On Firday, my wife Jodi and I went (across town) to see
Borat. There we were, as usual, 20 minutes early waiting for the show to start, while watching mindless ads defile the silver screen, and we notice that the house is beginning to fill. Curious, we thought, for a relatively early showing. We also happened to notice that sharing the row with us were several couples over 60. And I don't mean to stereotype to heavily here, but they looked quite stodgy. Having some idea of what was in store for the feature, we placed bets on how long before these couples bailed out.
They didn't. In fact, thoughout the movie, they laughed boisterously and at some of the most raunchy scenes. They were certainly not alone- everyone in the audience, be they old, young, male or female, were cracking up.
Clearly, there's something about this movie that crosses demographic lines. How else to explain the
phenomenal numbers of this weekend? The question is: what is it? My guess: this film is so broadly successful because it works on so many levels. Few movies can so seamlessly cater to the dick-and-fart-joke crowd, the Chistopher-Guest-improv-mockumentary crowd and the Jackass-pain-is-funny crowd- all in the same scene.
Perfect example: Jodi was completely expecting to hate the movie. She had seen a couple of episodes of Da Ali G Show; she thought the character of Borat was mildly amusing at best. Her main concern was that a schtick that was worth a chuckle or two over 5 minutes was going to be excrutiating over 84. In fact, it took some convincing to get her to come at all. She left with a bellyache from laughing and a shocked appreciation of the spectacle she had just witnessed. So even though, it's risky, it's edgy, it's crude and it's fearless, there's one quality that so many comedies miss, and ultimately it's the one that makes them successful: it's really, really funny.
The New Kids on the Block
I gotta hand it to the networks, with this season's slate of newbies, they're showing that the past couple of years- which gave us Lost, Desperate Housewives, My Name is Earl, The Office and Veronica Mars- were not a fluke. And this time, NBC takes some risks and makes strides to surpass ABC in the quality game.
Okay, so not all of the offerings are top notch- 10 minutes of 20 Good Years will make that clear- but there are a couple new shows that I've caught onto that have been fabulous right from the start, and a couple more that have shown flashes of potential that has not been fully realized.
First from the winners category: The Nine. Right out of the gate, this tale of how a common traumatic experience can bind people together in unexpected ways exploded with intensity and intruigue. The titular group of people were hostages in a bank robbery gone wrong. While they were trapped for 52 hours, they endured as yet unknown horrors and their lives were changed forever. The twist is the fact that the horrors are unknown. The story follows the nine in the aftermath of the crisis, but as the viewer, we don't know exactly what happened. This device is captivating for now, but the writers must continue to keep a steady stream of juicy bits of info flowing, lest we grow impatient. Oh, and I don't see this premise carrying more than one season. So there is that.
Second on the honor roll is Aaron Sorkin's new comedy, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I say comedy- and it is- but it's cleverly disguised as an hour-long serial drama. Everything from the sets to the cinematography to the themes (network censorship, drug use, and a serious treatment of Christianity's place in Hollywood to name a few) scream "take me seriously." But the writing is sharply witty and the performances are, for the most part, understated and hillarious. Particularly enjoyable are D.L. Hughley and Nate Cordry as performers on the show within the show. This is one of two shows NBC debuted this fall about what goes on behind the scenes at an SNL-like late night comedy show (with a number in the title, no less), and that does make the premise seem a little- I don't know- unoriginal? As long as Mr. Sorkin can continue to walk the line between serious and funny, he's sure to outlast...
30 Rock, which is the other show that NBC debuted this fall about what goes on behind the scenes at an SNL-like late night comedy show (with a number in the title, no less), falls in the not-quite-there category. It's embarassing enough to have to share your very specific premise with another show, but when that other show executes it much more sucessfully you almost have to quit. That being said, the show is pretty funny. Not like laugh-out-loud-Rainn-Wilson-in-The-Office funny, but it gives me some good chuckles. Most of those chuckles go to Alec Baldwin, who plays NBC/GE's head of marketing and microwave oven programming. Most of them don't go to the actual main characters, namely Tina Fey's head writer (who's not very convincing, even though she's essentially playing herself) and Tracy Morgan (who is convincing, just not very funny, as a hybrid between Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence and himself). Maybe it can overcome the premise issues, but the performances have got to step up a few notches before this becomes a permanent addition to the DVR.
