Recently, a survey was taken of Republicans in Mississippi about inter-racial marriage. Over 50% of the respondents believed that inter-racial marriage should be outlawed. Here is the link to the survey: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/nearly-of-mississippi-republicans-think-interracial-marriage-should-be-illegal.php This was disturbing for several reasons. The first is that half of the respondents said this. The second is that some people will say what is socially and politically correct but in their actions and their hearts they believe something else.
The actions and hearts of the world and a very, very few good people is explored in the film Hotel Rwanda. Hotel Rwanda is the true life story of a Hotel Owner in Rwanda named Paul Rusesabagina who in 1994 in the middle of a genocide that would ultimately murder over 800,000 people, that is more than the population of San Francisco, risked his own life to provide sanctuary in his small hotel.
Hotel Rwanda has three radically different and amazing performances. Nick Nolte, in his last great performance, as a United Nations Military Commander who is ordered to not engaged the murders. His pain, anger, frustration and indignation come through in a scene win a bar with Don Cheedle, who plays Paul Rusesabagina. This monologue echoes the underlying question of “Would the world have acted to stop the genocide if they people being murdered were white?”
Joaquim Phoenix gives the second best performance of his career (number one is Reservation Road). He plays a reporter/photographer sent to report on the genocide. His detached seemingly too cool for school false apathy serves as a great contrast to Nolte’s anger. Phoenix’s response to Cheedle asking why the world will not act when they find out the truth of “The world will watch this says this is horrible and go back to eating their dinner.” This shows that perhaps it was not racism that stopped the world from acting but general apathy.
The fulcrum that balances these two counterpoints that represents the world’s response is the brilliant Don Cheedle. If you only know him from the Ocean’s 11 movies check out this film. His character is forced to be a calm, iron butterfly that must be all things to all people to save the thousands of people who would otherwise perish. Paul Rusesabagina (Cheedle) does not ask permission to do the right thing. While Nolte and Phoenix character’s find excuses to let evil continue. Paul Rusesabagina (Cheedle) sees that there is evil in the world and he will do what he can to stop what he can. He does not save everyone, but he does save all he can.
This is one of the few bio-pics on my list. Please read about the true story of Hotel Rwanda on Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Rwanda The world turned its back on innocent men, women and children. We let 800,000 be murdered. This should haunt us. We cannot change the past, but ask yourself these questions:
1. What evil did I stop today?
2. What evil did I create today?
The answers to those questions will tell you who you would be. The brave hotel owner, the soldier who would not fight, the journalist who would not feel or one of the people swinging the machetes.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Great Scripts vs. Great Stories
“You can’t handle the truth.”
“Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.”
“I’m the Dude, man.”
“We’re on a mission from God.”
“Greed is good.”
“I’m out of order. You’re out of order.”
“Is there a sign on my front yard that says “Dead (CENSORED) Storage””
“Hey Llama, how about a little something for the effort?”
“Snakes! I hate Snakes.”
“There are a million fine women in this world, but most of them won’t bring you Lasagna.”
“There is no fighting in the War Room.”
When reading these quotes you instantly knew what movie they were from.
A Few Good Men
Animal House
The Big Lebowski
The Blues Brothers
Wall Street
And Justice for All
Pulp Fiction
Caddyshack
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Clerks
Dr. Strangelove
All of these films have the common them of all being great scripts. You could watch them when they came out or 40 years after they were made and the dialog is still great. You hear these lines and you can instantly think of who said them, where in the movie they occurred and what happened next. These scripts also went into making the movie great. In some movies, they were just a part of what made them great.
Let’s compare Dr. Strangelove to Clerks.
Lead Actors: Peter Sellers vs. Brian O’Halloran: Peter Selers plays the President of the United States, a member of the Royal Air Force and a paralyzed Nazi Scientist. He makes all three incredibly funny. O’Halloran is good in the movie, but he is not a great actor.
Directors: Stanley Kubrik vs. Kevin Smith. Smith has made some very, very good movies but Kubrik is a legend. Kubrix was at the height of his art. The two films he did before Strangelove are: Spartacus and Lolita. The two films he did after are: 2001: a Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange. Essentially, he directed four of the 50 greatest films of all time in an 11 year period. Yeah, he was on his A Game.
