Happy 3-Day weekend everyone! Yep, I said 3-Day weekend, as that's what I'm currently enjoying. Why or how I miraculously have a day off on Monday, I'm not sure. I mean, sure, it's Veteran's Day, but when has a little holiday such as that ever interfered with the grind of corporate America? I guess someone at NBCU decided to take pity on us poor working stiffs though, designating this Veteran's Day a company holiday for the first time, this year. To which I say - well done, well done indeed.
So I'm writing this blog on a weekend, which has become a rare thing of late ... and yes, I know the quality of writing has suffered a bit for me trying to shoe-horn blog-writing in the middle of random weekdays as I multi-task writing with all of the many other, more mind-numbing things on my plate at any given moment. But lately I have been fortunate to interact with a number of people who love writing and being creative and doing so has started to remind me again that nwo is the time to strike when it comes to writing and doing all of this creative stuff. So hoepfully that means the creative juices will begin a-flowin' a bit more and I can really have some good output. Whether that output materializes here on the blog or elsewhere I can't be sure, but anyways, here I am (rock you like a hurricane).
TV STUFF:
30 ROCK, aka ... the funniest show on TV?!?!
- Man oh man, have I been itching to talk about Thursday's superlative episode of 30 ROCK. I just can't say enough about how great of an episode of TV this was. In fact, I'd go so far as to call it the funniest episode of television of the season thus far - this was just pure gold from start to finish. Seriously, I haven't hung on every line of a comedy like this since the heyday of Arrested Development. From the hilarity involving Kenneth's party to the greatness of Greenzo to the scathing satire of corporate politics to the funny Al Gore cameo ... this was great, great stuff that didn't let up for a minute. It all reached a brilliant crescendo with the flashes to Kenneth's party, which just had me rolling on the floor in laughter. Some other highlights:
- Alec Baldwin talking about how well Greenzo tested with "commies, pinkos, hippies and broads" then offhandedly saying how they've got to get a new form ...
- Alec Baldwin reacting with amazement when he heard that T.I. would be at Kenneth's party "You mean Texas Instruments will be there?" Classic.
- Tracy Morgan randomly holding a snake when Liz Lemon goes to find him.
- Pop tarts .... 'nuff said.
- "He just talked to me like I was ugly."
The list goes on and on. this was one of those great, great episodes of a show that converted me from fan to superfan. If this is what I can expect from the show from this point on, then I, without hesitation, hereby crown a new king of television comedy, and it's name be 30 ROCK.
My Grade: A
THE OFFICE:
- I also really enjoyed the latest episode of The Office - continuing a string of great episodes since the show returned to its usual half-hour format. Now, I know many people have complained about Michael being too dumb and random on the show, and turning into Homer Simpson, and I have been among those who got annoyed with that trend, which was really evident in some of this season's first batch of episodes. But ... here's where I differ from the peanut gallery. The Office, as it stands now, is to me totally at its best when it allows the humor to be random, quirky, and out-there. Whether it's Dwight, Creed, or Michael, I get a kick out of seeing them do and say things that no actual human being would ever do or say. As long as it all eventually derives back to office-inspired humor and satire, I'm fine with it, and usually its a random Dwight or Creed line that gives me the biggest laughs of any given episode. Where I do have a problem is when Michael Scott as played by Steve Carell is just given this kind of free reign. We've seen that of late where the character feels loosely written, with storylines and scenes that feel rambling, meandering, and pointless. We saw a little of that this week with the Survivor Man stuff, but for the most part I enjoyed it. The addition of Dwight to the mix made for a lot of funny scenes, and even if the camera at times stayed on Carell for too long, there were a lot of funny jokes to break things up. Dwight's "Would I let him die?" line for example ... totally hilarious. Meanwhile, there was some really good stuff with Jim this week, and I like that the show is now focusing on his realiziation that he may be stuck in somewaht of a professional rut, doomed to end up just like his much-mocked boss Michael. This echoes Tim's storyarc on the British series, and there's a lot of potential in going down this road with Jim. In particular, the final scene with Jim and Michael comparing notes was simply great - awkward, funny, and a little bit sad -- exactly what I want in an ideal episode of The Office.