Our other entry in the 'needs improvement' category is NBC's stab at the comic book genre: Heroes. The pre-season advertising promised a sophisitcated, unique take on the psychological and emotional toll enacted on people who have special powers. The actual show, however, turned out to be not-quite so grand. Basically, the show lacks one thing that could set it apart from all the other shows in the superheroes-are-people-too genre (dating back to the New Adventures of Lois & Clark)- subtlety. The show's exposition, wherein the large cast of characters all- apparently simultaneously- discover their powers, was akward and heavy handed; the on-again, off-again voice-over narration is distracting at best and the effects are less than special. But there is hope for this one, and it seems to be in the cast- particularly Masi Oka as space-time bending titular-homophonic Hiro. Perhaps this was a case of a show slow to come out of the blocks, but one that will outpace my expectations in the long run.
Is the race over already?
As we enter, in earnest, into the fall movie season- a season that is all but guaranteed to yield all of the major Oscar contenders- let us reflect on a few of the movies this year that will not get recognized, as deserving as they may be.
Robert Downey, Jr. in A Scanner Darkly. Here is a movie that is psychedelic sci-fi and (heaven forbid) animated, so in other words here is a movie that has zero chance of getting nominated for anything mainstream. I should clarify- if you aren't familiar with Richard Linklater's style of animation, he films actors in locations, and then animates over the film, giving the animated image the style and control of (to use a crude term) a cartoon, but an uncanny realism that would not be possible with traditional animation methods. What I'm getting to is that despite the animation factor, or perhaps because of it, Mr. Downey gives a brilliant, quirky-as-hell, fabulously truthful turn as the film's ultimate sleezeball. But will the Academy even watch it? Doubtful.
Now I'm going even further out on a limb- the screenplay for Clerks II. It's vulgar, crass and involves a donkey show, so any shot of recognition is right down the toilet. That said, where else can you get a movie that has a reformed drug dealer doing the "Buffalo Bill tuck" and then there's the comedic genius of "Pillowpants." but all the while there's an underlying beautiful story about the choices we make and the importance of friends. I know there's no chance in hell, but this screenplay deserves some attention.
Now, we look forward to the wide release of Borat. This week's Entertainment Weekly
cover story asks if this is the funniest movie ever, and the buzz from all sides is becoming deafening. But a low-budget "culturally offensive" satire has a snowball's chance in Hollywood of getting recognized. Unless it does- maybe this is the year that the Oscars finally realize what actors have known for a long time: Dying is easy, comedy is hard.
What I Did On My Summer Vacation
Where have you been for the last five months? Oh, wait- that would be me. Partly, I've been protesting the complete lack of quality entertainment over the summer months. Let's face it- So You Think You Can Dance is a good diversion, but it's not exactly art. Partly, I've been without a time to write, what with Desparate Houswives off the air. Mostly, I've been lazy. Anyhow, I'm back to give it another go.
In that last paragraph, I bitched about how there was no good entertainment this summer. Well, that may be true for network TV and commercial films, but I still found some ways to while away the locked-in-the-air-conditioning hours. First and foremost, Jodes and I discovered the best genre show on TV, which also happens to be one of the best shows of any type on TV: Battlestar Galactica.
This show has most everything you'd want a drama to have. Intensity? Check. Emotion? Got it. Relevant? You better believe it. Granted, some people may have to adjust to the framework- sure, it takes place on a spaceship and the human race is being driven to extinction by robots- but once you accept that, it's one of the most poignant, issue driven shows out there. Seriously! We're dealing with the limits of presidential power, the ethics of abortion law when the species is in danger, and even when it's okay to use suicide bombers. And this is just in the last few episodes. So, if you're inclined to accept Sci-Fi as a genre, give it a look-see. You can check out the first 2 seasons on DVD or the recap/catch-up episode for free on iTunes, and once you get caught up, it's on Friday Nights on the SciFi Channel. You won't reget it.
More later on good stuff I discovered this summer, including the old Wicker Man, Sufjan Stevens in concert and the joy of fake hip-hop.
They say there's nothing new under the sun. I think, perhaps, that the writing team behind
Mission: Impossible III took this proverb to heart. "Since there's no origniality anyway," I imagine them saying "we may as well not think of any new ideas for this movie!"
Granted, it's a movie based on
a 60's TV show, so pehaps it is unfair of me to expect so much. But seriously, when you're movie is merely 1 parts
True Lies, and 1 part
Alias, the latter being created by the co-writer and director of this movie, you're not even trying.