Scripts: Both are perfect. They are radically different. Strangelove is much, much darker and a significantly smarter script. If it had missed just a little the film would have been horrible. At the height of the cold war, he made a very funny movie about a nuclear apocalypse. Clerks was cutting edge in how dialog was used in modern films. It’s very simple concept of showing how people talk in their everyday lives and about how we fill our day with seemingly dumb conversations (use of contractors building the new Death Star in Return of the Jedi) that we have ever day. In Strangelove, the script brought out the best in the actors, the director, and the cinematographer and provided them all with a vehicle for greatness. The Clerk’s script was the only thing keeping that movie together. If the script was anything less than brilliant the film would have been horrible.
The argument is that great actors made good scripts great. I will take it one step farther. I believe that if all elements of a film are outstanding they can make a mediocre script into a near perfect movie. The best example of this is “Philadelphia.” Ok, Ok, I know I am now in danger of losing one of my three followers (BTW, THANK YOU FOLLOWING MY BLOG. IT DOES MEAN A LOT TO ME.) Philadelphia, which deserves its own blog, is a great movie. It was made in 1993 (yes, it is almost 20 years old) at the height of the AIDS scare when it was still considered “A gay disease” at a time when Homophobia was far too common a belief. The acting is brilliant. Tom Hanks gave the best performance of his career. He also could not have pulled off that role at any other time. He was still considered a comic who acted. Denzel Washington, who was very underrated in the film, had only four really good dramatic roles prior to Philadelphia. They both stared in the film when they could easily disappear into their role and not be thought of as stars. The story arc is great. Supporting actors were truly supporting the story and not trying to show off for better camera time. The supporting cast was like the 1927 Yankees; Jason Robards (incredible in a role that could have become a cliché), Joanne Woodward, Antonio Banderas (before people knew who he was), Mary Steenburgen. All of these elements were perfect, but it is difficult to think of a single memorable line from the movie. There are a lot of great scenes but not great script moments.
Essentially, a perfect script can take great elements and make them an amazing movie (See Dr. Strangelove). A great script that is inventive and ground breaking can overcome elements that are mediocre and drag a movie into greatness (see Clerks). A mediocre script can generate a great movie ONLY IF all of the other elements Acting, Story, Directing, Soundtrack are perfect (see Philadelphia).
“Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.”
“I’m the Dude, man.”
“We’re on a mission from God.”
“Greed is good.”
“I’m out of order. You’re out of order.”
“Is there a sign on my front yard that says “Dead (CENSORED) Storage””
“Hey Llama, how about a little something for the effort?”
“Snakes! I hate Snakes.”
“There are a million fine women in this world, but most of them won’t bring you Lasagna.”
“There is no fighting in the War Room.”
When reading these quotes you instantly knew what movie they were from.
A Few Good Men
Animal House
The Big Lebowski
The Blues Brothers
Wall Street
And Justice for All
Pulp Fiction
Caddyshack
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Clerks
Dr. Strangelove
All of these films have the common them of all being great scripts. You could watch them when they came out or 40 years after they were made and the dialog is still great. You hear these lines and you can instantly think of who said them, where in the movie they occurred and what happened next. These scripts also went into making the movie great. In some movies, they were just a part of what made them great.
Let’s compare Dr. Strangelove to Clerks.
Lead Actors: Peter Sellers vs. Brian O’Halloran: Peter Selers plays the President of the United States, a member of the Royal Air Force and a paralyzed Nazi Scientist. He makes all three incredibly funny. O’Halloran is good in the movie, but he is not a great actor.
Directors: Stanley Kubrik vs. Kevin Smith. Smith has made some very, very good movies but Kubrik is a legend. Kubrix was at the height of his art. The two films he did before Strangelove are: Spartacus and Lolita. The two films he did after are: 2001: a Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange. Essentially, he directed four of the 50 greatest films of all time in an 11 year period. Yeah, he was on his A Game.
