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+
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
World War Z by Chris Chapman
Flix!
World War Z by Chris Chapman.
Summer 2013 Movie Review #6: "World War Z." Sorry that this one is bit late. Zombie seem to be everywhere in the media, and one of the touchstones of the Zombie resurgance was a pair of books by author Max Brooks, "The Zombie Survival Guide" and it's follow up, "World War Z." The book has kind of been on movie development hell for the last few years, and as this Bradd Pitt vehicle was being made, rumors came out of problems with it, and how the ending had to be totally reshot. That can make you feel uneasy when you go into movie. Almost as uneasy as seeing 5 writers in the credits. Never a good sign.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
The Lone Ranger
FLIX!
Okay, there has been a lot of negative ink about this flick. It didn't do this, it didn't do that, it took too long telling the story of background info....yada yada yada.
This was a wonderful movie that does not deserve any of the negativity it has garnered. Johnny Depp has served up one of the roles that will be a cornerstone when in the future they are doing the life-time achievement awards for something. He was utterly fantastic in this. Johnny kept this piece together and did so with finesse thanks to the help of director Gore Verbinski.
Armie Hammer in the lead role was uncanny. Do not underestimate this guy. He is definitely an up-and-comer. He did a wonderful job in this really good movie.
The storyline here was true to the original storyline of the original Lone Ranger story, and I loved that. And for you trivia fans, did you know that the grandson of the Lone Ranger would become the Green Hornet? Didn't think so. They don't mention it in the movie, but I just toss it out there.
The Lone Ranger was masterful story-telling, done light-heartedly, and was a lot of fun. Johnny Depp did tend to steal the show as Tonto, but overall this was superb story-telling, setting us up for the next installment of this Disney franchise.
In this movie, John Reid, the Lone Ranger was played masterfully by Armie Hammer. (Guess he's too self-concious to go by Armand Hammer.) But this is really told through the eyes of Tonto - an Indian, (as was "One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest"),.... but that's another story.
Okay, here's the deal. A bunch of US Rangers get set-up and all get killed in a bushwhack in a canyon. One guy survives (due to the assistance of an Indian), and therefore he becomes the "Lone Ranger". They go on a mission to bring the killer of the Rangers to justice and the plot ensues from there.
There is a lot of whacky impossible death-defying acts and action, but honestly, isn't that what we go to movies for sometimes?
William Fichtner, as Butch Cavendish (the bad guy),was wonderful. Bill, you have been a favorite of mine since "The Perfect Storm." Nicely done, pal. You were the quintessential villain.
A kid wanders into a "Wild West" display in a carnival in 1933 and Tonto is one of the exhibits. He ends up talking to Tonto, and Tonto's flashbacks are the movie. I love movies that do this (The Green Mile, Fried Green Tomatoes, etc.) and so it was, to me, a great way to tie it all together. If there were a Tonto he could have been alive in the early 1930s esspecially when I remember that Wyatt Earp didn't die until 1927, and Bat Masterson was a sports reporter for the New York Times well into the 20's.
This new genre is being labeled "Comedy Action". Such as RED and The Heat. The Lone Ranger perfectly hits that mark. It even featured the "1812 Overture" (from TLR television show during some action sequences). I'm sorry so many critics didn't like it. This didn't deserve any harshness, because it accomplished exactly what it was trying to do. So, to quote The Lone Ranger,
"Hi-HO SILVER, and away!!!!"
Tonto: "Don't ever do that again."
Okay, there has been a lot of negative ink about this flick. It didn't do this, it didn't do that, it took too long telling the story of background info....yada yada yada.
This was a wonderful movie that does not deserve any of the negativity it has garnered. Johnny Depp has served up one of the roles that will be a cornerstone when in the future they are doing the life-time achievement awards for something. He was utterly fantastic in this. Johnny kept this piece together and did so with finesse thanks to the help of director Gore Verbinski.
Armie Hammer in the lead role was uncanny. Do not underestimate this guy. He is definitely an up-and-comer. He did a wonderful job in this really good movie.
The storyline here was true to the original storyline of the original Lone Ranger story, and I loved that. And for you trivia fans, did you know that the grandson of the Lone Ranger would become the Green Hornet? Didn't think so. They don't mention it in the movie, but I just toss it out there.
The Lone Ranger was masterful story-telling, done light-heartedly, and was a lot of fun. Johnny Depp did tend to steal the show as Tonto, but overall this was superb story-telling, setting us up for the next installment of this Disney franchise.
In this movie, John Reid, the Lone Ranger was played masterfully by Armie Hammer. (Guess he's too self-concious to go by Armand Hammer.) But this is really told through the eyes of Tonto - an Indian, (as was "One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest"),.... but that's another story.
Okay, here's the deal. A bunch of US Rangers get set-up and all get killed in a bushwhack in a canyon. One guy survives (due to the assistance of an Indian), and therefore he becomes the "Lone Ranger". They go on a mission to bring the killer of the Rangers to justice and the plot ensues from there.
There is a lot of whacky impossible death-defying acts and action, but honestly, isn't that what we go to movies for sometimes?
William Fichtner, as Butch Cavendish (the bad guy),was wonderful. Bill, you have been a favorite of mine since "The Perfect Storm." Nicely done, pal. You were the quintessential villain.
A kid wanders into a "Wild West" display in a carnival in 1933 and Tonto is one of the exhibits. He ends up talking to Tonto, and Tonto's flashbacks are the movie. I love movies that do this (The Green Mile, Fried Green Tomatoes, etc.) and so it was, to me, a great way to tie it all together. If there were a Tonto he could have been alive in the early 1930s esspecially when I remember that Wyatt Earp didn't die until 1927, and Bat Masterson was a sports reporter for the New York Times well into the 20's.
This new genre is being labeled "Comedy Action". Such as RED and The Heat. The Lone Ranger perfectly hits that mark. It even featured the "1812 Overture" (from TLR television show during some action sequences). I'm sorry so many critics didn't like it. This didn't deserve any harshness, because it accomplished exactly what it was trying to do. So, to quote The Lone Ranger,
"Hi-HO SILVER, and away!!!!"
Tonto: "Don't ever do that again."
Hatfields & McCoys
TUBE!
The scene opens in the midst of a battle in the Civil War. Two Confederate soldiers are fighting side by side and what's left of their outfit gets away and are camped for the night. In the middle of the night one of the soldiers is up in the night getting his horse ready to ride. He is confronted by another soldier who asks him what he thinks he's doing. The reply? "I'm quittin'. We ain't winnin' anyways. I've had enough." Soldier Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield then rides off leaving Soldier Randolf "Randall" McCoy staring in disbelief that a comrade would desert.
That scene may be entirely fiction in the remarkable mini-series produced for the History Channel entitled Hatfields & McCoys. But from everything else I've read about the USA's most infamous feud, the rest of this story is uncannily accurate. I began watching it on Netflix and was blown away; I watched it all within about a 12 hour period of time. A friend recommended it and I am so glad he did.
Hatfields and McCoys stars Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton. I have to admit right up front that I was never much of a Costner fan. He was just plain hokey-awful in JFK, and forced and awkward in The Bodyguard. I think even Field of Dreams could have been better with someone else. He just gave one crummy performance after another until Wyatt Earp. And more recently in the film Open Range. Folks this guy has finally found his genre (westerns) and he is one of the greatest of all time in it. And anybody who knows me knows I love "cowboy movies". I would not make a statement like that if I didn't believe it.
Bill Paxton here is also wonderful. His experience in Tombstone was not wasted - and although this actually is not a western, it is still very westernesque. Both Paxton and Costner bring a depth to their characters that was intense. So much so that as a viewer it was impossible to pick a side in the feud.
This miniseries lets us feel the pain and sense of utter loss that both families felt during this feud that lasted from 1863 until officially ending in 1904. Yes they were hard drinkin' hillbillies, but they had wives and families and lots of children that they cared about and wanted to protect.
Besides Costner and Paxton, the whole cast was fantastic starting with Mare Winningham as Randall's wife Sally. Mare turns in yet another of her patented quiet, unassuming, wonderful performances. Sarah Parish played Levicy Hatfield, the wife of Devil Anse and she made us feel Levicy's pain.
A Romeo and Juliet type theme runs throughout most of the mini-series between Johnson "Johnse" (pronounced 'Jonce') Hatfield (Matt Barr) and Roseanna McCoy (Lindsay Pulsipher). And although it seems a bit contrived and too convenient for the storyline, it is historically accurate. In fact I did some research on the feud and this mini-series was spot on, thanks to the brilliant screenplay masterfully written by Ted Mann and Bill Kerby. They wrote it with the simple beauty of the language of the time, kept it flowing, interesting, and they never lost the rhythm....hats off to the film editors too.
This story is compelling not only because of what it became, but it should be used to illustrate that sometimes the smallest insignificant things can have powerful results. (I was reminded that a prisoner broke a rule, cooking a can of soup in a way that he was not supposed to, and it eventually became the infamous Attica prison riot). In this case, a stolen pig, a bad judicial ruling, and a mysterious shooting led to decades of death and hatred.
This was an amazing piece of television, a medium that is slowly becoming the place where all the great work gets done. The locations were perfect. The costumes seemed honest. I don't like it when the viewer is trying to suspend disbelief and get into the story and then a prop or costume reminds you that this is a production. A few things I did notice, however, was that everyone had pretty perfect white teeth, and most of the women had neatly groomed contemporary eyebrows.
I'll bet this work gets big buzz and accolades at the next Emmy Awards. It will quite a battle between House of Cards and Hatfields & McCoys. (I know that there are lots of other contenders too.) But I love a season when so many truly remarkable things all deserve a nod.
Hatfields & McCoys gets a great big recommendation from me.
The scene opens in the midst of a battle in the Civil War. Two Confederate soldiers are fighting side by side and what's left of their outfit gets away and are camped for the night. In the middle of the night one of the soldiers is up in the night getting his horse ready to ride. He is confronted by another soldier who asks him what he thinks he's doing. The reply? "I'm quittin'. We ain't winnin' anyways. I've had enough." Soldier Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield then rides off leaving Soldier Randolf "Randall" McCoy staring in disbelief that a comrade would desert.
That scene may be entirely fiction in the remarkable mini-series produced for the History Channel entitled Hatfields & McCoys. But from everything else I've read about the USA's most infamous feud, the rest of this story is uncannily accurate. I began watching it on Netflix and was blown away; I watched it all within about a 12 hour period of time. A friend recommended it and I am so glad he did.
Hatfields and McCoys stars Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton. I have to admit right up front that I was never much of a Costner fan. He was just plain hokey-awful in JFK, and forced and awkward in The Bodyguard. I think even Field of Dreams could have been better with someone else. He just gave one crummy performance after another until Wyatt Earp. And more recently in the film Open Range. Folks this guy has finally found his genre (westerns) and he is one of the greatest of all time in it. And anybody who knows me knows I love "cowboy movies". I would not make a statement like that if I didn't believe it.
Bill Paxton here is also wonderful. His experience in Tombstone was not wasted - and although this actually is not a western, it is still very westernesque. Both Paxton and Costner bring a depth to their characters that was intense. So much so that as a viewer it was impossible to pick a side in the feud.
This miniseries lets us feel the pain and sense of utter loss that both families felt during this feud that lasted from 1863 until officially ending in 1904. Yes they were hard drinkin' hillbillies, but they had wives and families and lots of children that they cared about and wanted to protect.
Besides Costner and Paxton, the whole cast was fantastic starting with Mare Winningham as Randall's wife Sally. Mare turns in yet another of her patented quiet, unassuming, wonderful performances. Sarah Parish played Levicy Hatfield, the wife of Devil Anse and she made us feel Levicy's pain.
A Romeo and Juliet type theme runs throughout most of the mini-series between Johnson "Johnse" (pronounced 'Jonce') Hatfield (Matt Barr) and Roseanna McCoy (Lindsay Pulsipher). And although it seems a bit contrived and too convenient for the storyline, it is historically accurate. In fact I did some research on the feud and this mini-series was spot on, thanks to the brilliant screenplay masterfully written by Ted Mann and Bill Kerby. They wrote it with the simple beauty of the language of the time, kept it flowing, interesting, and they never lost the rhythm....hats off to the film editors too.
This story is compelling not only because of what it became, but it should be used to illustrate that sometimes the smallest insignificant things can have powerful results. (I was reminded that a prisoner broke a rule, cooking a can of soup in a way that he was not supposed to, and it eventually became the infamous Attica prison riot). In this case, a stolen pig, a bad judicial ruling, and a mysterious shooting led to decades of death and hatred.
