Ah, the weekend is almost here.
I am so pysched to see BEOWULF tonight in IMAX 3-D. I've had a craving lately for a great balls-to-the-wall action movie, and this one promisies to be a true "next-gen" film with what looks to be some of the most inventive use of CGI and motion-capture in cinema to date. Plus, it can't be too shabby in the script department either, with a screenplay co-penned by the great Neal Gaiman of Sandman and Stardust fame. I'm hoping for a pulse-pounding experience at least the equal of 300 ... and I have a feeling I won't be disappointed.
And man, this is going to be a crazy week or two coming up. Let me summarize:
Tuesday: Seeing VAN by-God HALEN in concert at the Staples Center.
Wednesday: Flying to Connecticut for Thanksgiving with the family.
Friday: Flying to LONDON, ENGLAND to bring some anarchy to the UK and to visit my brother, currently studying abroad (or two ...) in jolly old England. Yep, four Barams will be in London, possibly three more than the country can handle. I very much look forward to revisiting the ol' stomping grounds, taking in the great atmosphere and bad food. Watch out London, here I come!
- Anyways, it will be a crazy several days ...!
- Just a quick note about how I am continually amazed by the power of the internet. So, every so often over the last few months, I've been checking in online about the status of THE STATE on DVD. A while back, it was announced that the cult-favorite sketch comedy show was FINALLY being released on DVD, and as you can see from my blog entries at the time, I couldn't have been happier that one of my all-time favorite TV shows would finally be ready for viewing in the comfort of my own home. So then, last week, I see on The State's official website that ... WTF ... MTV had abruptly CANCELLED the DVD's release. Are you kidding me? No. Freaking.Way. So in a rare moment of drive brought on by my comedy-geek rage, I spontaneously indulged in an activity that, until now, I thought was solely reserved for people far more annoying than I. What did I do, you ask? Well, I created a group on Facebook. Yes, I did it, and it felt good. My group was labeled, appropriately, "Why Is THE STATE still not available on DVD? Are you kidding me, MTV?" I wrote a brief description outlining my intent, and sent out a group invite to all of my Facebook friends who I believed might be sympathetic to my cause. Lo and behold - within two days the group was embraced by over 50 people! Fifty fine folks, many of whom I don't know, rallied to support this worthy cause, the simple cry of the unwashed masses who demand that The State be released on DVD. These are smart people. People who went to Harvard and NYU and other fine institutions of higher learning. People who have the rare quality of good taste in televised comedy. People who like The State.
So I implore you - if you too would like to see The State on DVD, well, write your senators, go on strike, etc ... but most of all, find me on Facebook and join my humble collective of like-minded comedy fans! Let's give 'em hell, people!
MICHAEL CLAYTON Review:
- Wow, where did this one come from? I had this vague notion going in that this might be a really interesting movie, and I was encouraged by some surprisingly glowing reviews from places like Entertainment Weekly. But with an admittedly terrible title and a real lack of hype, I still didn't quite know what to expect. What I got was one hell of a movie - a multi-layered thriller that features one of the best ensemble casts of the year, along with a script that not only places a strong emphasis on mood and character, but also really suprised me with how much of a punch it packed in terms of making a statement about modern life. I know, that sounds cheesy, but Clayton really hit the right notes for me in that respect. To me, it didn't feel preachy, as movies like Syriana have in the past. The reason was that the themes grew organically out of the characters. The message of the movie - a foreboding cautionary statement about the moral ambiguity inherent in modern life - built slowly scene by scene - and in the end I was left rather floored by the fact that this seemingly typical legal thriller was, in fact, making a pretty profound statement.
Getting back to the cast though, the actors here are universally outstanding. For me, George Clooney has only really begun to live up to his potential on-screen. Aside from his occasional comedic turn when working with the likes of the Coen Brothers, Clooney's career has been an odd mix of embarrassing mediocrity (Batman and Robin) and roles where he seems to be simply coasting along (Oceans films). To me, Michael Clayton is exactly the kind of part that Clooney was born to play - a throwback of sorts to the Hollywood films of old - where Clooney is able to play a compelling leading man, but without that annoying self-awareness that seems to say hey, we should all be really impressed with him. Clooney is great here in the title role - a guy who's both world-weary and on the verge of being broken, yet still kind of a badass. Afterall, he is a fixer, a go-to guy for a powerful law firm, the guy who cleasn up the messes that others can't. But, there's a great line early in the film, where a nervous guy who's gotten himself into a mess tells Clayton that he needs a miracle worker, he needs the best, and Clayton replies that he's no miracle worker, "just a janitor." From that moment on, it's clear this isn't going to be one of those crusading lawyer-as-superhero movies. This one is gonna be dark, gritty, with one foot firmly in the world of classic Hollywood dramatic filmmaking, but the other solidly placed here, in the real world.