Scripts: Both are perfect. They are radically different. Strangelove is much, much darker and a significantly smarter script. If it had missed just a little the film would have been horrible. At the height of the cold war, he made a very funny movie about a nuclear apocalypse. Clerks was cutting edge in how dialog was used in modern films. It’s very simple concept of showing how people talk in their everyday lives and about how we fill our day with seemingly dumb conversations (use of contractors building the new Death Star in Return of the Jedi) that we have ever day. In Strangelove, the script brought out the best in the actors, the director, and the cinematographer and provided them all with a vehicle for greatness. The Clerk’s script was the only thing keeping that movie together. If the script was anything less than brilliant the film would have been horrible.
The argument is that great actors made good scripts great. I will take it one step farther. I believe that if all elements of a film are outstanding they can make a mediocre script into a near perfect movie. The best example of this is “Philadelphia.” Ok, Ok, I know I am now in danger of losing one of my three followers (BTW, THANK YOU FOLLOWING MY BLOG. IT DOES MEAN A LOT TO ME.) Philadelphia, which deserves its own blog, is a great movie. It was made in 1993 (yes, it is almost 20 years old) at the height of the AIDS scare when it was still considered “A gay disease” at a time when Homophobia was far too common a belief. The acting is brilliant. Tom Hanks gave the best performance of his career. He also could not have pulled off that role at any other time. He was still considered a comic who acted. Denzel Washington, who was very underrated in the film, had only four really good dramatic roles prior to Philadelphia. They both stared in the film when they could easily disappear into their role and not be thought of as stars. The story arc is great. Supporting actors were truly supporting the story and not trying to show off for better camera time. The supporting cast was like the 1927 Yankees; Jason Robards (incredible in a role that could have become a cliché), Joanne Woodward, Antonio Banderas (before people knew who he was), Mary Steenburgen. All of these elements were perfect, but it is difficult to think of a single memorable line from the movie. There are a lot of great scenes but not great script moments.
Essentially, a perfect script can take great elements and make them an amazing movie (See Dr. Strangelove). A great script that is inventive and ground breaking can overcome elements that are mediocre and drag a movie into greatness (see Clerks). A mediocre script can generate a great movie ONLY IF all of the other elements Acting, Story, Directing, Soundtrack are perfect (see Philadelphia).
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Actress Hairstyle/News and Beer
If an actress cuts her hair short to be taken as a serious actress, she needs to be able to seriously act. It worked for Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams, Sigorney Weaver and Nicole Kidman. Not so much for Sharon Stone.
In honor of Actresses who believe that a short hairstyle will help them to be taken more seriously I have the Beer/News comparison. More proof that short hair does not automaticly give you gravity.
The Economist is like Guinness. It is the pinnacle of everything. It is rich and full of complex details and multiple layers. No one ever has Guinness as their first beer and no one reads an Economist as their first description of a new event.
Jon Stewart is like Blue Moon. Blue Moon does not seem like real beer and Jon Stewart does not seem like real news but if you are around either of them for a little bit you realize how amazing they are and that they are more than simple entertainment.
Glen Beck is like O’Doul’s. It seems real but there is no substance to it. You get all of the bad bitter taste but nothing is real.
Peter Sagle (Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me on NPR) is like Pabst Blue Ribbon. Inexpensive. Not overly good, but has become the coolest drink in the bar.
Bill O’Rilley is like Budweiser. He is the king of news media, but he is still not very good. If this former Inside Edition host is Budweiser does that make Mario Lopez Bud Lite?
Sheppard Smith is Tsonga Beer. He mispronounces so many words that he deserves a beer that he cannot pronounce. Despite his mispronunciations he is still the best thing on Fox news.
Carol Costello is Yunegling. It is a great beer that is hard to find. CNN should give her more air time.
NPR is a Sam Adams variety pack. It has some parts that are great. Some parts that are mediocre. None of it is bad, but it is not nearly as good as it think it is.
Crossfire is like a Michelob Black and Tan. An interesting idea of putting together two different elements, but like Michelob it is just bad.
In honor of Actresses who believe that a short hairstyle will help them to be taken more seriously I have the Beer/News comparison. More proof that short hair does not automaticly give you gravity.