This was an amazing piece of television, a medium that is slowly becoming the place where all the great work gets done. The locations were perfect. The costumes seemed honest. I don't like it when the viewer is trying to suspend disbelief and get into the story and then a prop or costume reminds you that this is a production. A few things I did notice, however, was that everyone had pretty perfect white teeth, and most of the women had neatly groomed contemporary eyebrows.
I'll bet this work gets big buzz and accolades at the next Emmy Awards. It will quite a battle between House of Cards and Hatfields & McCoys. (I know that there are lots of other contenders too.) But I love a season when so many truly remarkable things all deserve a nod.
Hatfields & McCoys gets a great big recommendation from me.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
White House Down
FLIX!
A crazed Secret Service Chief of Presidential Security assembles a cast of lunatics a devises a plot that is two-fold. One part is about getting money, a lot of it. The kind of money that the Federal Reserve keeps on hand in cash - 400 million dollars. The other part is about launching a massive nuclear strike all over the middle east. The crazy Secret Service guy (James Wood) needs to keep the President alive in order to activate the "football", the portable device that allows the President (Jamie Foxx) to order a nuclear strike from anywhere. I could say more about the plot line but you've seen it before. In a movie called "Die Hard."
In this remake of Die Hard, this time starring Channing Tatum as the hero, or antihero it might be said, we once again go meandering through a complicated building (The White House), and the place is crawling with bad guys. And once again our hero is on his own to save the day.
Here, the President, played by Jamie Foxx (superb as always), is the guy our boy John Cale is out to save. As in Die Hard, when the bad guys discover they John McCain's wife in their grasp, here the bad guys come to realize they have John Cale's daughter in their grasp. I mean the only thing different about this movie is that the hero never uttered the phrase "Yippee Yi Ki Yay, Mr. President."
But here's the thing. Remaking Die Hard isn't necessarily a bad thing. I guess the bad thing is the guys actually trying to keep the Die Hard franchise alive aren't doing such a great job, but this version was really done well. Fresh blood in the roles doesn't hurt a thing. Die Hard was a great flick and so was this. The first time I saw Die Hard I was in a mood for total distraction. I wanted stuff to blow up, lots of action, and lots of bullets flying. And Die Hard was perfect. That's why I appreciate White House Down. Somewhere out there is a guy who's going through a divorce and needs a distraction. Go see White House Down.
A crazed Secret Service Chief of Presidential Security assembles a cast of lunatics a devises a plot that is two-fold. One part is about getting money, a lot of it. The kind of money that the Federal Reserve keeps on hand in cash - 400 million dollars. The other part is about launching a massive nuclear strike all over the middle east. The crazy Secret Service guy (James Wood) needs to keep the President alive in order to activate the "football", the portable device that allows the President (Jamie Foxx) to order a nuclear strike from anywhere. I could say more about the plot line but you've seen it before. In a movie called "Die Hard."
In this remake of Die Hard, this time starring Channing Tatum as the hero, or antihero it might be said, we once again go meandering through a complicated building (The White House), and the place is crawling with bad guys. And once again our hero is on his own to save the day.
Here, the President, played by Jamie Foxx (superb as always), is the guy our boy John Cale is out to save. As in Die Hard, when the bad guys discover they John McCain's wife in their grasp, here the bad guys come to realize they have John Cale's daughter in their grasp. I mean the only thing different about this movie is that the hero never uttered the phrase "Yippee Yi Ki Yay, Mr. President."
But here's the thing. Remaking Die Hard isn't necessarily a bad thing. I guess the bad thing is the guys actually trying to keep the Die Hard franchise alive aren't doing such a great job, but this version was really done well. Fresh blood in the roles doesn't hurt a thing. Die Hard was a great flick and so was this. The first time I saw Die Hard I was in a mood for total distraction. I wanted stuff to blow up, lots of action, and lots of bullets flying. And Die Hard was perfect. That's why I appreciate White House Down. Somewhere out there is a guy who's going through a divorce and needs a distraction. Go see White House Down.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
The Heat
FLIX!
Uptight over-achieving FBI special agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) has to leave the New York office and go to Boston. She needs to catch a drug lord, and her next promotion depends on it. She is very by-the-book and is not liked by any of her co-workers. While in Boston she encounters foul-mouthed Boston Police Detective Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) and they could not be more incompatible. But through a weird turn of events, they end up having to work on the case together. And therein lies the fun.
But even before that team-up, this movie is fun. Sandra Bullock in the scenes before she leaves for Boston are fun. Melissa McCarthy is a scream the entire time she is on the screen.
Shannon Mullins is not liked by anyone, anymore than Sarah Ashburn is. Detective Mullins is hated by her own family for having arresting her own brother Jason (Michael Rappaport) who has recently gotten out of prison.
I won't go on and on about the storyline, because honestly, it's pretty standard stuff. Not to say it isn't funny. Because it is. This movie is a laugh riot from beginning to end. Melissa McCarthy is wonderful, but so is Sandra Bullock. The scene in a barroom when Detective Mullins is leading the way is terrific. The stuff they do with scotch tape is hysterical. The way they dance with old guys....it's just funny stuff.
And to add icing to the cake there is a small but great cast around these two. Besides the aforementioned Michael Rappaport, there is Tom Wilson (Biff in Back to the Future) as Mullins' Capt. Woods, Michael McDonald (MAD TV) as bad-guy Julian, Marlon Wayans as FBI Agent Levy, Demian Bichir (of Weeds fame) as FBI boss Hale, and Jane Curtin (Saturday Night Live) as Mrs. Mullins.
This movie did everything I want a movie to do. It entertained me for an hour and a half and justified what we paid for Pop, Popcorn, and the wife's must-have Cotton Candy. Many times it was like watching a Don Rickles performance. You want to see it again to catch the stuff you were laughing through the first time. Plus it is a buddy picture that features women in an even-handed way. Through all the zaniness we still care about them and understand that though they are both loners, they are both people that deserve respect, love, and happiness.
This was a fun movie and easy to write about. I loved it.
Uptight over-achieving FBI special agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) has to leave the New York office and go to Boston. She needs to catch a drug lord, and her next promotion depends on it. She is very by-the-book and is not liked by any of her co-workers. While in Boston she encounters foul-mouthed Boston Police Detective Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) and they could not be more incompatible. But through a weird turn of events, they end up having to work on the case together. And therein lies the fun.
But even before that team-up, this movie is fun. Sandra Bullock in the scenes before she leaves for Boston are fun. Melissa McCarthy is a scream the entire time she is on the screen.
Shannon Mullins is not liked by anyone, anymore than Sarah Ashburn is. Detective Mullins is hated by her own family for having arresting her own brother Jason (Michael Rappaport) who has recently gotten out of prison.
I won't go on and on about the storyline, because honestly, it's pretty standard stuff. Not to say it isn't funny. Because it is. This movie is a laugh riot from beginning to end. Melissa McCarthy is wonderful, but so is Sandra Bullock. The scene in a barroom when Detective Mullins is leading the way is terrific. The stuff they do with scotch tape is hysterical. The way they dance with old guys....it's just funny stuff.
And to add icing to the cake there is a small but great cast around these two. Besides the aforementioned Michael Rappaport, there is Tom Wilson (Biff in Back to the Future) as Mullins' Capt. Woods, Michael McDonald (MAD TV) as bad-guy Julian, Marlon Wayans as FBI Agent Levy, Demian Bichir (of Weeds fame) as FBI boss Hale, and Jane Curtin (Saturday Night Live) as Mrs. Mullins.
This movie did everything I want a movie to do. It entertained me for an hour and a half and justified what we paid for Pop, Popcorn, and the wife's must-have Cotton Candy. Many times it was like watching a Don Rickles performance. You want to see it again to catch the stuff you were laughing through the first time. Plus it is a buddy picture that features women in an even-handed way. Through all the zaniness we still care about them and understand that though they are both loners, they are both people that deserve respect, love, and happiness.
This was a fun movie and easy to write about. I loved it.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Man of Steel
FLIX!
To tell you how pathetic this whole experience was, I am not even sure of the correct title of this film. Is it Superman - Man of Steel, or simply Man of Steel? It matters not, but it would be nice to know for sure.
This is Superman folks. Since the Batman series has started over and been very successful in three recent films, and Spiderman has even already been re-done in The Amazing Spiderman, logically it is time to renew the Superman franchise.
The project was handed to Zack Snyder. Zack is not know for making films that don't have a dark edge (Watchmen, 300). The thing is, Superman has always been more of an "into the light" character. But with things being the way they are in Hollywood, they feel a need to toughen up even the likes of Superman.
The movie tells the story of Superman in what begins in a very conventional way, giving us the history of what was happening on Kryton, a planet that was self-destructing - how Jor-El (Russell Crowe) got his newborn son into a rocket and sent him off just before the planet exploded. Then, however, we then get the background of what happened after in a series of flashbacks, that were frankly, like the rest of this movie, just brief filler in between huge overly produced action sequences. This was totally disrespectful to the Superman story.
Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman is about the only redeeming thing about this exploitative blow-stuff-up-and-they-will-come piece of Krytonite. Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Lawrence Fishburn, and Russell Crowe are all used here for name recognition reasons only. And possibly also because Snyder wanted to be able to drop names at parties - "well, you know when I worked with Russell Crowe...". The aforementioned actors played bit parts that anyone could have done and in fact might have been great launching pads for up-and-comers.
The story line becomes a bit convoluted, mostly because there isn't much of one. Let me be honest. The people who wrote and directed this are a couple of pimply-faced 20-somethings that spent their formative years playing video games, and it shows. Any dialogue or furthering a story-line were merely brief snippets between over-the-top action sequences that dragged on and frankly became boring. One on-and-on predictable fight scene after another became tedious, and I wanted to yell at the screen, "Alright already!"
Amy Adams as Lois Lane? I haven't seen casting this bad since John Wayne as Genghis Khan. Hey since you were casting big shots all over the place, why not make Mary Louise Parker Lois Lane? Oh wait. That might have added plausibility to this piece of crap.
Avoid this mess, unless you're a X-box junkie. This is a flimsy telling of an otherwise solid story. This is roughly a 2 hour music video without the music. It is dark, and they want it that way. They have made the Superman costume in a more porous "tougher looking" material. The chest emblem is now leather or something and much too high on the chest. This is more awkward attempts of as I've said, attempts to toughen up Superman.
I knew I'd made a serious mistake entering this theater when I kept thinking, "and we could have seen 'The Interns'." But look, it doesn't matter what I say, or how you spend your money, since this piece of crap has already done over 117 million in business. They have already announced Part II and have given the helm once again to Zack Snyder. Hey Zack, take David Goyer with you and get a library card and actually read a book. Find out what a story is all about. You might actually like it.
But I'll bet the next one doesn't do the business this one did. This one was built on hope, and we were let seriously down.
To tell you how pathetic this whole experience was, I am not even sure of the correct title of this film. Is it Superman - Man of Steel, or simply Man of Steel? It matters not, but it would be nice to know for sure.
This is Superman folks. Since the Batman series has started over and been very successful in three recent films, and Spiderman has even already been re-done in The Amazing Spiderman, logically it is time to renew the Superman franchise.
The project was handed to Zack Snyder. Zack is not know for making films that don't have a dark edge (Watchmen, 300). The thing is, Superman has always been more of an "into the light" character. But with things being the way they are in Hollywood, they feel a need to toughen up even the likes of Superman.
The movie tells the story of Superman in what begins in a very conventional way, giving us the history of what was happening on Kryton, a planet that was self-destructing - how Jor-El (Russell Crowe) got his newborn son into a rocket and sent him off just before the planet exploded. Then, however, we then get the background of what happened after in a series of flashbacks, that were frankly, like the rest of this movie, just brief filler in between huge overly produced action sequences. This was totally disrespectful to the Superman story.
Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman is about the only redeeming thing about this exploitative blow-stuff-up-and-they-will-come piece of Krytonite. Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Lawrence Fishburn, and Russell Crowe are all used here for name recognition reasons only. And possibly also because Snyder wanted to be able to drop names at parties - "well, you know when I worked with Russell Crowe...". The aforementioned actors played bit parts that anyone could have done and in fact might have been great launching pads for up-and-comers.
The story line becomes a bit convoluted, mostly because there isn't much of one. Let me be honest. The people who wrote and directed this are a couple of pimply-faced 20-somethings that spent their formative years playing video games, and it shows. Any dialogue or furthering a story-line were merely brief snippets between over-the-top action sequences that dragged on and frankly became boring. One on-and-on predictable fight scene after another became tedious, and I wanted to yell at the screen, "Alright already!"