My Grade: A -
MY NAME IS EARL:
- I never got around to watching last week's hour-long edition of Earl, and for a moment there I was kind of considering giving up on the show ... I have very conflicting feelings about it, as in general EARL is usually a pleasant enough half-hour of TV, with a few funny lines and reliably appealing turns from Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jamie Pressley, and the rest of the uber-talented cast, many of whom I consider amongst my absolute favorite comic actors out there. It's just that, well, the material never quite lives up to its full potential. The writing often feels too obvious, too bland, or too dumbed-down to really make a big impact with me. Again, I usually find two or three great dialogue bits scattered throughout each episode, and Jason Lee is consistently great ... there's just a sense of slightly squandered potential that I get with most episodes of Earl. Still, I enjoyed this past week's installment. Randy and Earl's relationship is a reliable source of entertainment, and it's a funny twist to have Randy as a prison guard with Earl locked up behind bars. I was also pretty surprised and amused to see Earl take such a blatant swipe at the whole NBC Goes Green thing at the same time that it adhered to the "Green is Universal" theme-week on NBC - on a generally play-it-safe show like this one, it definitely gave me pause and elicited a knowing smirk. I am too much a fan of these actors and character to simply give up on Earl, especially when it delivers with a totally solid episode like this week's ... but at the same time, I wish the bar could be raised just a bit.
My Grade: B+
SMALLVILLE:
- The streak continues! Yet another very entertaining and well put-together episode of Smallville. Of course, as with last week, this is all relative. These last few eps have been great in relation to the shoddiness that we've had to suffer through for most of last season and the early part of this one, but, they are still plagued by some recurring problems which I'll speak of in a minute.
First, I'll take a minute to praise this ep for delivering more greatness in terms of even more grea scenes from its two MVP's - Lex and Lionel Luthor. Lex had some superb scenes this week with Clark and Lana, and his kiss with Lana was both creepy and shocking. If there's one thing the writers of Smallville have consistently done a great job with, it's bene in giving Lex a unique voice where there are hints of evil but always a convincing sense of self-righteousness. This week was no exception, with, as I said, a number of intense moments for the junior Luthor. And, I'll give Kristen Kreuk (sp?) a lot of credit this week - this marked some of her finest acting to date on Smallville - she did a nice job of selling the sense of possibility that comes with a sudden infusion of supoer-powers, and I loved her intensity when confronting Lex. We also got some fun scenes with Lois and the new EIC at the Daily Planet - I'm finding their relationship a lot more natural-seeming and well-written than that of Lois and Oliver Queen from last year.
On the down side, as much as I was impressed with Kristen Kreuk this week, Lana is still a broken character in so many ways. The tension with Clark this week only served to emphasize how little actual chemistry the two have enjoyed for the last few years - in fact, until this episodes over-the-top super-sex scenes between the two, I wasn't even sure if Clark and Lana were actually a full-fledged couple again following her leaving Lex. Which is why it's kind of a "meh" situation when the two seemed to break up at the end of this episode - their relationship has been so all over the place for so long now that all of the sparks they had in the early seasons have pretty much already evaporated, and Lana has become more and more unlikable with each passing year as she's transitioned from sweet girl next door to depressingly-forlorn girl-with-a-grudge.
The other problem that's really bothered me of late is Lionel Luthor. As I've said, it's always great to see John Glover pop up - but what's his deal already? I mean, in this ep, Lana finally reminded Clark that Lionel had threatened to kill him ... so we still have no explanation as to a.) whether Lionel is the "real," evil version or still the more benevolant version from the last few years, or b.) why Clark of late seems to be so buddy-buddy with a guy who only recently appeared to be his mortal enemy.