The Economist is like Guinness. It is the pinnacle of everything. It is rich and full of complex details and multiple layers. No one ever has Guinness as their first beer and no one reads an Economist as their first description of a new event.
Jon Stewart is like Blue Moon. Blue Moon does not seem like real beer and Jon Stewart does not seem like real news but if you are around either of them for a little bit you realize how amazing they are and that they are more than simple entertainment.
Glen Beck is like O’Doul’s. It seems real but there is no substance to it. You get all of the bad bitter taste but nothing is real.
Peter Sagle (Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me on NPR) is like Pabst Blue Ribbon. Inexpensive. Not overly good, but has become the coolest drink in the bar.
Bill O’Rilley is like Budweiser. He is the king of news media, but he is still not very good. If this former Inside Edition host is Budweiser does that make Mario Lopez Bud Lite?
Sheppard Smith is Tsonga Beer. He mispronounces so many words that he deserves a beer that he cannot pronounce. Despite his mispronunciations he is still the best thing on Fox news.
Carol Costello is Yunegling. It is a great beer that is hard to find. CNN should give her more air time.
NPR is a Sam Adams variety pack. It has some parts that are great. Some parts that are mediocre. None of it is bad, but it is not nearly as good as it think it is.
Crossfire is like a Michelob Black and Tan. An interesting idea of putting together two different elements, but like Michelob it is just bad.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Ten best movies I saw in 2010
Yes, some of these movies did not come out in 2010. But these were the ten best movies I saw this year. I saw some in the theater, some on planes, many on Netflix but the rule was that I had to see if for the first time in 2010. This list has documentaries, independent darlings, comic book adaptations, and a movie that features the most bizarre sound track since South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut.
1. The Kids are All Right – I hope Mark Ruffalo gets at least an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
2. It Might Get Loud – one of the twenty best films of the decade. If you like guitar solos and you have not seen this quit reading this and update your Netflix Que.
3. The Joneses - this quirky comedy about the dangers of materialism and how we evaluate the success of our marriage and our life while examining the subconscious "who has the bigger MALE BODY PART in the suburbs” phenomena. It also makes us determine if we "need" a riding lawnmower with a TV to become a complete person.
4. Ghost Writer – the second of two Roman Polanski films on this list.
5. Kick Ass – a dark, dark, dark, dark, comedy about vigilantes. It will probably go down as Nicholas Cage’s last good movie.
6. Get Him to the Greek – it is not a great film, but it is fun. Props to P. Diddy for basically doing a very funny imitation of himself.
7. Mysterious Skin – this was the first film I watched strictly because Joseph Gordon Levit was the star. It will not be the last. The subject matter is disturbing but Levit is amazing. After watching him in 3rd Rock from the Sun, I never thought he could act nearly this good.
8. Death and The Maiden / Law Abiding Citizen – these two films both were about revenge on rapists. They were done very differently and both were amazing. In both films, you do not know who the good guy is and who the bad guy is. If you are deciding between the two go with Death and the Maiden. Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley are better than Jamie Fox and Gerard Butler.
9. Up In the Air – if you are a consultant it is a documentary of our life. George Clooney is perfect. Easily one of his five best films and top three performances!
10. The Social Network – only down side is that expectations were too high. I thought Charlie Wilson’s War was better written. I thought Seven, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button were directed better.
1. The Kids are All Right – I hope Mark Ruffalo gets at least an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
2. It Might Get Loud – one of the twenty best films of the decade. If you like guitar solos and you have not seen this quit reading this and update your Netflix Que.
3. The Joneses - this quirky comedy about the dangers of materialism and how we evaluate the success of our marriage and our life while examining the subconscious "who has the bigger MALE BODY PART in the suburbs” phenomena. It also makes us determine if we "need" a riding lawnmower with a TV to become a complete person.
4. Ghost Writer – the second of two Roman Polanski films on this list.
5. Kick Ass – a dark, dark, dark, dark, comedy about vigilantes. It will probably go down as Nicholas Cage’s last good movie.
6. Get Him to the Greek – it is not a great film, but it is fun. Props to P. Diddy for basically doing a very funny imitation of himself.