Amy Adams as Lois Lane? I haven't seen casting this bad since John Wayne as Genghis Khan. Hey since you were casting big shots all over the place, why not make Mary Louise Parker Lois Lane? Oh wait. That might have added plausibility to this piece of crap.
Avoid this mess, unless you're a X-box junkie. This is a flimsy telling of an otherwise solid story. This is roughly a 2 hour music video without the music. It is dark, and they want it that way. They have made the Superman costume in a more porous "tougher looking" material. The chest emblem is now leather or something and much too high on the chest. This is more awkward attempts of as I've said, attempts to toughen up Superman.
I knew I'd made a serious mistake entering this theater when I kept thinking, "and we could have seen 'The Interns'." But look, it doesn't matter what I say, or how you spend your money, since this piece of crap has already done over 117 million in business. They have already announced Part II and have given the helm once again to Zack Snyder. Hey Zack, take David Goyer with you and get a library card and actually read a book. Find out what a story is all about. You might actually like it.
But I'll bet the next one doesn't do the business this one did. This one was built on hope, and we were let seriously down.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Star Trek Into Darkness
FLIX!
I was all set to name this review "The Trash of Con". I was a little perturbed that Paramount was forbidding any reviewer to actually give the name of the villain in this picture. I was going to unload if the producers and J.J. Abrams in any way harmed my beloved Star Trek.
From the beginning, and I mean the mid 60's, I would leave the Junior Varsity football games at halftime so I could get home and watch Star Trek. Yes, sports fans, I watched the original series on network TV in prime time. I saw all the episodes when they were first seen by the public anywhere. Years later, when it was announced there would be a follow-up series called "Star Trek - the Next Generation" I was dismayed. I just knew they could not do justice to the original. And although I and other "Trekkers" (not Trekkies if you please) were probably the most skeptical audience ever, TNG won our hearts big-time. That was a great show, that ended way too soon.
I must admit that I am not a fanatic, have never gone to a convention, and frankly got lost in all the Deep Space Nine, Enterprise, and other off-shoots from the original series. But Rodenberry's original vision was compelling then, and is masterful yet to this day. And that, my friend, is what a 'classic' is. Timeless. Not just for me. But for millions of others. Including, luckily, J.J. Abrams.
Into Darkness is the twelfth Star Trek film. J.J. Abrams directed the last one simply entitled "Star Trek". I loved it. Here was a guy that loved the show like I do, making a big budget Studio flick about it. Perfectly, Abrams chose to go back to a time before the original series took place to tell the back stories of all of the cast and how things became the way they were in Star Trek. Then as now, he uses young beautiful actors to portray the characters we love, and he thankfully also this time uses a compelling storyline that ties into not only the original series but the second film "The Wrath of Khan." But I was afraid that he would have to bend to the wishes of the 3-D-emons and make a flick that was more effects than story. Not the case. Whew.
First there is the cast. Remarkable. They are not only flawless in their portrayals of characters that were created by others, but they also very much look like younger versions of the original cast. Chris Pine as James Kirk is brash and unapologetic. Another words he is Kirk. Zachary Quinto as Spock is wonderful. Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin are all terrific as Uhura, Bones, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov respectively. Add to the mix Peter Weller as Admiral Marcus and Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike and there you go.
This storyline basically goes back and sets the stage for what happens in a movie so long ago - The Wrath of Khan. And it does so beautifully. This film is packed with plenty of something for everyone. Action, wonderful effects, and a solid storyline. What can be better than that? My wife doesn't have a clue what Star Trek is about and she liked this movie a lot. That says something.
A couple things I really liked? Bones making the endearing and almost mandatory "I'm a Doctor, not a ......!" line. Trekkers love this. Also I really liked the presence of a Tribble, the fuzzy little creature that was a part of one of the comedic episodes of the original series. Please J.J.....never lose this sense of honor to the original series.
Things I didn't like? If one more character would have shed another movie tear, I swear I would have hunted Abrams down just to slap him. Please. Okay shedding a tear might be impressive to some actors, but until you can do the Joan Crawford "Which eye?" question to your director, calm down kiddos. (A director told her that shedding a tear might be nice in a scene, and she truly asked him "Which eye?").
And another thing: Abrams, dammit, it's okay to do a Star Trek movie without Leonard goddam Nimoy. C'mon! That was then, this is now. You know what this constant Nimoy inclusion does? It convolutes the storyline. It gets into that "me then, me now" contrived bullshit. That's what. Please before this life is over Abrams, see if you can do a Star Trek movie without Nimoy. That sir, is your five year mission. Also, with Pike dying, doesn't that somehow confuse we dyed-in-the-wools who remember that Pike was the primary figure in the two first episodes of the original?
But besides wishing someone could pry Abram's lips off Nimoy's ass, this was a great film. I can't wait to own it. And I hope that Abrams can finally be so sure of himself that he can make his own Star Trek movie without leaning on the casts of the past. That is the one thing that would truly make Gene Roddenberry happy. And maybe only a Trekker will understand that last sentence. But that's okay.
See this wonderful movie.
I was all set to name this review "The Trash of Con". I was a little perturbed that Paramount was forbidding any reviewer to actually give the name of the villain in this picture. I was going to unload if the producers and J.J. Abrams in any way harmed my beloved Star Trek.
From the beginning, and I mean the mid 60's, I would leave the Junior Varsity football games at halftime so I could get home and watch Star Trek. Yes, sports fans, I watched the original series on network TV in prime time. I saw all the episodes when they were first seen by the public anywhere. Years later, when it was announced there would be a follow-up series called "Star Trek - the Next Generation" I was dismayed. I just knew they could not do justice to the original. And although I and other "Trekkers" (not Trekkies if you please) were probably the most skeptical audience ever, TNG won our hearts big-time. That was a great show, that ended way too soon.
I must admit that I am not a fanatic, have never gone to a convention, and frankly got lost in all the Deep Space Nine, Enterprise, and other off-shoots from the original series. But Rodenberry's original vision was compelling then, and is masterful yet to this day. And that, my friend, is what a 'classic' is. Timeless. Not just for me. But for millions of others. Including, luckily, J.J. Abrams.
Into Darkness is the twelfth Star Trek film. J.J. Abrams directed the last one simply entitled "Star Trek". I loved it. Here was a guy that loved the show like I do, making a big budget Studio flick about it. Perfectly, Abrams chose to go back to a time before the original series took place to tell the back stories of all of the cast and how things became the way they were in Star Trek. Then as now, he uses young beautiful actors to portray the characters we love, and he thankfully also this time uses a compelling storyline that ties into not only the original series but the second film "The Wrath of Khan." But I was afraid that he would have to bend to the wishes of the 3-D-emons and make a flick that was more effects than story. Not the case. Whew.
First there is the cast. Remarkable. They are not only flawless in their portrayals of characters that were created by others, but they also very much look like younger versions of the original cast. Chris Pine as James Kirk is brash and unapologetic. Another words he is Kirk. Zachary Quinto as Spock is wonderful. Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin are all terrific as Uhura, Bones, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov respectively. Add to the mix Peter Weller as Admiral Marcus and Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike and there you go.
This storyline basically goes back and sets the stage for what happens in a movie so long ago - The Wrath of Khan. And it does so beautifully. This film is packed with plenty of something for everyone. Action, wonderful effects, and a solid storyline. What can be better than that? My wife doesn't have a clue what Star Trek is about and she liked this movie a lot. That says something.
A couple things I really liked? Bones making the endearing and almost mandatory "I'm a Doctor, not a ......!" line. Trekkers love this. Also I really liked the presence of a Tribble, the fuzzy little creature that was a part of one of the comedic episodes of the original series. Please J.J.....never lose this sense of honor to the original series.
Things I didn't like? If one more character would have shed another movie tear, I swear I would have hunted Abrams down just to slap him. Please. Okay shedding a tear might be impressive to some actors, but until you can do the Joan Crawford "Which eye?" question to your director, calm down kiddos. (A director told her that shedding a tear might be nice in a scene, and she truly asked him "Which eye?").
And another thing: Abrams, dammit, it's okay to do a Star Trek movie without Leonard goddam Nimoy. C'mon! That was then, this is now. You know what this constant Nimoy inclusion does? It convolutes the storyline. It gets into that "me then, me now" contrived bullshit. That's what. Please before this life is over Abrams, see if you can do a Star Trek movie without Nimoy. That sir, is your five year mission. Also, with Pike dying, doesn't that somehow confuse we dyed-in-the-wools who remember that Pike was the primary figure in the two first episodes of the original?
But besides wishing someone could pry Abram's lips off Nimoy's ass, this was a great film. I can't wait to own it. And I hope that Abrams can finally be so sure of himself that he can make his own Star Trek movie without leaning on the casts of the past. That is the one thing that would truly make Gene Roddenberry happy. And maybe only a Trekker will understand that last sentence. But that's okay.
See this wonderful movie.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Lilyhammer
TUBE!
This is purportedly the first original television series produced by Netflix, and after I posted my review of the magnificent "House of Cards" claiming it was the first, someone corrected me. Except, Lilyhammer is co-produced as American/Norwegian and the Rubicon Production Company shows their cute couch logo at the end, so I think there is an argument to be made about this being the first entirely Netflix produced television show.
At any rate the whole, "no it's not" thing fired me up and I watched the whole first season of "Lilyhammer" on Netflix. Even though I am not a fan of that pitiful piece of crap "The Sopranos", (which also featured Van Zandt), I do love the E-Street Band. So Miami Steve was worth a watch. He's one of those guys that I know I could hang out with and we would totally click. Rascals? Motown? Try me brother.
This TV show stars Steven Van Zandt as a New York underboss who was passed over for what should have been his "promotion" and lets his dissatisfaction known. After an attempt on his life (which coincidently results in the death of his dog "Lily") he decides to rat out all of the mobsters he knows in exchange for being placed in the Witness Protection Program. Instead of opting for the usual Florida or the Bahamas, he asks to be placed in Lillehammer, Norway. He apparently fell in love with the place when the winter Olympics were held there. And he figures nobody will ever look for him there. And he is right.
Once he gets there, the Norwegian culture is nothing like he expected. He immediately starts using his New York tactics of squeezing and strong arming and soon owns his own nightclub which he dubs "The Flamingo" in honor of Bugsy Seigel and his beginnings in Las Vegas. Frankie Tagliano - now Giovanni "Johnny" Henricksen, takes on a local doofus to be his number two guy named Torgeir Lien played wonderfully and believeably by Trond Fausa Aurvåg. But soon Johnny comes to the attention of Police Chief Laila Horland (Anne Krigsvoll) and her over zealous officer sidekick Geir "Elvis" Tvedt (Kyrre Hellum). Besides being the Norwegian Barney Fife, Geir also is an Elvis impersonator. A bad one. Rounding out the cast is Fridtjov Såheim as the bumbling government worker, Sven Nordin as Johnny's lawyer and eventual business partner Julius Backe, and the lovely Marian Saastad Ottesen as Johnny's girlfriend Sigrid Haugli.
This series is definitely different and unique. First of all the Norwegian actors are great but Norwegians approach things differently. For example, the Police Chief and girlfriend both have teeth that although normal enough, are certainly not Hollywood acceptable. The Norwegians speak Norwegian a lot. So you have to be willing to read subtitles. But despite this and the bleak surroundings there was something vaguely compelling about this story.
The show is not without fault. Van Zandt plays his character so far over the wise-guy stereotype top that he is laughable, being not so much an antihero as a caricature. And then, since there was snow in Fargo, and there is snow here, they must also have a female Police Chief like Fargo. Things fall into place a little too easily for Johnny. And yet through these faults I found the show strangely watchable.
Rumor has it Van Zandt wasn't happy with the finished product and wasn't going to do any more, but Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band recently announced that another guitar player would be filling in on the Australian leg of the current tour, so that Van Zandt can film another season of Lilyhammer. By the way, the deliberate misspelling is a tribute to the character's little dog lost in the first episode.
The Norwegian/American collaboration on this is unique. When season one premiered on Norwegian TV in January of 2012 it drew a viewing audience which constituted nearly a third of the entire nation. They love it there.
I will look forward to season 2 here also.
This is purportedly the first original television series produced by Netflix, and after I posted my review of the magnificent "House of Cards" claiming it was the first, someone corrected me. Except, Lilyhammer is co-produced as American/Norwegian and the Rubicon Production Company shows their cute couch logo at the end, so I think there is an argument to be made about this being the first entirely Netflix produced television show.