Finally, this was YET ANOTHER episode where all of the usual, annoying Smallville cliches seemed to be trotted out one by one ... Lex getting knocked out cold just as Clark enters the scene, allowing Clark to make timely use of his abilities ... Clark waltzing into presumably secure locations like the Luthor mansion and LexCorp as easily as he might stroll into a Macys ... the obligatory weekly appearance of oddly-colored the Smallville hospital (why would Lois end up there if she's living in Metropolis?) ... I hate to nitpick but Smallville just always seems to rely on these storytelling short-cuts that just tend to bug the hell out of me, because they take away from the cool and well-told stuff that is going on.
Overall though, a good episode with some memorable Lex-Lana scenes, some interesting developments in the Clark-Lana saga, and a fun, continued emphasis on Clark's slow but steady realization that a larger destiny awaits him outside of the confines of Smallville.
My Grade: B
Okay, movie review time ... this time out I've got a look at Wes Anderson's latest ...
THE DARJEELING LIMITED Review:
- It's funny, I was looking back at my old blog entries and found my Best Movies of 2004 list ... Right near the top was The Life Aquatic. Man, talk about a blast from the past. I feel like being out here in LA, one of the biggest perks has definitely been the access to so many great movies via company screenings, great indie-flick-friendly theaters, and friends who share an interest in catching the latest and greatest. Of late, I've had more of a desire than ever to try to catch as many top-quality films as I can, espeically since they're usually so easily accessible here in Hollwood. Just last night some friends and I ventured down to Pasadena, where there is a great art-house theater. Our mission: to finally catch Wes Anderson's new movie - The Darjeeling Limited. In 2004, Wes Anderson movies were for me a rare departure from the usual multiplex offerings of big-budget blockbusters and assembly-line comedies. But here in 2007, I've made it more of a point to catch smaller films of note. So, I had to wonder, would Anderson's latest still stack up?
For the most part, Darjeeling is yet another great film from the Master of Quirk. The bottom line is that I don't know if it comes together quite as well as some of his previous efforts, but then again, the thing with Anderson's films is that each seems to be largely a matter of personal taste. For me, something about The Life Aquatic just instantly hit home, and appealled to me in all the right ways. On the other hand, while I'm a big fan of Rushmore, there's still something about it that feels a little off to me - its themes just seem a bit too insular and not as accessible as Life Aquatic. But anyways, about Darjeeling ...
For one, Anderson's visual artistry as a filmmaker is as strong here as it's ever been. Many scenes in the movie are just beautiful in their intricacy and framing, in that trademark Wes Anderson way. Now, some deride Wes for returning to the same quirky visual style in each of his films. To me, I have no problem with repetition if the end product is always so breathtaking. I mean, do we deride a painter for having a unique style that they stick to in each of their works? Do we rail on a Hemingway or a Raymond Chandler for carrying over a distinct writing style from book to book? Wes Anderson has a visual style that is unique to him and is now virtually inseparable from his overall voice as a filmmaker. Personally - I welcome returning to that world he creates every so often - it's a world where certain visual motifs and thematic material resurfaces in movie after movie, but I'm fine with that, because that's part of the fun - seeing how Wes Anderson transplants his signature style to each new set of characters and storylines he chooses to tackle.
And India, where Darjeeling is set, is a perfect match for all of Anderson's fetishes. In a place with so much bustle, color, and contrasting details, Anderson flourishes. To the point where it's hard to tell how much of this India Anderson is creating to fit his own stylistic desires, and how much of the real India he's simply repurposing for his own movie. As usual, we get all of Anderson's signature shots, from painting-like still scenes to tracking shots of exteriors - in this case the chugging train called the Darjeling Limited, with the camera moving steadily along the outside of the train with each of the windows of the train serving as a fishbowl-glimpse into a myriad of self-contained worlds and characters. Sure, we got a lot of Anderson revisiting old filmic tricks, but when his arsenal contains so many great little visual motifs, I'm not complaining.