7. Mysterious Skin – this was the first film I watched strictly because Joseph Gordon Levit was the star. It will not be the last. The subject matter is disturbing but Levit is amazing. After watching him in 3rd Rock from the Sun, I never thought he could act nearly this good.
8. Death and The Maiden / Law Abiding Citizen – these two films both were about revenge on rapists. They were done very differently and both were amazing. In both films, you do not know who the good guy is and who the bad guy is. If you are deciding between the two go with Death and the Maiden. Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley are better than Jamie Fox and Gerard Butler.
9. Up In the Air – if you are a consultant it is a documentary of our life. George Clooney is perfect. Easily one of his five best films and top three performances!
10. The Social Network – only down side is that expectations were too high. I thought Charlie Wilson’s War was better written. I thought Seven, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button were directed better.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Top 25 Movies of 2000s: 13: The Namesake (2007)
Who am I? Am I a product of my environment? Am I a continuation of my culture and my namesake? Am I my own person? These are the questions presented in the massively under viewed “The Namesake.” The Namesake stars Kal Pen, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Primarily know for his Harold and Kumar go to White Castle films, in The Namesake he showed an amazing depth of ability, pain of a character and showed me more than I thought he was capable of as an actor. Unfortunately, most fans of Harold and Kumar would not want to see a coming of age film about a first generation Indian-American. Most art house film fans would automatically dismiss a film from the guy in “that stupid stoner film who was on House.” Both groups would miss out on a great film. Kal Pen can act!!!
We have all taken a job to pay a bill. Actors take jobs to pay their bills. See George Cloney in “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”. See Denzel Washington in “Carbon Copy.” See Natalie Portman in “The Phantom Menace.”
There is an amazing scene (SPOILER ALERT) after Penn’s father died. At the time, Penn, newly out of college, was dating a rich white, blonde woman woman and essentially embracing her upper class lifestyle and completely ignoring his family. Then he gets the shocking news. His father dies. The scene follows with him shaving his head while great rap music plays in the background. The scenes blends a flashback with Penn’s own father shaving his head after his father died. This blend shows Penn returning to his heritage. This transformation foreshadows how he will address the relationship with his girlfriend and all future relationships.
The Namesake shows how someone evolves. He was the loyal son. Then he was his own person. They he became the person his family wanted him to be. The film concludes with no obvious answer. He realizes that his life journey does not have a map. Like most people in their 20s, he does not know what the right thing is for him, but he is discovering what is NOT the right path. This does not provide full enlightenment, but it does help to shape the person that he is becoming.
We have all taken a job to pay a bill. Actors take jobs to pay their bills. See George Cloney in “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”. See Denzel Washington in “Carbon Copy.” See Natalie Portman in “The Phantom Menace.”
There is an amazing scene (SPOILER ALERT) after Penn’s father died. At the time, Penn, newly out of college, was dating a rich white, blonde woman woman and essentially embracing her upper class lifestyle and completely ignoring his family. Then he gets the shocking news. His father dies. The scene follows with him shaving his head while great rap music plays in the background. The scenes blends a flashback with Penn’s own father shaving his head after his father died. This blend shows Penn returning to his heritage. This transformation foreshadows how he will address the relationship with his girlfriend and all future relationships.
The Namesake shows how someone evolves. He was the loyal son. Then he was his own person. They he became the person his family wanted him to be. The film concludes with no obvious answer. He realizes that his life journey does not have a map. Like most people in their 20s, he does not know what the right thing is for him, but he is discovering what is NOT the right path. This does not provide full enlightenment, but it does help to shape the person that he is becoming.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Top 5 TV experiences of 2010
It is the end of the year and as someone who likes lists and hates coming up with original writing ideas I decided to make a list of the Top 5 TV experiences of 2010. A “TV Experience” is similar to a “Girlfriend Experience” without the extra $1500 and a rash that never seems to go away. A TV experience is a season of a TV show that I watched this year. This can be a new show. It can be season of a show that I had not seen or it could be a DVD set of a TV show that came out previously and I have not had a chance to view it.