At any rate the whole, "no it's not" thing fired me up and I watched the whole first season of "Lilyhammer" on Netflix. Even though I am not a fan of that pitiful piece of crap "The Sopranos", (which also featured Van Zandt), I do love the E-Street Band. So Miami Steve was worth a watch. He's one of those guys that I know I could hang out with and we would totally click. Rascals? Motown? Try me brother.
This TV show stars Steven Van Zandt as a New York underboss who was passed over for what should have been his "promotion" and lets his dissatisfaction known. After an attempt on his life (which coincidently results in the death of his dog "Lily") he decides to rat out all of the mobsters he knows in exchange for being placed in the Witness Protection Program. Instead of opting for the usual Florida or the Bahamas, he asks to be placed in Lillehammer, Norway. He apparently fell in love with the place when the winter Olympics were held there. And he figures nobody will ever look for him there. And he is right.
Once he gets there, the Norwegian culture is nothing like he expected. He immediately starts using his New York tactics of squeezing and strong arming and soon owns his own nightclub which he dubs "The Flamingo" in honor of Bugsy Seigel and his beginnings in Las Vegas. Frankie Tagliano - now Giovanni "Johnny" Henricksen, takes on a local doofus to be his number two guy named Torgeir Lien played wonderfully and believeably by Trond Fausa Aurvåg. But soon Johnny comes to the attention of Police Chief Laila Horland (Anne Krigsvoll) and her over zealous officer sidekick Geir "Elvis" Tvedt (Kyrre Hellum). Besides being the Norwegian Barney Fife, Geir also is an Elvis impersonator. A bad one. Rounding out the cast is Fridtjov Såheim as the bumbling government worker, Sven Nordin as Johnny's lawyer and eventual business partner Julius Backe, and the lovely Marian Saastad Ottesen as Johnny's girlfriend Sigrid Haugli.
This series is definitely different and unique. First of all the Norwegian actors are great but Norwegians approach things differently. For example, the Police Chief and girlfriend both have teeth that although normal enough, are certainly not Hollywood acceptable. The Norwegians speak Norwegian a lot. So you have to be willing to read subtitles. But despite this and the bleak surroundings there was something vaguely compelling about this story.
The show is not without fault. Van Zandt plays his character so far over the wise-guy stereotype top that he is laughable, being not so much an antihero as a caricature. And then, since there was snow in Fargo, and there is snow here, they must also have a female Police Chief like Fargo. Things fall into place a little too easily for Johnny. And yet through these faults I found the show strangely watchable.
Rumor has it Van Zandt wasn't happy with the finished product and wasn't going to do any more, but Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band recently announced that another guitar player would be filling in on the Australian leg of the current tour, so that Van Zandt can film another season of Lilyhammer. By the way, the deliberate misspelling is a tribute to the character's little dog lost in the first episode.
The Norwegian/American collaboration on this is unique. When season one premiered on Norwegian TV in January of 2012 it drew a viewing audience which constituted nearly a third of the entire nation. They love it there.
I will look forward to season 2 here also.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Oblivion
FLIX!
The time is in the future. As is the problem with most Sci-Fi films it's never far enough in the future, but it's supposed to be about 2077. There is an alien invasion. Instead of attacking us directly, the aliens destroyed significant sections of our moon, which caused major tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados, etc. making our planet uninhabitable. Then the surviving humans began placing themselves on a giant space station planning to re-locate to Titan, a moon of Jupiter. They have set up huge floating devices that are sucking up sea water, and pulling off all of the resources of Earth and when enough is gathered, the humans will all begin their voyage to Titan. Protecting these monstrosities from the "Skavs" is an Army of Drones. The Skavs apparently were the invading aliens. Jack and a woman were left behind, and Jack's job was to service the Drones when they experienced malfunctions.
But then Jack, against the wishes of Sally - the Commander on the Space Station - approaches a wreck he has witnessed and sees a Drone killing humans that were in pods from the wreck. It confuses him, although he managed to save one pod. At a different time he follows a drone down into a hole in the ground that apparently was once a library. As he narrowly makes an escape from the place, he stoops to pick up a book, which turns out to be a book of ancient plays. All the while Jack is haunted by brief snippets of memory from another time.
Eventually Jack gets captured by the Skavs who turn out to be humans, and without being a spoiler, I will leave you to your own devices to try and sort out what becomes a bit of a convoluted mess. This movie had a lot of heart, but struggled to tell the story in a clear and easily translatable way. If I hadn't given you this much, you may not have gleaned this much of what's going on here. And this among other things, is the reason this film will not get the theater viewing it deserves. It is a thinking/thought movie. A Sci-Fi mystery of sorts. It is not an action picture although it has action moments. But it's primary focus is telling an intricate story that requires a lot of work and intensity from the viewing audience. So if you go to this movie expecting a high-octane post-apocolyptic war story you will be disappointed. Because there is limited action. There are a handful of combat scenes, and when they use effects in this picture it is great. But large action moments are not what this flick is about.
The cast is small but effective. Tom Cruise as Jack Harper will sell a lot of tickets. Morgan Freeman as the head of the Skavs is underutilized but great as usual. And this is it. The rest of the cast were good, but all virtual unknowns.
This movie moves somewhat slow and is tough to follow. But I attempted to focus on what I was being given and over-all it was an interesting experience. I have rolled this one over in my mind quite a bit. So I will reluctantly recommend it, but with a ton of disclaimers.
I think I want to see it again. Maybe.
The time is in the future. As is the problem with most Sci-Fi films it's never far enough in the future, but it's supposed to be about 2077. There is an alien invasion. Instead of attacking us directly, the aliens destroyed significant sections of our moon, which caused major tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados, etc. making our planet uninhabitable. Then the surviving humans began placing themselves on a giant space station planning to re-locate to Titan, a moon of Jupiter. They have set up huge floating devices that are sucking up sea water, and pulling off all of the resources of Earth and when enough is gathered, the humans will all begin their voyage to Titan. Protecting these monstrosities from the "Skavs" is an Army of Drones. The Skavs apparently were the invading aliens. Jack and a woman were left behind, and Jack's job was to service the Drones when they experienced malfunctions.
But then Jack, against the wishes of Sally - the Commander on the Space Station - approaches a wreck he has witnessed and sees a Drone killing humans that were in pods from the wreck. It confuses him, although he managed to save one pod. At a different time he follows a drone down into a hole in the ground that apparently was once a library. As he narrowly makes an escape from the place, he stoops to pick up a book, which turns out to be a book of ancient plays. All the while Jack is haunted by brief snippets of memory from another time.
Eventually Jack gets captured by the Skavs who turn out to be humans, and without being a spoiler, I will leave you to your own devices to try and sort out what becomes a bit of a convoluted mess. This movie had a lot of heart, but struggled to tell the story in a clear and easily translatable way. If I hadn't given you this much, you may not have gleaned this much of what's going on here. And this among other things, is the reason this film will not get the theater viewing it deserves. It is a thinking/thought movie. A Sci-Fi mystery of sorts. It is not an action picture although it has action moments. But it's primary focus is telling an intricate story that requires a lot of work and intensity from the viewing audience. So if you go to this movie expecting a high-octane post-apocolyptic war story you will be disappointed. Because there is limited action. There are a handful of combat scenes, and when they use effects in this picture it is great. But large action moments are not what this flick is about.
The cast is small but effective. Tom Cruise as Jack Harper will sell a lot of tickets. Morgan Freeman as the head of the Skavs is underutilized but great as usual. And this is it. The rest of the cast were good, but all virtual unknowns.
This movie moves somewhat slow and is tough to follow. But I attempted to focus on what I was being given and over-all it was an interesting experience. I have rolled this one over in my mind quite a bit. So I will reluctantly recommend it, but with a ton of disclaimers.
I think I want to see it again. Maybe.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
42
FLIX!
42
Off the top it should be noted that I love biopics. "Ray", "Walk The Line", Coal Miner's Daughter" and many others come to mind. I also love movies about baseball. So naturally I could not wait to see this baseball biopic about an American hero - Jackie Robinson.
This movie it turns out is not a biopic, that is, it is not the story of someone's life. It is not a movie about baseball. 42 is about the strength, courage, and determination of a black American for a moment in time in American history.
For most of my life, certainly at least until I watched the Ken Burns "Inning" (as the installments were called in his remarkable film "Baseball") on the 1940's, I flatly and off-handedly knew the Jackie Robinson was the first black player to be in baseball's major leagues. I knew it was in 1947, and I knew he was with the Brooklyn Dodgers. I knew they always called it "breaking the color barrier." But until the Burns film description, and not until seeing it played out in this film did the magnitude of what Jackie Robinson went through really sink in for me. And for many others either, I suspect.
Although it's not really addressed in the movie to any degree, here's a little background: Baseball's Major Leagues had been an all-white game since the inception of the American League and the National League. After the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal (wherein Criminals used bribes to rig the World Series), Baseball owners decided to appoint a Commissioner to oversee the leagues. They picked a judge who had made legal decisions favoring owners over players. He was Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Besides being the first Commissioner of Baseball, he was an extreme racist. Owners had tried to sign black players - that is, ask Landis if they could before 1947 and he always said no. He was staunch in his bigoted belief that baseball should always be white.
Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers was a particular thorn in the side of Landis. He had pestered Landis many times wanting to get talented black players on his roster. But of course Landis forbade it. But no man is immortal, and in 1945, Landis died. This was what Branch Rickey had been waiting for. This was his chance, but he had the wisdom to understand that the first black player would have to be a very special man. And now all people who love baseball are thankful that Branch Rickey chose Jackie Robinson.
Because Jackie Robinson was a very special man. A man of great character certainly, but doesn't mean any of it was easy for him. Jackie Robinson is brought to life here by a relatively movie unknown - Chadwick Boseman. Take it from me, this is not the last you will see of this guy. He brought the stamina and courage of Robinson to the screen, but also the human suffering and frailty. There were times when Jackie would just want to quit, but he was held together by the guiding hand and wisdom of Branch Rickey, played wonderfully by Harrison Ford. Honestly, I've never been a big Harrison Ford fan, but this was masterful work, and the role he should be most remembered for. Although Rickey kept claiming that his insistence on having black players was all about money, we can feel that it is not about that. It's about justice. And fairness. And how do we as an audience "feel" that? Because of Ford's portrayal in collaboration with a great director (Brian Hegland), great screenwriter (Hegland again), and a wonderful editor.
Another relatively unknown Nicole Beharie brought us Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife. Beautiful and likeable, and yet also strong. Jackie was never just in this alone. When Jackie was being jeered with racial epithets from the stands, Rachel was often there to hear them too. But she had to stay poised. She as well as Jackie understood that there was a lot more at stake than just she and Jack. But that didn't necessarily make it any easier.
Other stand-out performances were Christopher Melori as Leo Durocher, John McGuinley as Red Barber, Andre Holland as the black sports writer Wendell Smith, Lucas Block as Pee Wee Reese, Max Gail (yes, the "Barney Miller" Max Gail) as Manager Burt Sholton, and Alan Tudyk as the despicable Ben Chapman, manager of the Phillies. I am glad they used a bunch of fairly unfamiliar faces in this cast; it needed to be subtle and not sensationalized by lots of big name movie stars. Mr. Ford excepted of course.
And that's the thing; in the wrong hands this could have been another formula sports movie. But it isn't. This is a film that shows us how deplorable things were, and yet is uplifting for everyone who is lucky enough to see it.
I applauded at the end.
42
Off the top it should be noted that I love biopics. "Ray", "Walk The Line", Coal Miner's Daughter" and many others come to mind. I also love movies about baseball. So naturally I could not wait to see this baseball biopic about an American hero - Jackie Robinson.
This movie it turns out is not a biopic, that is, it is not the story of someone's life. It is not a movie about baseball. 42 is about the strength, courage, and determination of a black American for a moment in time in American history.
For most of my life, certainly at least until I watched the Ken Burns "Inning" (as the installments were called in his remarkable film "Baseball") on the 1940's, I flatly and off-handedly knew the Jackie Robinson was the first black player to be in baseball's major leagues. I knew it was in 1947, and I knew he was with the Brooklyn Dodgers. I knew they always called it "breaking the color barrier." But until the Burns film description, and not until seeing it played out in this film did the magnitude of what Jackie Robinson went through really sink in for me. And for many others either, I suspect.
