you were paying any attention to the news in the last few years, you probably remember this story. Sudanese pirates overtook a cargo tanker on a routine run down the coast of Africa. When the Captain of the tanker, Captain Richard Phillips was taken captive by pirates and Navy Seals were called in?
The film starts routinely enough, and that is good. It shows a nice thorough Captain taking control and tightening down a new-to-him cargo ship. He even decides to run some training "pirate" drills, because of where they are geographically. But then, the drama takes on an new dynamic.....they spot approaching vessels and they quickly ascertain that they are indeed marauding pirate boats coming to do their dirty work.
The film takes on a tension that is not easily described. It is intense, and immediate. I kind of knew the story-line, but that did not give me a free pass on this one. It kept my attention and intrigued me the entire time. Tension....tension.
The rest of the cast as the crew? Not so much. The pirates? What an exciting and interesting bunch of guys. They lent a dimension of truth and reality to this that totally sold me. They were very skinny men, but very formidable. And very smart. And very, very dangerous.
It ends the way you know it will, but not entirely. Hanks has a scene with a Navy nurse (she actually got physically ill the first take just from being in a room with Tom Hanks...but Tom talked her through it, and she became wonderful.) She became a terrific platform for Hanks to work from..to show that even though he's been on a coffee break with stuff like "The Terminal", "Cast Away", "Catch Me if You Can" etc....he still has his chops. Hanks does some great and gifted work in this scene, and to me, it's worth the price of admission.
So, note to all adults. Go see this really good movie. Because see, if we don't, then Hollywood will truly believe that, all we as an audience really want, are super-heroes blowing up. We need to stop this trend. We are the biggest demographic with the most money. Let's make the pimply-faced Hollywood execs dance to our piper for a change.
Go see this gang. It is a great movie experience.
GRADE: B+
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Gravity
FLIX!
Gravity began as surreal mellow moments with an underwash of scariness - they were working on a satellite in a spot where they were looking at the earth like it was on an IMAX movie screen. The three astronauts all seem to be enjoying themselves; one is goofing around tethered down by the shuttle, astronaut Matt Kowalski is clowning around in his little get-up which features mini retro rockets allowing him to buzz around little a nuisance house-fly (this is, after all his last mission before retirement), while astronaut Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is diligently trying to accomplish their assigned task. So that covers getting us through the opening credits, and then all hell breaks loose. There is a panicked message from Houston...."Abort, abort! A bunch of other satellites have broken up and the debris is heading your way!" Okay I put on quotation marks, and that is probably not a direct quote, but it was mighty close to that. And then, this thing goes crazy.
George Clooney plays the veteran leader of this expedition (Matt Kowalski) and seems to have all the experience and no-how. The above mentioned Ryan Stone is a novice with no other space experience. She does mention she's trained 6 months.
Without being too much of a spoiler, the other astronaut is sort of, well, killed when the debris comes crashing in. I mean that is if having your face shield broken out, half your face gone, and your brains sucked out will kill you. Now there are two of them that have to figure out how to get back to Earth. Without being even more of a spoiler, this ain't a buddy picture. And here's another clue for you all: this was one of George Clooney's shortest film appearances. And the walrus was Paul. (Refer to the Beatles' White Album if your less than 40 years old and don't get that last reference about Paul).
This movie was 3 minutes of semi-calm highlighted by 90 minutes of sheer, intense, butt-cheek tightening, throat tightening suspense and terror. Okay, we got about two minutes of false relief at the end of the second act to catch our breath.
I liked this movie a lot. I thought Sandra Bullock was extraordinary - she is one of the stars that doesn't get the credit she deserves. She can do it all. Comedy, drama, and intense stuff. I hope she gets an Oscar nod for this one. Her intensity and delivery were interesting, thoughtful, and believable.
Great cinema? Nope. Great movie-making? Yep. The special effects were wonderful, convincing, and not contrived. Although brighter minds than mine will have to explain bits of fire floating around. And what retro rockets exhaust pushes against. Did this movie keep me interested and engaged? You bet. Did it seem like the hour and a half flew by? Yes indeed. This movie was interesting that way. My bride commented, "boy, that was a short movie", but then when we checked the running time, it was the same length as other movies.
I recommend this movie. And it works for the whole family. That is if you want your under 12 year olds to have bad dreams and need therapy well into their 20s....
See it. It does what movies are supposed to do. What you pay to see them for.....you'll be entertained, intrigued, and thinking about it for days.
Grade: B+
Gravity began as surreal mellow moments with an underwash of scariness - they were working on a satellite in a spot where they were looking at the earth like it was on an IMAX movie screen. The three astronauts all seem to be enjoying themselves; one is goofing around tethered down by the shuttle, astronaut Matt Kowalski is clowning around in his little get-up which features mini retro rockets allowing him to buzz around little a nuisance house-fly (this is, after all his last mission before retirement), while astronaut Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is diligently trying to accomplish their assigned task. So that covers getting us through the opening credits, and then all hell breaks loose. There is a panicked message from Houston...."Abort, abort! A bunch of other satellites have broken up and the debris is heading your way!" Okay I put on quotation marks, and that is probably not a direct quote, but it was mighty close to that. And then, this thing goes crazy.
George Clooney plays the veteran leader of this expedition (Matt Kowalski) and seems to have all the experience and no-how. The above mentioned Ryan Stone is a novice with no other space experience. She does mention she's trained 6 months.
Without being too much of a spoiler, the other astronaut is sort of, well, killed when the debris comes crashing in. I mean that is if having your face shield broken out, half your face gone, and your brains sucked out will kill you. Now there are two of them that have to figure out how to get back to Earth. Without being even more of a spoiler, this ain't a buddy picture. And here's another clue for you all: this was one of George Clooney's shortest film appearances. And the walrus was Paul. (Refer to the Beatles' White Album if your less than 40 years old and don't get that last reference about Paul).
This movie was 3 minutes of semi-calm highlighted by 90 minutes of sheer, intense, butt-cheek tightening, throat tightening suspense and terror. Okay, we got about two minutes of false relief at the end of the second act to catch our breath.
I liked this movie a lot. I thought Sandra Bullock was extraordinary - she is one of the stars that doesn't get the credit she deserves. She can do it all. Comedy, drama, and intense stuff. I hope she gets an Oscar nod for this one. Her intensity and delivery were interesting, thoughtful, and believable.
Great cinema? Nope. Great movie-making? Yep. The special effects were wonderful, convincing, and not contrived. Although brighter minds than mine will have to explain bits of fire floating around. And what retro rockets exhaust pushes against. Did this movie keep me interested and engaged? You bet. Did it seem like the hour and a half flew by? Yes indeed. This movie was interesting that way. My bride commented, "boy, that was a short movie", but then when we checked the running time, it was the same length as other movies.
I recommend this movie. And it works for the whole family. That is if you want your under 12 year olds to have bad dreams and need therapy well into their 20s....
See it. It does what movies are supposed to do. What you pay to see them for.....you'll be entertained, intrigued, and thinking about it for days.
Grade: B+
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