1. Treme
Treme tells the story of New Orleans as the city recovers from the “Man Made Disaster” that was Katrina. It explores the different perspectives, challenges, needs and frustrations that people who choose to come back home to New Orleans instead of taking the easier route of moving. New Orleans is the only unique American city. You could go into restaurants, offices, city blocks in any major city and they are indistinguishable. New Orleans is different. Treme tells its story. It explores corruption, incompetence of city/state officials; contractors who took money and did not do work; musicians trying to get by living gig to gig; and people doing whatever it takes to bring the city back to its greatness. Stephen Zahn is the best part of the show. His quick humor, reliance, humor, energy, womanizing, helpful, everyman characteristics, happy go lucky personality and true devotion to music make him the living epitome of New Orleans. If you like his character you would love New Orleans.
If you like these things you (might) like Treme: The Wire/Generation Kill (same writer/production team, but those were much better). Concrete Blonde’s Bloodletting CD (great songs about New Orleans),
2. The League
The League (which most of you have never heard of) is a show on FX. It centers around five friends who are in a Fantasy Football League together. Just as Cheers was about a bunch of guys in a bar, The League is about a bunch of guys who play fantasy football. Fantasy Football serves as a way to put five friends together so we can watch these self-absorbed, crude, very funny people interact. This show is essentially about how men behave around other men who they can say anything too.
If you like these things you (might) like The League: It is Always Sunny in Philadelphia (same type of base crude humor and a dialog that seems to have come from a real conversation. ); Fantasy Football (helpful but not necessary); If you are not easily offended (jokes about masturbation, scaring children and cocaine fueled sex); if you have a group of friends you can bust balls with, tell jokes with, drink beer with, help them move and be there if you are ever really needed,
3. Life (Season 2 on DVD)
Life is a show that deserved to go on longer. There were only two seasons of this show. Life is about a cop who was exonerated for a brutal family murder after 12 years in prison. As part of his release, he received a huge settlement check (amount never disclosed) and got his job back as a Los Angeles Police Detective. His time in prison changed him. He embraced Buddhism and the shows have him receipt some sort of Buddhist statement. The best one was after getting a new Bentley “I am not attached to this car. I am not attached to this car.” This is a show that embraces the Who Dun It premise and gives it a radically different perspective. This show should have gone on for another three years.
If you like these things you (might) like Life; Buddhism; Intelligent TV shows that make you think; The L Word (Sarah Shahi stared in both. She is easily one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world. She is great in the show and deserves another TV show. NOW!);
4. Justified
This is a show about US Marshal who after a justified shooting, is reassigned to his home town in rural Kentucky. I can only hope that a future episode with feature the Creationism amusement park. Justified addresses how the US Marshal Service does a wide variety of things from Prisoner transport, criminal investigation, and anything that needs to be done. The shows strength, like all good shows, comes from two places outstanding writing and a character that you trust, are interested in and want to succeed. Timothy Olyphant who has always been adequate in movies but never outstanding has created a character that is entertaining, funny, tough, genuine and like all good western hero’s he always gets his man.
If you like these things you (might) like Justified; The Shield (Walton Goggins (Shane) from The Shield is a recurring character); old fashion westerns (the hero actually wears a White Hat); very, very dry humor.
5. Dexter Season 3 and Season 4 on DVD. Dexter remains one of the most creative, well acted, subtly/darkly funny, scary, shows on television. Dexter suffers from comparison to its first two seasons. The first two seasons were much better than seasons 3 and 4, but that is also like saying the 1996 World Series Champion Yankees were not as good at the 1927 Yankees. Dexter is radically different from any other character previously on TV. Dexter created a likeable, serial killer who operates within an ethical code that both serves society and his compulsion to kill. The best parts of the show remain the outstanding writing (especially Dexter’s narration), Sgt. Angel Hernandez (Always great and always underrated. He is the type of partner you would want if you were a police officer),
If you like these things you (might) like Dexter: Oz (several of the characters came from this painfully overlooked unflinching TV series that was in many ways darker than Dexter), anything about serial killers (duh)
Honorable Mentions:
1. Law and Order season 20: the television equivalent of a great cheeseburger. Always consistent, VERY formulaic, but NEVER disappointing. It deserved another season.