Although it's not really addressed in the movie to any degree, here's a little background: Baseball's Major Leagues had been an all-white game since the inception of the American League and the National League. After the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal (wherein Criminals used bribes to rig the World Series), Baseball owners decided to appoint a Commissioner to oversee the leagues. They picked a judge who had made legal decisions favoring owners over players. He was Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Besides being the first Commissioner of Baseball, he was an extreme racist. Owners had tried to sign black players - that is, ask Landis if they could before 1947 and he always said no. He was staunch in his bigoted belief that baseball should always be white.
Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers was a particular thorn in the side of Landis. He had pestered Landis many times wanting to get talented black players on his roster. But of course Landis forbade it. But no man is immortal, and in 1945, Landis died. This was what Branch Rickey had been waiting for. This was his chance, but he had the wisdom to understand that the first black player would have to be a very special man. And now all people who love baseball are thankful that Branch Rickey chose Jackie Robinson.
Because Jackie Robinson was a very special man. A man of great character certainly, but doesn't mean any of it was easy for him. Jackie Robinson is brought to life here by a relatively movie unknown - Chadwick Boseman. Take it from me, this is not the last you will see of this guy. He brought the stamina and courage of Robinson to the screen, but also the human suffering and frailty. There were times when Jackie would just want to quit, but he was held together by the guiding hand and wisdom of Branch Rickey, played wonderfully by Harrison Ford. Honestly, I've never been a big Harrison Ford fan, but this was masterful work, and the role he should be most remembered for. Although Rickey kept claiming that his insistence on having black players was all about money, we can feel that it is not about that. It's about justice. And fairness. And how do we as an audience "feel" that? Because of Ford's portrayal in collaboration with a great director (Brian Hegland), great screenwriter (Hegland again), and a wonderful editor.
Another relatively unknown Nicole Beharie brought us Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife. Beautiful and likeable, and yet also strong. Jackie was never just in this alone. When Jackie was being jeered with racial epithets from the stands, Rachel was often there to hear them too. But she had to stay poised. She as well as Jackie understood that there was a lot more at stake than just she and Jack. But that didn't necessarily make it any easier.
Other stand-out performances were Christopher Melori as Leo Durocher, John McGuinley as Red Barber, Andre Holland as the black sports writer Wendell Smith, Lucas Block as Pee Wee Reese, Max Gail (yes, the "Barney Miller" Max Gail) as Manager Burt Sholton, and Alan Tudyk as the despicable Ben Chapman, manager of the Phillies. I am glad they used a bunch of fairly unfamiliar faces in this cast; it needed to be subtle and not sensationalized by lots of big name movie stars. Mr. Ford excepted of course.
And that's the thing; in the wrong hands this could have been another formula sports movie. But it isn't. This is a film that shows us how deplorable things were, and yet is uplifting for everyone who is lucky enough to see it.
I applauded at the end.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Jurassic Park - 3D
FLIX!
Jurassic Park - 3D
by Chris Chapman
Jurassic Park 3-D. OK, let's get something out of the way. First, "Jurassic Park" (JP) has bugged me a bit in the past due to the departures from the book, and what I consider to be a lame deus ex machina ending with the T-Rex. But JP is a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen. I had forgotten how great this movie is when seen at the right scale; and JP is all about scale. The 3-D conversion (in Real 3-D at least, I'm too cheap for the iMax version) was one of the best (I kid you not) 3-D films I've seen. The image was crisp and clear, and there was soooo much depth in the framing of this film. Wow. The GREAT thing about this re-release of JP is how the 3-D actually accentuates Dean Kundy's cinematography. The beams of flashlights in the rain were breathtaking. What is also breathtaking is looking back in time and seeing Steven Speilberg making possibly his last great Popcorn flick. You have to admire that while Speilberg was shooting "Schindlers' List" during the day, he was editing JP at night. And JP is this transitional moment for Speilberg as a director. There is this fantastic pacing, and thrill moments that have defined his career in film (The Road Attack Sequence, & the Raptor chase at the end). But it is the deft intercutting during the Electric Fence power up that really highlights Speilberg's ability to create tension. Jurassic Park is also a special moment in film history because Computer Graphics effects don't overwhelm this picture. Most of the incredible effects are the REAL dinosaurs created by Stan Winston. The ILM CG Dinos are great too, and it is the INCREDIBLE intercutting between the two that makes the dinos work as well as they do. Chapman Rating: ****. But the book by Michael Crichton is still WAY better.
*All rights reserved for Chris Chapman.
Editors Note: It should be noted that Chris did not mean to assert that there are REAL dinosaurs in this film. They are all extinct. Chris reluctantly acknowledges that.
Jurassic Park - 3D
by Chris Chapman
Jurassic Park 3-D. OK, let's get something out of the way. First, "Jurassic Park" (JP) has bugged me a bit in the past due to the departures from the book, and what I consider to be a lame deus ex machina ending with the T-Rex. But JP is a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen. I had forgotten how great this movie is when seen at the right scale; and JP is all about scale. The 3-D conversion (in Real 3-D at least, I'm too cheap for the iMax version) was one of the best (I kid you not) 3-D films I've seen. The image was crisp and clear, and there was soooo much depth in the framing of this film. Wow. The GREAT thing about this re-release of JP is how the 3-D actually accentuates Dean Kundy's cinematography. The beams of flashlights in the rain were breathtaking. What is also breathtaking is looking back in time and seeing Steven Speilberg making possibly his last great Popcorn flick. You have to admire that while Speilberg was shooting "Schindlers' List" during the day, he was editing JP at night. And JP is this transitional moment for Speilberg as a director. There is this fantastic pacing, and thrill moments that have defined his career in film (The Road Attack Sequence, & the Raptor chase at the end). But it is the deft intercutting during the Electric Fence power up that really highlights Speilberg's ability to create tension. Jurassic Park is also a special moment in film history because Computer Graphics effects don't overwhelm this picture. Most of the incredible effects are the REAL dinosaurs created by Stan Winston. The ILM CG Dinos are great too, and it is the INCREDIBLE intercutting between the two that makes the dinos work as well as they do. Chapman Rating: ****. But the book by Michael Crichton is still WAY better.
*All rights reserved for Chris Chapman.
Editors Note: It should be noted that Chris did not mean to assert that there are REAL dinosaurs in this film. They are all extinct. Chris reluctantly acknowledges that.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Allen Stone
TUNES!
I don't know. Maybe because I'm older. Maybe because I've heard so much music in my life nothing seems surprising or fresh. Maybe it's because Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake just really suck. It's not because I'm old, that music empirically sucks.
So when an old buddy calls and says to check something out, I do it reluctantly and without much enthusiasm. What can it be?
Great, that's what.
Allen Stone is a early twenty-something kid from the great northwest, somewhere around Takoma, Washington. He is the son of a preacher, and as such was never allowed to listen to secular music. So for the first sixteen years of his life he didn't have much if any familiarity with pop music. And then a friend from school gave Allen a Stevie Wonder album that he snuck into the house. Not only did the music throw a switch somewhere deep inside of Allen, but it was his only point of reference. So he didn't have lots of rockabilly, country, rock and roll, or jazz influences. He had Stevie. And R&B in general. So when Allen started writing songs of his own, naturally they were R&B songs.
Allen Stone recorded this his first album on an indy label - the self titled Allen Stone. It is a collection of wonderful blue-eyed soul tunes with the emphasis on soul rather than blue-eyed. These songs are upbeat and bright. They are hummable songs that make me smile. This kid is so young, fresh, and enthused about music that it makes his songs infectious.
The album kicks off with the up tempo Sleep, a ditty about not getting enough rest. And with the way Mr. Stone's career is taking off, it's not difficult to figure out what inspired this. This song goes right into my personal favorite Celebrate Tonight - a sweet whimsical ballad. Other stand outs are the get-you-off-yer-butt and do some dancing Say So. But don't sit down! The next song is a great slow, look in her eyes hold her close moment called The Wind. Every song is great, there's not a clinker in the bunch. Contact High is another fun stand-out. And Your Eyes. I could go on and on.
Allen looks nothing like he sounds. He's a slightly chubby white boy with long stringy unkept hair and his face sports large eighties style glasses. Slap a hat on along with a thick northwest style sweater, and there you go. He can be seen all over Youtube as you might expect. I suggest you check out his appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show. She was very enthusiastic about Allen and his music saying that she put his CD in her car and she can't listen to anything else. Another must watch is Live At Daryl's House, the show hosted by Daryl Hall (of Hall and Oates fame), from Mr. Hall's home. One can tell how much Mr. Hall really likes Allen. Their styles are very similar which made for nice heartfelt playing and singing by the two of them.
This music is fun, fresh, and brings back some faith that there is still music out there to get excited about. Go to iTunes, listen to samples and then buy this record.
Thank me later.
I don't know. Maybe because I'm older. Maybe because I've heard so much music in my life nothing seems surprising or fresh. Maybe it's because Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake just really suck. It's not because I'm old, that music empirically sucks.
So when an old buddy calls and says to check something out, I do it reluctantly and without much enthusiasm. What can it be?
Great, that's what.
Allen Stone is a early twenty-something kid from the great northwest, somewhere around Takoma, Washington. He is the son of a preacher, and as such was never allowed to listen to secular music. So for the first sixteen years of his life he didn't have much if any familiarity with pop music. And then a friend from school gave Allen a Stevie Wonder album that he snuck into the house. Not only did the music throw a switch somewhere deep inside of Allen, but it was his only point of reference. So he didn't have lots of rockabilly, country, rock and roll, or jazz influences. He had Stevie. And R&B in general. So when Allen started writing songs of his own, naturally they were R&B songs.
Allen Stone recorded this his first album on an indy label - the self titled Allen Stone. It is a collection of wonderful blue-eyed soul tunes with the emphasis on soul rather than blue-eyed. These songs are upbeat and bright. They are hummable songs that make me smile. This kid is so young, fresh, and enthused about music that it makes his songs infectious.
The album kicks off with the up tempo Sleep, a ditty about not getting enough rest. And with the way Mr. Stone's career is taking off, it's not difficult to figure out what inspired this. This song goes right into my personal favorite Celebrate Tonight - a sweet whimsical ballad. Other stand outs are the get-you-off-yer-butt and do some dancing Say So. But don't sit down! The next song is a great slow, look in her eyes hold her close moment called The Wind. Every song is great, there's not a clinker in the bunch. Contact High is another fun stand-out. And Your Eyes. I could go on and on.
Allen looks nothing like he sounds. He's a slightly chubby white boy with long stringy unkept hair and his face sports large eighties style glasses. Slap a hat on along with a thick northwest style sweater, and there you go. He can be seen all over Youtube as you might expect. I suggest you check out his appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show. She was very enthusiastic about Allen and his music saying that she put his CD in her car and she can't listen to anything else. Another must watch is Live At Daryl's House, the show hosted by Daryl Hall (of Hall and Oates fame), from Mr. Hall's home. One can tell how much Mr. Hall really likes Allen. Their styles are very similar which made for nice heartfelt playing and singing by the two of them.
This music is fun, fresh, and brings back some faith that there is still music out there to get excited about. Go to iTunes, listen to samples and then buy this record.
Thank me later.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
OZ - The Great and Powerful
FLIX!
This prequel to one of the greatest films of all time - 1939's The Wizard of Oz is maybe the of the most noteworthy disaster films since The Poseidon Adventure.
For all of the money, effort, ambition, - not to mention kahunas for messing with such an iconic motion picture as The Wizard of Oz, - this movie falls flat. With a sound so loud that it usually takes the effects of that man behind the curtain to make this big of a thud.
Director Sam Raimi, the king of giant special effects mega movie blockbusters - ala the first Spiderman - should have been the guy to pull this off. They were smart to hire him. He would have been one of my first two choices....JJ Abrams being the other, and I would have mixed their names up in a hat and been happy with whichever came out. But what this movie suffers from is bad casting, and most importantly a weak story. It tries too hard to blend as much from the original as possible without getting sued, and to cash in on the 3-D effects.
Okay, the framework for this story is that a womanizing circus magician, (I know Walt, but try to at least slow all that spinning in your grave) Diggs, ticks off the wrong guy, the carnival strongman (a Lansing native by the way), and has to make a hasty exit in a hot air balloon. He gets caught in a tornado, naturally, and in a sequence that seems to go on and on and on (who cut this anyway, and why didn't you do your job?) he finally ends up in a magical land. How charming. He then goes through roughly 3 parts of a ride on water while still in his balloon gondola that is all too unsubtle about setting us up for what the ride at Disney World will be like. And all the while every single conceivable chance the producers get to have something coming at you in a 3D way, they do. Constantly. To the point of annoyance.