Tom Wilkenson is amazing in this movie. He's one of those actors who's been around and I immediately recognized, but man, who knew he was this good? To me, Wilkenson's work here has to definitively put him in the race for Best Supporting Actor come Oscar time - it's just classic, powerful stuff. Basically, Wilkenson is one of the top lawyers at Clayton's firm, a brilliant mind and a mentor to many. But as he's getting older, the guy is on the verge of snapping, and his pills can only do so much to cure his escalating sense of paranoia and near-insanity. For years, he's been working to defend a heartless mega-corporation, a producer of chemicals used to treat crops, chemicals linked to all kinds of health hazards. Wilkenson's character has been defending these guys, but he's had an epiphany - he is working for the badguys and he can't take it anymore. He essentially snaps and goes off the wall - but in one of the film's most powerful statements, it really takes a guy going insane to get anyone to snap out of their big-money-induced stupors and see the forest for the trees. I was reminded a bit of Peter Finch's work in the classic Network - mad as hell and not going to take it anymore ... but where is the line between clarity and insanity?
The two other roles I want to mention are Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack. Swinton is just superb - a woman who has become so brainwashed by corporate rhetoric that her moral compass is completely off-kilter. I hate to say it, but she's downright scary in this role because her brainwashing is not so far off from so many people in corporate America, people I see every day who do all kinds of things in the name of the greater good of The Company. Meanwhile, Pollack is one of those hard-nosed guys who reminded me of various characters I've seen my dad work with as an attorney - guys who are true realists and don't have the time or will to worry about all the greater implications of their actions - the bottom line is everything. As great as Wilkenson is in this one, Swinton and Pollack are terrific in their own rights - both truly give top-tier, Oscar-caliber performances.
In the end, this is a great directorial debut from Tony Gilroy. Very classical in feel, but at the same time, there is some innovative storytelling at work here. For example, the movie opens with an intriguing but slightly confusing set of scenes, culminating in Clayton running for his life following a bomb igniting his car. Then, we flash back to four days earlier, and spend the rest of the movie playing catch-up to the opening sequence. It really works well as a storytelling device, and I was pleasantly surprised by just how well everything comes together. Aside from the brief bit of time-shifting, there aren't a lot of fancy tricks at play here. In fact, some moments even border on the cliche. But everything is so solidly done that there are never really any groan-inducing moments, and the acting is so great that the drama always maintains an electric intensity.
I never would have expected this, but Michael Clayton is a great, great thriller with a lot to say - a perfectly-executed drama from top to bottom.
My Grade: A
TV STUFF:
- So, I'm really behind on my TV this week. I know, I know, it's terrible. I still haven't seen Sunday's Simpsons or King of the Hill, and KOTH in particular I really want to see ASAP, given that it's the big death of Cotton episode. Hve yet to catch Monday's Aliens in America, which I hope to view this weekend, and as per usual I need to catch-up on Smallville and Gossip Girl. I also didn't catch last night's Earl or 30 Rock due to going to see Michael Clayton, however, I did get to watch THE OFFICE ... so I'll work backwards from there with some quick reviews ...
THE OFFICE:
- First, I have to say this: the scene from last night's Office, in which Michael abruptly topples over Toby's lunch tray after Toby had just confided in him some painful childhood memories ... it was, honestly, one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I was DYING of laughter, holy lord. I rewound and watched it like 3 times, I was in such hysterical laughter. Simply classic. Wow.
That being said, this was overall a strong episode of The Office, one that took a bit of a strange turn in that it really became a very dark look at Michael Scott and his relationship with Jan. It took a bit for it to grow on me, but I came away really appreciating this episode's black humor - it brought to mind some of the best moments of the British series, and it made some of the jokes, like the aformentioned tray-spilling scene, all the funnier.
On the other hand, the ping-pong subplot was slightly weak, and there was a disappointing lack of good Dwight humor this week. But in the end, I really felt like the whole Michael-on-trial thing, and how he ultimately chose the company over Jan despite both essentially demoralizing him, was really pretty brilliant.
My Grade: A-
PUSHING DAISIES:
- Hmm, this may have been the overall weakest episode of the show yet, but all that means is it wasn't quite 100% amazing, but still one of the best things in all of TV land. I think part of the problem was that the mystery of the week just wasn't quite as fun or compelling as previous episodes' (or maybe it's just my natural dislike for dog-related stories? haha). The other thing is that it feels like it's time for Chuck and Ned to just be a couple - not necessarilly still in their angsty, getting-to-know you stage. Sure, there should always be that undercurrent of tragedy surrounding their relationship, but maybe it's time to push it into the background a little bit, at least for now. Still, the dialogue and wordplay remains as fun and ever and totally top-notch, and Chi McBride gets funnier and more likable by the week.