2. Man Men; I still have not seen an entire season beginning to end. The episodes here and there I have seen have always been good.
3. Nip Tuck; another show that started with two brilliant seasons, started to decline and had a good final half season to close the show well if not great.
1. Treme
Treme tells the story of New Orleans as the city recovers from the “Man Made Disaster” that was Katrina. It explores the different perspectives, challenges, needs and frustrations that people who choose to come back home to New Orleans instead of taking the easier route of moving. New Orleans is the only unique American city. You could go into restaurants, offices, city blocks in any major city and they are indistinguishable. New Orleans is different. Treme tells its story. It explores corruption, incompetence of city/state officials; contractors who took money and did not do work; musicians trying to get by living gig to gig; and people doing whatever it takes to bring the city back to its greatness. Stephen Zahn is the best part of the show. His quick humor, reliance, humor, energy, womanizing, helpful, everyman characteristics, happy go lucky personality and true devotion to music make him the living epitome of New Orleans. If you like his character you would love New Orleans.
If you like these things you (might) like Treme: The Wire/Generation Kill (same writer/production team, but those were much better). Concrete Blonde’s Bloodletting CD (great songs about New Orleans),
2. The League
The League (which most of you have never heard of) is a show on FX. It centers around five friends who are in a Fantasy Football League together. Just as Cheers was about a bunch of guys in a bar, The League is about a bunch of guys who play fantasy football. Fantasy Football serves as a way to put five friends together so we can watch these self-absorbed, crude, very funny people interact. This show is essentially about how men behave around other men who they can say anything too.
If you like these things you (might) like The League: It is Always Sunny in Philadelphia (same type of base crude humor and a dialog that seems to have come from a real conversation. ); Fantasy Football (helpful but not necessary); If you are not easily offended (jokes about masturbation, scaring children and cocaine fueled sex); if you have a group of friends you can bust balls with, tell jokes with, drink beer with, help them move and be there if you are ever really needed,
3. Life (Season 2 on DVD)
Life is a show that deserved to go on longer. There were only two seasons of this show. Life is about a cop who was exonerated for a brutal family murder after 12 years in prison. As part of his release, he received a huge settlement check (amount never disclosed) and got his job back as a Los Angeles Police Detective. His time in prison changed him. He embraced Buddhism and the shows have him receipt some sort of Buddhist statement. The best one was after getting a new Bentley “I am not attached to this car. I am not attached to this car.” This is a show that embraces the Who Dun It premise and gives it a radically different perspective. This show should have gone on for another three years.
If you like these things you (might) like Life; Buddhism; Intelligent TV shows that make you think; The L Word (Sarah Shahi stared in both. She is easily one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world. She is great in the show and deserves another TV show. NOW!);
4. Justified
This is a show about US Marshal who after a justified shooting, is reassigned to his home town in rural Kentucky. I can only hope that a future episode with feature the Creationism amusement park. Justified addresses how the US Marshal Service does a wide variety of things from Prisoner transport, criminal investigation, and anything that needs to be done. The shows strength, like all good shows, comes from two places outstanding writing and a character that you trust, are interested in and want to succeed. Timothy Olyphant who has always been adequate in movies but never outstanding has created a character that is entertaining, funny, tough, genuine and like all good western hero’s he always gets his man.
If you like these things you (might) like Justified; The Shield (Walton Goggins (Shane) from The Shield is a recurring character); old fashion westerns (the hero actually wears a White Hat); very, very dry humor.
5. Dexter Season 3 and Season 4 on DVD. Dexter remains one of the most creative, well acted, subtly/darkly funny, scary, shows on television. Dexter suffers from comparison to its first two seasons. The first two seasons were much better than seasons 3 and 4, but that is also like saying the 1996 World Series Champion Yankees were not as good at the 1927 Yankees. Dexter is radically different from any other character previously on TV. Dexter created a likeable, serial killer who operates within an ethical code that both serves society and his compulsion to kill. The best parts of the show remain the outstanding writing (especially Dexter’s narration), Sgt. Angel Hernandez (Always great and always underrated. He is the type of partner you would want if you were a police officer),
If you like these things you (might) like Dexter: Oz (several of the characters came from this painfully overlooked unflinching TV series that was in many ways darker than Dexter), anything about serial killers (duh)
Honorable Mentions:
1. Law and Order season 20: the television equivalent of a great cheeseburger. Always consistent, VERY formulaic, but NEVER disappointing. It deserved another season.