After meeting the first of three witches he will encounter, Diggs realizes he is supposed to be someone named Oz who fulfills some King's prophecy and tries to play along, especially since there's gold involved. Then he meets a little flying monkey (aka his "Scarecrow") tangled in some vines and he frees the little guy. The monkey, Finley, then pledges to always be by his side, and this means we have to endure this awful little "buddy" throughout. Usually when they ruin any movie by introducing a cute little side-kick, they're usually...well....cute. This monkey is Red Buttons right before he died. Not cute. Not remotely cute.
The story drags on and on and on, and he meets Glinda, whose powers only seem to be creating fog and bubbles to travel in, and she becomes Oz's primary love interest. But the scorned first witch he met, turns out to become the bad one, and that's just in the over-acting department. Honey, "I knew Margaret Hamilton. I worked with Margaret Hamilton,...You're NO Margaret Hamilton" I hear the ghost of Ray Bolger saying. The actress here, Mila Kunis, just can't pull this off. Hey, Sam, when it's apparent the actor or actress hired isn't going to be able to do this, it's okay to fire them. It's done all the time.
And I wish the Red Buttons monkey was a bad as it gets, but then there's this China doll wench hanger-on that Oz erroneously glues legs back on to. Gosh this was awful. Although true to some of the L. Frank Baum books (I think there were 14 Oz books), this is just terrible. But who am I to criticize? I really think I might have dozed off during the "gluing legs back on and having a chat segment." But then again, that was 20 frickin' minutes of my life I won't get back. Again, who cut this piece of crap?
James Franco, you were so cool when you were in "Freaks and Geeks". Very James Deanesque. And the first Spiderman movie. But hey, if you ever decide to phone in another performance, at least get the number right. Sheesh! "Oz" was not for you. It didn't work. It's not an indictment of Franco as an actor, but sometimes some people are better at some things than others. And this wasn't him. Franco is just the victim of bad casting. And James, you only got this because Heath Ledger is dead.
Another casting error was Theodora, the first witch Oz encountered, played by the aforementioned Mila Kunis. She went way over the top trying to shriek and be wicked. The other evil witch Evanora, played by Rachel Weisz, was the vague, wicked, um.....excuse me, why the heck are you here again? Oh yes, because it was somehow important to have a convoluted, vague storyline cluttered with meaningless characters. They had the poppy field in front of the Wicked Witch's castle instead of in front of the Emerald City for crying out loud! And they somehow even stuck Munchkinland in the Emerald City! Okay, maybe I got the Munchkinland thing wrong, but in this mess, who knows?
Okay, I could go on and on why 'Oz - The So-So and Lame' should be avoided at all costs, but I will end by talking about the original Wizard of Oz movie of 1939. Warner Brothers owns it and are very sensitive about sharing any of it. Any slight infringement and the lawyers were undoubtedly poised to pounce. In fact, this film was forbidden to even use the exact same color green for the Emerald City. There were enough similarities that if this movie makes a trillion dollars as a runaway hit, Warner Brothers will go for it. But there isn't any need to worry about that happening. So WB lawyers, step down.
At the end of the movie there is a ridiculous "Luke and Darth" fight scene, and then even the send off moment where all of his sidekicks get a gift from the "Wizard". The deathly Red Buttons flying monkey (this is no Ray Bolger Scarecrow folks) gets something, the China Doll gets something etc. Awful.
So instead of dropping 8 or so bucks a head to see this train-wreck, drop about $14 and buy a copy of Argo. It'd be a much better investment.
This prequel to one of the greatest films of all time - 1939's The Wizard of Oz is maybe the of the most noteworthy disaster films since The Poseidon Adventure.
For all of the money, effort, ambition, - not to mention kahunas for messing with such an iconic motion picture as The Wizard of Oz, - this movie falls flat. With a sound so loud that it usually takes the effects of that man behind the curtain to make this big of a thud.
Director Sam Raimi, the king of giant special effects mega movie blockbusters - ala the first Spiderman - should have been the guy to pull this off. They were smart to hire him. He would have been one of my first two choices....JJ Abrams being the other, and I would have mixed their names up in a hat and been happy with whichever came out. But what this movie suffers from is bad casting, and most importantly a weak story. It tries too hard to blend as much from the original as possible without getting sued, and to cash in on the 3-D effects.
Okay, the framework for this story is that a womanizing circus magician, (I know Walt, but try to at least slow all that spinning in your grave) Diggs, ticks off the wrong guy, the carnival strongman (a Lansing native by the way), and has to make a hasty exit in a hot air balloon. He gets caught in a tornado, naturally, and in a sequence that seems to go on and on and on (who cut this anyway, and why didn't you do your job?) he finally ends up in a magical land. How charming. He then goes through roughly 3 parts of a ride on water while still in his balloon gondola that is all too unsubtle about setting us up for what the ride at Disney World will be like. And all the while every single conceivable chance the producers get to have something coming at you in a 3D way, they do. Constantly. To the point of annoyance.
After meeting the first of three witches he will encounter, Diggs realizes he is supposed to be someone named Oz who fulfills some King's prophecy and tries to play along, especially since there's gold involved. Then he meets a little flying monkey (aka his "Scarecrow") tangled in some vines and he frees the little guy. The monkey, Finley, then pledges to always be by his side, and this means we have to endure this awful little "buddy" throughout. Usually when they ruin any movie by introducing a cute little side-kick, they're usually...well....cute. This monkey is Red Buttons right before he died. Not cute. Not remotely cute.
The story drags on and on and on, and he meets Glinda, whose powers only seem to be creating fog and bubbles to travel in, and she becomes Oz's primary love interest. But the scorned first witch he met, turns out to become the bad one, and that's just in the over-acting department. Honey, "I knew Margaret Hamilton. I worked with Margaret Hamilton,...You're NO Margaret Hamilton" I hear the ghost of Ray Bolger saying. The actress here, Mila Kunis, just can't pull this off. Hey, Sam, when it's apparent the actor or actress hired isn't going to be able to do this, it's okay to fire them. It's done all the time.
And I wish the Red Buttons monkey was a bad as it gets, but then there's this China doll wench hanger-on that Oz erroneously glues legs back on to. Gosh this was awful. Although true to some of the L. Frank Baum books (I think there were 14 Oz books), this is just terrible. But who am I to criticize? I really think I might have dozed off during the "gluing legs back on and having a chat segment." But then again, that was 20 frickin' minutes of my life I won't get back. Again, who cut this piece of crap?
James Franco, you were so cool when you were in "Freaks and Geeks". Very James Deanesque. And the first Spiderman movie. But hey, if you ever decide to phone in another performance, at least get the number right. Sheesh! "Oz" was not for you. It didn't work. It's not an indictment of Franco as an actor, but sometimes some people are better at some things than others. And this wasn't him. Franco is just the victim of bad casting. And James, you only got this because Heath Ledger is dead.
Another casting error was Theodora, the first witch Oz encountered, played by the aforementioned Mila Kunis. She went way over the top trying to shriek and be wicked. The other evil witch Evanora, played by Rachel Weisz, was the vague, wicked, um.....excuse me, why the heck are you here again? Oh yes, because it was somehow important to have a convoluted, vague storyline cluttered with meaningless characters. They had the poppy field in front of the Wicked Witch's castle instead of in front of the Emerald City for crying out loud! And they somehow even stuck Munchkinland in the Emerald City! Okay, maybe I got the Munchkinland thing wrong, but in this mess, who knows?
Okay, I could go on and on why 'Oz - The So-So and Lame' should be avoided at all costs, but I will end by talking about the original Wizard of Oz movie of 1939. Warner Brothers owns it and are very sensitive about sharing any of it. Any slight infringement and the lawyers were undoubtedly poised to pounce. In fact, this film was forbidden to even use the exact same color green for the Emerald City. There were enough similarities that if this movie makes a trillion dollars as a runaway hit, Warner Brothers will go for it. But there isn't any need to worry about that happening. So WB lawyers, step down.
At the end of the movie there is a ridiculous "Luke and Darth" fight scene, and then even the send off moment where all of his sidekicks get a gift from the "Wizard". The deathly Red Buttons flying monkey (this is no Ray Bolger Scarecrow folks) gets something, the China Doll gets something etc. Awful.
So instead of dropping 8 or so bucks a head to see this train-wreck, drop about $14 and buy a copy of Argo. It'd be a much better investment.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
House of Cards
TUBE!
I have just witnessed television history. Real television history. I don't mean, the last episode of M*A*S*H, Clarabell speaks, or a wardrobe malfunction. I mean real television history.
For the first time ever, an entity other than a network or cable channel/network has produced a television series. Netflix, the DVD rental company, but so much more, has produced an original series. And when this amazing company decides to jump into the pool, they jump in with both feet, and in the deepest end possible. Bravo for that!
House of Cards features Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood, the majority Whip in the imaginary House of Representatives during the Administration of Democratic President Garrett Walker. The time seems to be the present.
Frank Underwood is married to the lovely Claire played magnificently by Robin Wright. Claire runs a non-profit which is focused on clean water for the world. She is every bit as ruthless in her world as Frank is in his. And that's saying something.
There are several stories going on here: There is the young reporter Zoe Barnes with the Washington Herald and then "Slugline", who for the sake of making a name for herself, becomes a pawn for Underwood. He gives her inside information and she gives him sex. But keep in mind he is feeding her juicy tid-bits for one reason: to further his master plan. Frank gives nothing if there isn't an upside for him. There is the ambitious Representative Peter Russo, an ex coke-head, and his girlfriend, Christina. Frank talks Russo into running for the Governorship of Pennsylvania so that the Republicans can't cut up the Congressional districts in their favor. But of course there is an upside for Frank. There is Claire and the doings of her water non-profit. And finally there is Frank and his quest for greater things.
Frank and Claire are a power-driven duo, and they do whatever it takes to further their ambitions. It is acknowledged that they may have to occasionally sleep around to promote their interests. It is accepted with a shrug. Their most intimate moments are at an open window in their home as they share cigarettes, and to them this is their one acknowledged seedy indulgence.
They are surrounded by side-kicks, henchmen, artists, and lobbyists. All played remarkably by a wonderful cast. Can I say from the outset, this was "The West Wing" on steroids. Aaron Sorkin is somewhere in a corner crying and sucking his thumb dealing with the realization that he is not necessarily the smartest guy in the room. His stuff is really good, but House of Cards is Washington at a whole new TV level.
I think this is Kevin Spacey's best work ever. He has molded this South Carolina Democrat into a wonderful work of art. He has a terrific character who has the added advantage of looking into the camera to explain to us exactly why he's doing what he's doing, or a point of reference, or explain why he's using the exact precise timing he's using. I love this.
Which leads me to the writing of this series. It is masterful story-telling that takes us by the hand and walks us through the bowels of the beast. We all know that whenever this much power is at stake, this sort of political gamesmanship certainly goes on, but rarely do we ever get a chance to see it.
Another great thing about this series is that the pilot as well as 12 episodes were all put out at the same time. In other words, should one choose to, this entire season can be viewed in a weekend. We as viewers are not treated like children left hanging week by week to wait and see how a story unfolds. This would seem to be the great advantage Netflix has over a conventional television, having the flexibility to deliver the series in an unconventional way. Once again: TV history.
The thrust of the storyline takes us to the brink of monumental scandal, and then....well, let's just call it "the promise of another season."
House of Cards is as good as television gets. It has elements of suspense, drama, and intrigue, interwoven with murder, debauchery, and scandal. This might be routine in Washington, but television this good is not routine at all.
Please Note: I have been corrected. This is not the first series produced by Netflix. The first was "Lilyhammer" starring Steven Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band. More to follow about the series. *Thanks Hope*
I have just witnessed television history. Real television history. I don't mean, the last episode of M*A*S*H, Clarabell speaks, or a wardrobe malfunction. I mean real television history.
For the first time ever, an entity other than a network or cable channel/network has produced a television series. Netflix, the DVD rental company, but so much more, has produced an original series. And when this amazing company decides to jump into the pool, they jump in with both feet, and in the deepest end possible. Bravo for that!
House of Cards features Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood, the majority Whip in the imaginary House of Representatives during the Administration of Democratic President Garrett Walker. The time seems to be the present.
Frank Underwood is married to the lovely Claire played magnificently by Robin Wright. Claire runs a non-profit which is focused on clean water for the world. She is every bit as ruthless in her world as Frank is in his. And that's saying something.