As for the story, Darjeeling deals with three man-child brothers who gather together for the first time in a year, followign the death of their father, to go on a misguided spiritual quest through the holy sites of India. Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, and Jason Schwartzman all do a great job here. They're a bunch of proto-Wes Anderson hipsters, to be sure, but each fits into the Wes Anderson mold while still possessing a distinct personality. The movie does a wonderful job of playing the three brothers off of one another, with a lot of entertaining and hilarious scenes resulting from their weariness of one another. This is the Owen Wilson that I love - the guy who does this kind of understated humor to perfection while deftly projecting an undercurrent of real tragedy. Seriously, I wish the guy all the best and hope he's back on his feet soon, as when he's on top of his game as he is here, he's one of the best comic actors around. Owen's character here - a control freak who plans each day of the trip with laminated itineraries, orders meals for his brothers much to their mutual annoyance, and sports a heavily-bandaged head and a cane as a result of a near-deadly auto accident, is the heart and soul of the movie, in a way, and certainly the character who elicits the most laughter, and to a dgree the most pathos. A great performance from Mr. Wilson. Schwartzman and Brody are also great here ... what Anderson does so well is that he gives the brothers all these little quirks and hang-ups, and then later on in the movie we meet their mother, played by Angelica Houston, and in a single scene we get all thi fascinating insight into where all these characteristics came from ... it's quite aneat little trick.
As always with an Wes Anderson movie, Darjeeling really is driven by its characters and themes. We get a lot of interesting insight into brotherhood, family, arrested development, the quest for meaning and spirituality, and finally accepting adulthood. I love how Darjeeling kind of touches on these themes but leaves so much open for interpretation ... it has the effect of almsot beign a kind of quest in and of itself. Because as you watch, you realize that the brothers could be in India or Spain or Podunk, USA - they go on this train ride through purportedly spiritual land, but really its the mere fact that they are together and hashing out their problems, not that they are in India, that has a real effect on them - all of the surrounding praying and visiting of shrines and whatnot is really just window dressing. And as we begin to realize that as viewers, we begin to see how much time we waste LOOKING for meaning, instead of creating it out of our everyday lives.
So yeah, this is definitely a movie that leaves ya' thinking. And it's a movie peppered with great scenes, from the opening with a cool cameo by Bill Murray to a hilarious scene in which the brothers get into a fight involving a liberally-used can of mace. I guess what did drag things down for me was the fact that while many of the scenes were gems, there were a handful that seemed extraneous. Particularly towards the end, there were literally five or six isntances where I was sure the movie was over, with a scene wrapping up complete with carefully-selected background musical track seeming to signal that that was a wrap, only for the movie to continue on long after I felt its point had been made. By the time the credits finally rolled, it definitely felt a bit anti-climactic. In some ways, the movie just didn't come together as tightly as I would have liked, and part of that may have had to do with an ending that didn't quite tie things together in a totally satisfying manner.
That being said, I really loved a lot about The Darjeeling Limited. From the trademark visual brilliance to the little details of characterization that elude so many filmmakers, this was another winner for Wes Anderson and co. I'm also giving the movie points for the wonderful short film that preceded its release as a free iTunes download and is currently accompanying the movie in its theatrical release - Hotel Chevalier. The short is a visual marvel that shows Wes Anderson's talent for design and staging on full, despite the fact that the action is mostly confined to a single hotel room. It's really pretty remarkable. The short, which features Jason Schwartzman's character from Darjeeling and takes place prior to the events of the movie, features Natalie Portman as a love-her-but-she-drives-you-insane ex-girlfriend of Schwartzman's who pays him a visit while he's playing the role of expatriot in a hotel in Paris. The whole thing, from the sharp dialogue to the visuals to the great music, is strikingly well-done, and subsequently added a lot to Darjeeling, which referenced the short on more than one occasion.
My Grade: A -
Alright, have a good weekend everyone. PEACE.
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