2. Man Men; I still have not seen an entire season beginning to end. The episodes here and there I have seen have always been good.
3. Nip Tuck; another show that started with two brilliant seasons, started to decline and had a good final half season to close the show well if not great.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Top 25 Movies of 2000s: 12: It Might Get Loud (2009)
Everyone with a soul has at one point wanted to be a rock star. If you are not a complete narcissist you wanted to play lead guitar instead of being the singer. It Might Get Loud will reawaken that part of you that came alive the first time you heard that first great guitar riff. It could be Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen Spirit”, Gun’s n’ Roses “Sweet Child of Mine”, Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lot of Love”, The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” but whatever it was you knew that you had never really been alive until you heard that music and a part of you knew that nothing would ever be the same.
That first great rock song is like your first great love. You discovered it almost by accident. You felt fear, raw sexuality, and like you were becoming an adult all in a few seconds. It Might Get Loud makes you feel that way all over again.
It Might Get Loud is a documentary featuring Jack White of the White stripes, The Edge of U2 and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Three great guitarist come together to talk music, to jam and talk about what influences them. The film comes across as a bystander who is a fan of great music who quietly sits while the three maestros experiment, jam, talk, joke and open themselves up in a way that you never see.
While most “Rock-umentries” (I hate that term. It is too contrived to have come from anywhere but a late 80s MTV staff meeting.) come across as a forced interview designed to say what genius the musicians are and that if you want to understand pure art you will buy their latest album. This documentary about musicians comes across as three people who are brought together because of their love of music and the guitar. You believe that despite the money, the fame, the adulation (aka groupies), that they would want to hang out on a Friday night in someone’s old house after a long week of work and play guitar.
This is the movie that is not a way to spend a Saturday night. This is the movie to watch alone. Then hang out with friends who like music (who really like music) ask the simple question “Which is a better Zeppelin song Rock n’ Roll or Whole Lot of Love?” in a bar that has a really good jukebox. Bring some quarters, a willingness to see where the conversation goes and blast the songs that need to be heard.
p.s. Ironically, my favorite Zeplin song is “Going to California” not loud but still powerful and brilliant. The song that woke me up was “Stairway to Heaven” I was 13, my first kiss came three months later and life would never be the same.
That first great rock song is like your first great love. You discovered it almost by accident. You felt fear, raw sexuality, and like you were becoming an adult all in a few seconds. It Might Get Loud makes you feel that way all over again.
It Might Get Loud is a documentary featuring Jack White of the White stripes, The Edge of U2 and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Three great guitarist come together to talk music, to jam and talk about what influences them. The film comes across as a bystander who is a fan of great music who quietly sits while the three maestros experiment, jam, talk, joke and open themselves up in a way that you never see.
While most “Rock-umentries” (I hate that term. It is too contrived to have come from anywhere but a late 80s MTV staff meeting.) come across as a forced interview designed to say what genius the musicians are and that if you want to understand pure art you will buy their latest album. This documentary about musicians comes across as three people who are brought together because of their love of music and the guitar. You believe that despite the money, the fame, the adulation (aka groupies), that they would want to hang out on a Friday night in someone’s old house after a long week of work and play guitar.
This is the movie that is not a way to spend a Saturday night. This is the movie to watch alone. Then hang out with friends who like music (who really like music) ask the simple question “Which is a better Zeppelin song Rock n’ Roll or Whole Lot of Love?” in a bar that has a really good jukebox. Bring some quarters, a willingness to see where the conversation goes and blast the songs that need to be heard.
p.s. Ironically, my favorite Zeplin song is “Going to California” not loud but still powerful and brilliant. The song that woke me up was “Stairway to Heaven” I was 13, my first kiss came three months later and life would never be the same.
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