My Grade: B+
BIONIC WOMAN:
- Okay, this one may have been the last straw for me. You know, I was really behind this show when I saw its pilot. Sure, it had its share of flaws, but it had this great sense of un-ironic fun to it - it seemed like the show was determined to be a 100% geeky comic-book fantasy, which was a great contrast to shows like Heroes that felt a little more measured in their restraint. But since then, not only have the scripts and characterization grown tangibly weaker (as have the ratings), but the show itself has changed from a dark action-drama to a lighthearted soap to ... well, this week, it felt like a really, really weak episode of La Femme Nikita. The show now has its own Madeline-lite, Berkoff-lite, and Operations-lite, and it's own lame ripoff of a Michael-type character. But unlike Nikita, wh owas the personifacation of femme fatale cool, Jamie Summers comes off as a total asshat. I mean, this is a grown woman, but she's protesting her therapy sessions like a spoiled twelve year old. I mean, when did Bionic Woman become the spy show by douchebags, for douchebags? Sorry to be so harsh, but I really want this one to rebound, and it's discouraging to see it falter so badly.
My Grade: C -
CHUCK:
- On the other hand, Chuck has really been hitting its stride of late. I'm loving the peanut-butter and jelly like mix of spy intrigue with OC-style emo-ness and self-aware comedy. I mean, the banter between Adam Baldwin, Chuck, and Sarah this week (sorry Adam Baldwin is just Adam Baldwin), each under the influence of truth serum, was hilarious. I like that they are slowly building out Chuck's backstory as well, and starting to integrate his sister and the always-awesome Captain Awesome into some of the main storylines. As long as it's not done in a really forced way, I look forward to the day when the good Captain is sent on a top-secret mission of his own - surely, that would be tres-awesome. Meanwhile, Rachel Bilson is a great addition to the cast. We already know her as nerd-bait from The OC, and I look forward to seeing how she interacts with Chuck and throws a much-needed wrench in his budding relationship with Sarah. Finally, I know there are haters out there, but I get a kick out of the Morgan / Buy More subplots. I hope Tang is only temporarily gone, as his rivalry with Morgan was a source, at least to me, of much hilarity.
My Grade: A -
HEROES:
- Heroes this past week was, in some ways, the episode that should have been the season premiere. I mean, dramatically, there was really no good reason to do the whole "four months later" time jump following the conclusion of Season 1. Instead of a lot of intriguing "oh my god, how did THEY get THERE" moments, instead we simply got many a dull reintroduction of all of our principle players from S1, along with an overflow of new heroes. This week though, we finally got the thrilling secret origin of our South American wonder twins, and, guess what? - the shocking incident that marked the first use of their powers, while semi-interesting, was basically the exact same thing we've seen every week thus far in S2 - eyes go black, lots of panting and lip-quivering, screams of guilt, tears, and the brother desperately screaming "Dios Mio!" at his sister over and over again. Ugh, please, make it stop!
Anyways, the highlight, by far, was Kristen Bell's Elle finally getting a bit of the spotlight, revealed as a somewhat demented woman who remains childlike-yet-deadly thanks to years raised in the confines of Company facilities (in another Heroes idea that is decent, but has that ripped-off-from-something-else feel). Bell did well with her part, as always, and it must be said that, well ... it was clear in this ep that young Veronica Mars has, um, grown up quite a bit since her time in Neptune.
On the other hand, the Nikki-DL stuff felt very forced. Look, DL is alive! Oh wait, he's dead! It'd be one thing if there was some grand poetic irony to his sudden re-death, but really it just felt pretty pointless. We still got no real explanation of why Nikki is now a hired gun for The Company. In fact, is it just me or is The Company itself pretty weak as a concept? At least last year, we had a sense of hierarchy with Linderman, Eric Roberts , HRG, etc. Now it's all Bob, all the time, and truth be told, ol' Bob tends to come off as a pretty generic bad guy with no real depth or intrigue about him.
So right now, Heroes has some random storylines going for it that have a sense of mystery and cool-factor, but it is still mired in a number of plotlines that just feel ambling and empty. Here's hoping those last two eps can leave us hanging on a high note.
My Grade: B -
FAMILY GUY:
- Man, so sad that FG is pretty much done for the forseeable future in light of the writer's strike. Because the show has really found a new groove these last few weeks, and this past Sunday's ep, "Lois kills Stewie," was, dare I say, the first real "classic" ep of the show in quite some time. A ton of memorable gags, from the vintage FG over-choreographed extended fight scene, to the clueless housekeeper at the Fortress of Solitude gag, to the hilarious recurring joke of Stewie forcing Brian to alternatively compliment then insult Joe at gunpoint - awesome. Even the ending, "it's not a dream, it's a simulator" had me laughing. I could go on, but the bottom line is that, sadly, this ep got me more excited for Family Guy than I've been in a long while, right as the show is going off the air for the winter.
My Grade: A
- Alright, that's a wrap for now. Off soon to take in Beowulf. I'll probably have one or two more blogs before the journey to London, so until then, bugger off!
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