That being said, it was a fun ride. Even though I can't look at
Tom Cruise anymore without thinking about his media antics, he still commands the screen, and shows why he's the big star that he is. The action is intense- if anything, the action is too intense, you never really get a chance to process the story. On second thought, maybe that was intentional. But it does get a bit exhausting to watch Mr. Cruise's character run at full speed in every single scene.
There is a bright spot, and it is
Phillip Seymore Hoffman's villian. I'm not a huge PSH fan, but this character's non-chalant cruelty and complete badassness is amazingly effective. In this one character, the lack of story and originality is absolved. He creates tension when he's not even on screen, because you know how powerful he is.
So if you're looking for a popcorn summer thrill ride, M:i:III may be for you. If you're looking for a truly scary villian, this movie is definately for you. If you're looking for something original and intellectually stimulating, stay home and watch
Lost.
In a remarkable instance of pan-media marketing, the folks in charge of marketing for the hit TV show Lost have begun to string together a game, nay an online puzzle- one might even call it... The Lost Experience!
This venture was launched in an appropriate way: during last week's show, there was a TV commercial during a break for The Hanso Foundation, including a toll-free number. When called, the number gives you a password for the web site (see title link). The website gives you information and documents relating to the fictional company behind the Lost Island's Dharma Institute. Dizzy yet?
Well apparently, the cross promotional possibilities of this 'experience' are beginning to be leveraged. Today, we discovered that the Sprite ad in the hold music for The Hanso Foundation's phone number leads you to a
Sprite website which eventually gives you another password for The Hanso Foundation. Also today, ad space was purchased in major metropolitan newspapers in the name of The Hanso Foundation, decrying the supposed lies contained about the company in
Bad Twin, the book by 'Gary Troup,' the manuscript of which was on Oceanic Flight 815, and is now being read by Sawyer on the show.
If you want to play along, you can start by calling the number (877)HANSORG. If you need help (I can't imagine you won't), check out
thelostexperienceclues.blogspot.com. Happy experiencing!
Well, better late than never.
A few months ago, my brother Jeremy told me about this dude who was making albums for each of the fifty states. My first impression of what that would be like was somewhere between
John Linnell's State Songs (celebrating the geography geek in all of us) and
Atom and His Package (obviously some guy with a mic and a computer making records in his bedroom). The best I hoped for was an amusing novelty record. Boy, was I wrong.
Last week, Jeremy finally let me borrow the second of these albums by Sufjan Stevens:
Illinois. I know, I know the cover says "Come On, Feel the Illinoise" But I am assured that the title is, in fact, simply Illinois. In addition to this kitschy entreaty, you may notice the cartoon drawings presumably designed to reinforce the feeling that this is a homemade endeavor. But the product is anything but amateur.
This album is astonishingly well-produced and the complexity of the sound in some places is dizzying, while it's simplicity in others is truly moving. The first time you listen, it's nearly impossible to not be swept up in the beats and melodies, or to not be impressed with Mr. Stevens vocal range and delivery. It took me a full 3 listens to even get my bearings due to the delightfully unconventional track breaks and titles, but once I was oriented I was in heaven.
Today was my first listen where I was able to begin deciphering the lyrics. I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I like a puzzle with my song lyrics, and Illinois does not disappoint. The difference with this record is that part of the puzzle is discovering the myriad references to the titular state (I've taken to keeping
Wikipedia open while listening), which vary from
Casimir Pulaski Day to
Metropolis. It also serves as somewhat of a vocabulary lesson- maybe you know the word revenant, but have a go at
Xylophagan.
Add these elements together, and the experience is like a sonic cornucopia, a highly stimulating virtual tour of The Land of Lincoln, a veritable musical road map of the soul of a state, as drawn by one man. I only wish I had known about it sooner! Apparently, this album was universally acclaimed by critics when released last year. In fact, this album was the most highly rated CD of the year according to
metacritic.com's tracking of music critics, and it made 27 different critic's 10 best lists (the most of any 2005 CD).
So if you haven't heard it, at least check it out at
Amazon or
iTunes. As for me, I'll have it on repeat until
The Avalanche comes out!
On Firday, my wife Jodi and I went (across town) to see Borat. There we were, as usual, 20 minutes early waiting for the show to start, while watching mindless ads defile the silver screen, and we notice that the house is beginning to fill. Curious, we thought, for a relatively early showing. We also happened to notice that sharing the row with us were several couples over 60. And I don't mean to stereotype to heavily here, but they looked quite stodgy. Having some idea of what was in store for the feature, we placed bets on how long before these couples bailed out.