There are several stories going on here: There is the young reporter Zoe Barnes with the Washington Herald and then "Slugline", who for the sake of making a name for herself, becomes a pawn for Underwood. He gives her inside information and she gives him sex. But keep in mind he is feeding her juicy tid-bits for one reason: to further his master plan. Frank gives nothing if there isn't an upside for him. There is the ambitious Representative Peter Russo, an ex coke-head, and his girlfriend, Christina. Frank talks Russo into running for the Governorship of Pennsylvania so that the Republicans can't cut up the Congressional districts in their favor. But of course there is an upside for Frank. There is Claire and the doings of her water non-profit. And finally there is Frank and his quest for greater things.
Frank and Claire are a power-driven duo, and they do whatever it takes to further their ambitions. It is acknowledged that they may have to occasionally sleep around to promote their interests. It is accepted with a shrug. Their most intimate moments are at an open window in their home as they share cigarettes, and to them this is their one acknowledged seedy indulgence.
They are surrounded by side-kicks, henchmen, artists, and lobbyists. All played remarkably by a wonderful cast. Can I say from the outset, this was "The West Wing" on steroids. Aaron Sorkin is somewhere in a corner crying and sucking his thumb dealing with the realization that he is not necessarily the smartest guy in the room. His stuff is really good, but House of Cards is Washington at a whole new TV level.
I think this is Kevin Spacey's best work ever. He has molded this South Carolina Democrat into a wonderful work of art. He has a terrific character who has the added advantage of looking into the camera to explain to us exactly why he's doing what he's doing, or a point of reference, or explain why he's using the exact precise timing he's using. I love this.
Which leads me to the writing of this series. It is masterful story-telling that takes us by the hand and walks us through the bowels of the beast. We all know that whenever this much power is at stake, this sort of political gamesmanship certainly goes on, but rarely do we ever get a chance to see it.
Another great thing about this series is that the pilot as well as 12 episodes were all put out at the same time. In other words, should one choose to, this entire season can be viewed in a weekend. We as viewers are not treated like children left hanging week by week to wait and see how a story unfolds. This would seem to be the great advantage Netflix has over a conventional television, having the flexibility to deliver the series in an unconventional way. Once again: TV history.
The thrust of the storyline takes us to the brink of monumental scandal, and then....well, let's just call it "the promise of another season."
House of Cards is as good as television gets. It has elements of suspense, drama, and intrigue, interwoven with murder, debauchery, and scandal. This might be routine in Washington, but television this good is not routine at all.
Please Note: I have been corrected. This is not the first series produced by Netflix. The first was "Lilyhammer" starring Steven Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band. More to follow about the series. *Thanks Hope*
Saturday, February 16, 2013
ARGO
FLIX!
Wow.
I know now why critics are no longer calling Argo a long shot for the Academy Awards. Ben Affleck, no matter how you might feel about Good Will Hunting or Dare Devil, has created a masterpiece. Well if this isn't a masterpiece, it's mighty close to it. And I don't throw the term "masterpiece" around lightly. This is Affleck's Pulp Fiction, his My Darling Clementine, his A River Runs Through It.
Affleck tells the uncanny true story - (no, he doesn't add the obligatory female love interest Hollywood bullshit) - of this CIA horrible plot idea to rescue 6 US people held captive in Iran in the late 70's when all of that went south. For all of us alive then, it seems like yesterday, and yet like another lifetime ago.
During the Iran crisis in 1979, as the American Embassy was being stormed in the front, 6 members of the American Consulate team, just casually strolled out through a back door and made it to the Canadian Embassy where they were hidden. The CIA desperately tried to come up with rescue plots as the Carter Administration attempted diplomatic negotiations for the others. The Iranians had no idea how many people had been in the embassy, because officials were able to shred the personnel info before leaving. The Iranians, using child labor, began the arduous process of trying to piece together the shreds of paper to discern identities. It was only a matter of weeks or months before they realized that there were six people missing.
CIA operative Tony Mendez systematically shoots down all of the State Departments lame ideas to rescue these six, and instead hatches what is called the "best of the bad ideas" to get the six home. He decides to engage a charade as a movie producer to get into Iran, and then get the six in question to pose as his film crew. But in order to do this, he has to lay the ground work, which means hiring a producer (who goes through the pile of scripts on his desk and find one with desert scenes called "Argo"), hire a director, have costumes and make-up designed, and actually have a publicity read of the script with the cast in full costume. All of this was noted in Variety and other show biz publications. Mendez then must travel to Morocco, Egypt, and other desert countries before heading to Iran - all in the name of "checking out locations." He then hopes that the Iranians will believe the 6 embassy officials are just part of his film crew, so that they can all just casually fly out.
Ben Affleck plays CIA Operative Tony Mendez with total believability. Keep in mind he was also the director here, so there must have been thousands of other things on his mind. As soon as he yelled "Cut!", he was probably besieged with costumers, lighting people, cinematographers, actors and producers with a plethora of questions, questions, questions. But his performance never cracks and is spot on. Allen Arkin as the pseudo Argo producer is top notch. As is Bryan Cranston as the State Department liaison, and John Goodman as the Hollywood make-up man.
This film was suspense of the highest order. This was tension not seen in film since "Silence of the Lambs." It was a story that was incredible to say the least, but in the wrong hands could have easily been screwed up. Affleck told this story masterfully, cut with a great sense of rhythm. I saw it with my friend Jerry, and afterward we went to dinner. My heart was still beating fast. He said it was the second time he'd seen it, and it still had the same effect on him. And the cool thing was that it really happened. All of it. It wasn't made up, or embellished just make it more appealing for movie audiences. The truth was great enough.
President Clinton finally declassified this story so it could be told, and it is just another in the revelations that President Carter wasn't quite the doofus we were all led to believe he was. But because after this amazing rescue succeeded, it was deemed "classified" and Canada was able to get all the credit. Not until Clinton's decision to de-classify the story was Mendez able to receive his CIA Star, the award he earned (the highest the CIA can give), and the story made public.
This is one of those movies that once seeing I have vowed to own.
Wow.
I know now why critics are no longer calling Argo a long shot for the Academy Awards. Ben Affleck, no matter how you might feel about Good Will Hunting or Dare Devil, has created a masterpiece. Well if this isn't a masterpiece, it's mighty close to it. And I don't throw the term "masterpiece" around lightly. This is Affleck's Pulp Fiction, his My Darling Clementine, his A River Runs Through It.
Affleck tells the uncanny true story - (no, he doesn't add the obligatory female love interest Hollywood bullshit) - of this CIA horrible plot idea to rescue 6 US people held captive in Iran in the late 70's when all of that went south. For all of us alive then, it seems like yesterday, and yet like another lifetime ago.
During the Iran crisis in 1979, as the American Embassy was being stormed in the front, 6 members of the American Consulate team, just casually strolled out through a back door and made it to the Canadian Embassy where they were hidden. The CIA desperately tried to come up with rescue plots as the Carter Administration attempted diplomatic negotiations for the others. The Iranians had no idea how many people had been in the embassy, because officials were able to shred the personnel info before leaving. The Iranians, using child labor, began the arduous process of trying to piece together the shreds of paper to discern identities. It was only a matter of weeks or months before they realized that there were six people missing.
CIA operative Tony Mendez systematically shoots down all of the State Departments lame ideas to rescue these six, and instead hatches what is called the "best of the bad ideas" to get the six home. He decides to engage a charade as a movie producer to get into Iran, and then get the six in question to pose as his film crew. But in order to do this, he has to lay the ground work, which means hiring a producer (who goes through the pile of scripts on his desk and find one with desert scenes called "Argo"), hire a director, have costumes and make-up designed, and actually have a publicity read of the script with the cast in full costume. All of this was noted in Variety and other show biz publications. Mendez then must travel to Morocco, Egypt, and other desert countries before heading to Iran - all in the name of "checking out locations." He then hopes that the Iranians will believe the 6 embassy officials are just part of his film crew, so that they can all just casually fly out.
Ben Affleck plays CIA Operative Tony Mendez with total believability. Keep in mind he was also the director here, so there must have been thousands of other things on his mind. As soon as he yelled "Cut!", he was probably besieged with costumers, lighting people, cinematographers, actors and producers with a plethora of questions, questions, questions. But his performance never cracks and is spot on. Allen Arkin as the pseudo Argo producer is top notch. As is Bryan Cranston as the State Department liaison, and John Goodman as the Hollywood make-up man.
This film was suspense of the highest order. This was tension not seen in film since "Silence of the Lambs." It was a story that was incredible to say the least, but in the wrong hands could have easily been screwed up. Affleck told this story masterfully, cut with a great sense of rhythm. I saw it with my friend Jerry, and afterward we went to dinner. My heart was still beating fast. He said it was the second time he'd seen it, and it still had the same effect on him. And the cool thing was that it really happened. All of it. It wasn't made up, or embellished just make it more appealing for movie audiences. The truth was great enough.
President Clinton finally declassified this story so it could be told, and it is just another in the revelations that President Carter wasn't quite the doofus we were all led to believe he was. But because after this amazing rescue succeeded, it was deemed "classified" and Canada was able to get all the credit. Not until Clinton's decision to de-classify the story was Mendez able to receive his CIA Star, the award he earned (the highest the CIA can give), and the story made public.
This is one of those movies that once seeing I have vowed to own.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Life On Mars
TUBE!
This TV series centers around Sam Tyler, a New York City police detective out of the 125th precinct. In the beginning of the show set in 2008, Sam and his partner Maya Daniels (Lisa Bonet) are not only partners on the squad, but cohabitants in their apartment.
Maya, to everyone's horror, is kidnapped by a psycho serial killer they have been trying to capture. While responding to a tip he received, Sam is hit by another police car. He regains consciousness and slowly begins to realize something is very strange. He is in clothing from another era, and looks up to see the twin towers. He also has an age appropriate badge and ID and he is equipped with a vintage car - a 1971 Chevy Chevelle. And the icing on the cake is there's an 8-track player holding the David Bowie album "Hunky Dory" (which happens to feature a track called "Life On Mars" and is referenced many times in the show). He asks and is told that he is in 1973.
Tyler returns to the Precinct house to find an unfamiliar early 70's environment with old fashioned equipment and a culture he likens to being on another planet. However the other detectives have been expecting him believing he is a transfer in from a place called "Hyde." Sam's disorientation and his vague references to the future earn him the nick-name "Spaceman" (again vaguely Bowiesque).
Sam lives in a apartment 2-B in his building and his neighbor is a hippie free spirit girl named Windy. Many of the episodes are named song titles or lines from songs and there is an episode called "Everyone knows it's Windy." Also in an episode as a witness watches a couple burly long haired detectives take off after a guy, she states "Look at those cave men go" - which is a line straight out of the aforementioned Bowie song "Life on Mars."
Sam Tyler is a man out of place but as he tries to find a way back home, he also has a job to do there in the precinct. He gets involved in cases that lead him to the serial killer that snatched his girlfriend in 2008, only he is just a young boy in 1973. He also meets his mother, and his father only to be able to see them in his now adult life. He learns that his father is a cruel and heartless murderer and mobster. Sam also has reoccurring nightmares that involve small space landing rovers crawling in and out of his ears and mouth. In one episode he is tracking the head of the Aries Toy Company, who nearly talks Sam into committing suicide. But eventually everything will make sense.
Sam Tyler is played wonderfully by Jason O'Mara, who can lately be seen in the new TV show "Vegas." I liked how his portrayal never seemed at ease, and how he was constantly suffering an inner turmoil without being over the top. Micheal Imperioli (of The Soprano's fame) on the other hand.... well to be fair to him, he played it like it was written. Another great character was policewoman Annie "No Nuts" Norris played by Gretchen Mol (who can now be seen as Jimmy's mother in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire"). She took all of the 1970's trash from the male detectives, but in the end began to come into her own - like many women did in that era. And finally there is the great Harvey Keitel as Gene, the Chief of Detectives. 1973 all the way - complete with a bottle in the drawer and white shoes.
"Life On Mars" was based on a British TV show of the same name. I found this to be a real treat and I loved the way they were always slipping in little clues or snippets for the discerning viewer to catch. Like when Sam finally gets to visit the town of Hyde he was supposedly from, the Hyde reference (as in duel lives Jekyll and Hyde) was not lost on me. In fact at one point an old neighborhood guy is with a young girl from the same neighborhood. The old guy explains "She missed her Hyde" (Mr. Hyde). Also the head the the Aries Toy company was named Frank Morgan. How many remember that the actor who played the Wizard of Oz in the 1939 MGM classic, was Frank Morgan?
I really enjoyed this show. In was on ABC from 10/9/08 until 4/1/09. It only made it one season, and perhaps knowing that it was not going to have another season, the writers wrapped things up neatly in the last episode.
So here is the SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! If you don't want to have it ruined for you stop reading now and go rent this one and only season. I don't think you'll regret it.
***********************************************************
Under the normal dialogue of the final episode there were strange sounds going on...unexplained at first. Finally Sam opens his eyes. He is under glass, in a pod as a matter of fact. The voice of Windy announces he's awake now. Windy is the ship's computer. Pod #2-B (his apartment number remember?) opens and he gets out. He is part of the Aries project (not a toy company after all) and the mission is number 125 (the precinct). It is the year 2035. Interestingly, the looked down upon "No Nuts" Norris is now the Commander. Harvey Keitel gets up and he is Tom Tyler, a Major. (get it? Major Tom? of Bowie song fame?). It is explained that on their two year expedition to Mars each could pick a program of a situation to be in while they were in suspended animation. Sam chose to be a NYC policeman in 2008, and it started out alright but then through computer glitch he had been tossed back to 1973. Also Major Tom is Tyler's father after all. The head of the mission control back on Earth is the guy who was the head of the "Aries Toy Company". He does get to slip in one great line - "I want you to know crew that President Obama wanted to be here in the control room when you woke up....but her father has taken ill and she had to leave." The final scene is Keitel stepping out onto the surface of Mars, but it is not a space boot, but his white shoes.
Good stuff. Very clever and entertaining. Rent it and don't miss this little gem that we all somehow missed in 2008.
This TV series centers around Sam Tyler, a New York City police detective out of the 125th precinct. In the beginning of the show set in 2008, Sam and his partner Maya Daniels (Lisa Bonet) are not only partners on the squad, but cohabitants in their apartment.
Maya, to everyone's horror, is kidnapped by a psycho serial killer they have been trying to capture. While responding to a tip he received, Sam is hit by another police car. He regains consciousness and slowly begins to realize something is very strange. He is in clothing from another era, and looks up to see the twin towers. He also has an age appropriate badge and ID and he is equipped with a vintage car - a 1971 Chevy Chevelle. And the icing on the cake is there's an 8-track player holding the David Bowie album "Hunky Dory" (which happens to feature a track called "Life On Mars" and is referenced many times in the show). He asks and is told that he is in 1973.
Tyler returns to the Precinct house to find an unfamiliar early 70's environment with old fashioned equipment and a culture he likens to being on another planet. However the other detectives have been expecting him believing he is a transfer in from a place called "Hyde." Sam's disorientation and his vague references to the future earn him the nick-name "Spaceman" (again vaguely Bowiesque).
Sam lives in a apartment 2-B in his building and his neighbor is a hippie free spirit girl named Windy. Many of the episodes are named song titles or lines from songs and there is an episode called "Everyone knows it's Windy." Also in an episode as a witness watches a couple burly long haired detectives take off after a guy, she states "Look at those cave men go" - which is a line straight out of the aforementioned Bowie song "Life on Mars."
Sam Tyler is a man out of place but as he tries to find a way back home, he also has a job to do there in the precinct. He gets involved in cases that lead him to the serial killer that snatched his girlfriend in 2008, only he is just a young boy in 1973. He also meets his mother, and his father only to be able to see them in his now adult life. He learns that his father is a cruel and heartless murderer and mobster. Sam also has reoccurring nightmares that involve small space landing rovers crawling in and out of his ears and mouth. In one episode he is tracking the head of the Aries Toy Company, who nearly talks Sam into committing suicide. But eventually everything will make sense.
Sam Tyler is played wonderfully by Jason O'Mara, who can lately be seen in the new TV show "Vegas." I liked how his portrayal never seemed at ease, and how he was constantly suffering an inner turmoil without being over the top. Micheal Imperioli (of The Soprano's fame) on the other hand.... well to be fair to him, he played it like it was written. Another great character was policewoman Annie "No Nuts" Norris played by Gretchen Mol (who can now be seen as Jimmy's mother in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire"). She took all of the 1970's trash from the male detectives, but in the end began to come into her own - like many women did in that era. And finally there is the great Harvey Keitel as Gene, the Chief of Detectives. 1973 all the way - complete with a bottle in the drawer and white shoes.
"Life On Mars" was based on a British TV show of the same name. I found this to be a real treat and I loved the way they were always slipping in little clues or snippets for the discerning viewer to catch. Like when Sam finally gets to visit the town of Hyde he was supposedly from, the Hyde reference (as in duel lives Jekyll and Hyde) was not lost on me. In fact at one point an old neighborhood guy is with a young girl from the same neighborhood. The old guy explains "She missed her Hyde" (Mr. Hyde). Also the head the the Aries Toy company was named Frank Morgan. How many remember that the actor who played the Wizard of Oz in the 1939 MGM classic, was Frank Morgan?
I really enjoyed this show. In was on ABC from 10/9/08 until 4/1/09. It only made it one season, and perhaps knowing that it was not going to have another season, the writers wrapped things up neatly in the last episode.
So here is the SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! If you don't want to have it ruined for you stop reading now and go rent this one and only season. I don't think you'll regret it.
***********************************************************
Under the normal dialogue of the final episode there were strange sounds going on...unexplained at first. Finally Sam opens his eyes. He is under glass, in a pod as a matter of fact. The voice of Windy announces he's awake now. Windy is the ship's computer. Pod #2-B (his apartment number remember?) opens and he gets out. He is part of the Aries project (not a toy company after all) and the mission is number 125 (the precinct). It is the year 2035. Interestingly, the looked down upon "No Nuts" Norris is now the Commander. Harvey Keitel gets up and he is Tom Tyler, a Major. (get it? Major Tom? of Bowie song fame?). It is explained that on their two year expedition to Mars each could pick a program of a situation to be in while they were in suspended animation. Sam chose to be a NYC policeman in 2008, and it started out alright but then through computer glitch he had been tossed back to 1973. Also Major Tom is Tyler's father after all. The head of the mission control back on Earth is the guy who was the head of the "Aries Toy Company". He does get to slip in one great line - "I want you to know crew that President Obama wanted to be here in the control room when you woke up....but her father has taken ill and she had to leave." The final scene is Keitel stepping out onto the surface of Mars, but it is not a space boot, but his white shoes.
Good stuff. Very clever and entertaining. Rent it and don't miss this little gem that we all somehow missed in 2008.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Gangster Squad.
FLIX!
So you have this cast; a cast with amazing people in it. Sean Penn for crying out loud. This guy is always great. Josh Brolin no slouch either. And other names like Robert Patrick, Nick Nolte, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone. And a host of great character actors. Toss in Ruben Fleischer, a director with some action genre experience: "Zombieland" and "30 Minutes or Less". And the final ingredient found here: a budget large enough to re-create 1949 Los Angeles flawlessly. Great movie, right? Well...........
As mentioned this movie takes place in 1949 Los Angeles which is under the control of criminal empire Czar Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). Police Chief Parker played by Nick Nolte, realizes that Cohen's criminal tentacles reach to very high levels in the Police Department, so he hatches a scheme to assemble a rogue team of cops to go after Cohen's empire and drive him out of Los Angeles. He calls on Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to put the team together. He does, and with his wife's help he is able to select someone from nearly every stereotype. There is a black cop, the Latino cop, the crusty old cop, the nerd cop, and of course the handsome cop - (hey, somebody has to try and carry on the obligatory love story counter plot line.) They will remain anonymous and will work outside the parameters of normal police work. A Gangster Squad.
This movie looks great. The period automobiles, as well as the clothes and hairstyles all add to the feel of the film. I especially loved the creation of a nightclub "Slapsy Maxies". It was opulent and had a real feel of this time gone by. Lots of detail was studied and this included a musical number by "Carmen Miranda". Nice indeed.
But here's where the film starts to leave a bit to be desired. Screenwriter Will Beall (a cop turned writer) has written a story "Inspired by true events." No, Will, inspired by The Untouchables. Now, it's not that cops can't be writers ala Joseph Wambaugh, Serpico, me... it's just that Beall's relative inexperience shows here. He creates a Mickey Cohen who is very one dimensional; mostly brutal, but opportunities for more than that were missed. Believe me, Sean Penn could handle all the depth you want to give him. The storyline is meandering and isn't sure where it's headed. Practically to the last frame. There is no drama in the bringing down of Cohen, instead we get the mug shot of Cohen with a voice over explaining that he was ultimately killed in prison. There are shoot-outs that seem blase, and the final fight scene goes on and on and on. Alright already! We get it. Big finish with fisticuffs!
So basically this film looks great, but kinda of hits that final frame with a thud.
See it if you must, but don't pass up "Lincoln", or "Django Unchained" to see it.
So you have this cast; a cast with amazing people in it. Sean Penn for crying out loud. This guy is always great. Josh Brolin no slouch either. And other names like Robert Patrick, Nick Nolte, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone. And a host of great character actors. Toss in Ruben Fleischer, a director with some action genre experience: "Zombieland" and "30 Minutes or Less". And the final ingredient found here: a budget large enough to re-create 1949 Los Angeles flawlessly. Great movie, right? Well...........
As mentioned this movie takes place in 1949 Los Angeles which is under the control of criminal empire Czar Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). Police Chief Parker played by Nick Nolte, realizes that Cohen's criminal tentacles reach to very high levels in the Police Department, so he hatches a scheme to assemble a rogue team of cops to go after Cohen's empire and drive him out of Los Angeles. He calls on Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to put the team together. He does, and with his wife's help he is able to select someone from nearly every stereotype. There is a black cop, the Latino cop, the crusty old cop, the nerd cop, and of course the handsome cop - (hey, somebody has to try and carry on the obligatory love story counter plot line.) They will remain anonymous and will work outside the parameters of normal police work. A Gangster Squad.
This movie looks great. The period automobiles, as well as the clothes and hairstyles all add to the feel of the film. I especially loved the creation of a nightclub "Slapsy Maxies". It was opulent and had a real feel of this time gone by. Lots of detail was studied and this included a musical number by "Carmen Miranda". Nice indeed.
But here's where the film starts to leave a bit to be desired. Screenwriter Will Beall (a cop turned writer) has written a story "Inspired by true events." No, Will, inspired by The Untouchables. Now, it's not that cops can't be writers ala Joseph Wambaugh, Serpico, me... it's just that Beall's relative inexperience shows here. He creates a Mickey Cohen who is very one dimensional; mostly brutal, but opportunities for more than that were missed. Believe me, Sean Penn could handle all the depth you want to give him. The storyline is meandering and isn't sure where it's headed. Practically to the last frame. There is no drama in the bringing down of Cohen, instead we get the mug shot of Cohen with a voice over explaining that he was ultimately killed in prison. There are shoot-outs that seem blase, and the final fight scene goes on and on and on. Alright already! We get it. Big finish with fisticuffs!
So basically this film looks great, but kinda of hits that final frame with a thud.
See it if you must, but don't pass up "Lincoln", or "Django Unchained" to see it.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Okay, I am republishing something I posted on my other blog "King of the Whole Darned World" about the best TV in the last 10 years. Sorry about the gray lettering, but I took it from my blog wherein this type is in white against a black background...thus you get that grey area........
Also, I consider all of my stuff copyrighted, but I gave myself permission.
Also, I consider all of my stuff copyrighted, but I gave myself permission.
Friday, January 11, 2013
TV or Not TV? That is the Question. The Best TV of the last 10 Years.
Okay TV buffs - which is the politically correct way of saying TV nerds - I have decided to write a series on "The Best TV in the Last 10 Years". I know, I know, nobody cares, except for maybe David Bianculli, but it's my blog and I can do what I want. And besides, David Bianculli and I are somehow weird kindred spirits, so that's okay with me.
So, watch for it to come soon. I will start in reverse order and work my way to my Number 1 pick. I will probably go with a top dozen or baker's dozen, but I will start off with the Honorable Mentions before going to the actual list. Why? Because there's been a lot of notable TV in the last 10 years. And let's talk about that soon, shall we?.......
It's still all copyrighted though.
So, watch for it to come soon. I will start in reverse order and work my way to my Number 1 pick. I will probably go with a top dozen or baker's dozen, but I will start off with the Honorable Mentions before going to the actual list. Why? Because there's been a lot of notable TV in the last 10 years. And let's talk about that soon, shall we?.......
It's still all copyrighted though.
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