A few years ago NBC aired a drama called “Boomtown.” The Los Angeles set show followed different points of view of police officers, reporters, district attorneys and EMS workers. The show was beloved by critics but struggled to find an audience. After two seasons NBC decided not to pick up the show.
Several years later, one of NBC new spring premieres is “Southland,” another L.A. set cop drama in the same vain as “Boomtown.”
Created by Ann Biderman and the creative minds behind "ER," the show centers on a diverse group of police officers and detectives. The first two episodes are pretty gritty.
The first hour features two shootings, one child kidnapping, a club to the head, and one other greusome demise. The setup of "Southland" is classic: Young LAPD officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) is out for a training day with experienced Officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz), who rags him about his Beverly Hills pedigree while showing him the ropes.
Cooper is one of those crude, rude cops that never seem to go out of style. The guy who makes it his personal mission to harass the rookie, because he believes that people become cops only if they, as he put it, "can't not be a cop."
Meanwhile, detectives Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) and Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy) are investigating the shooting of a young black man by a gang of highly tattooed Latinos. They have plenty of witnesses, just none brave enough to say anything.
In another part of town, a young girl has vanished from in front of her house and detectives Lydia Adams (Regina King) and Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott) are greeted by a litter of friends and neighbors, including one young man who seems to be inordinately informed about the missing girl's habits.
They all come together in a climax that answers the doubts of both Sherman and his hard-to-please partner. It's a lot to digest, presented in a no-nonsense fashion; it almost seems like a real life police report, played out on screen.
Creator Biderman isn't looking for a happy story here. "Southland" reaches for the attitude and realism that is the style of recent critically acclaimed shows on network television.
As Cooper so elegantly put is at the beginning of the shows first episode: "You do what they teach you in the Academy, you'll be dead."
One thing that makes the show work is that it feels extremely realistic. The camera follows along scenes in a documentary style way, making the audience feel as if they are riding along during patrols, or chasing a criminal down an alleyway during a fierce shootout.
Mackenzie does a solid job as the rookie officer; he seems poised to strike it big now after breaking out on "The OC" a few years ago. The rest of the cast is also solid, especially King and Cudlitz who both seem as if they could be actual police officers.
"Southland" is well-sprinkled with sharp humor, much of it sarcastic and dark. The show brings the audience into a scary, sunny world where gangs rule the streets and the cops' joking and banter between eachother is the only thing that keeps them sane. Creator/writer Biderman tries to keep the talk between cops as realistic as possible, bleeping out curses and having them say phrases like "badge bunnies."
Some of the characters seem a bit cliché, but with a little time their characters will be fleshed out and may become more interesting.
"Southland" is compelling throughout both episodes. It's exciting, smart and realistic all in one package, which is a rarity on television these days. The gritty location shooting around L.A. adds to the realistic effect of the show, much like some of "24"'s past seasons that took place in L.A.
Through two episodes the ratings of "Southland" have been pretty good, but if the audence stops tuning in, "Southland" could share the fate of former drama "Boomtown."
Monday, June 1, 2009
"Seinfeld" Cast to Reunite
The cast of “Seinfeld” are coming back, but this time it won’t be in Jerry’s apartment.
Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards will be featured in a multiple-episode story arc on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” this fall. The series was created by and stars Larry David, who co-created the extremely successful “Seinfeld.”
The appearance will mark the first time that all four actors have appeared together on a scripted television show since “Seinfeld” went off the air nearly 11 years ago.
David also served as the executive producer on “Seinfeld” until he left the show in the seventh season, but he eventually returned to write the finale. He is credited as one of the strongest creative voices behind one of the biggest shows on television.
Thus far, Seinfeld, Louis-Dreyfus and Alexander have all made individual appearances on the show in past seasons, but this will mark Richards’ first appearance on the show.
“Curb” stars David as a post-"Seinfeld" fictionalized version of himself as a self-centered, socially inept, semi-retired multimillionaire living in Los Angeles.
Louis-Dreyfus and Alexander both appeared in separate story arcs that centered on David trying to get the former “Seinfeld” stars to appear on a new show he was developing.
This is also the first time any news has surfaced about a time frame for “Curb Your Enthusiasm’s” return. The season that last aired (season six) ended in 2007 and speculation about season seven has been floating around ever since. One reason for the long gap between seasons was due to David filming the Woody Allen directed “Whatever Works,” which is set in New York City.
No official date has been set yet for the premiere of “Curb’s” seventh season, but HBO says the 10 episode season will air this fall.
The four stars will be playing themselves, keeping with the show’s interesting blend of reality and fiction. Ever since "Seinfeld" went off the air in 1998, there have been ramblings and rumors about a potential reunion of the show’s cast on NBC.
Richards return to the small screen is also notable because he hasn’t done much since his infamous rant at a comedy club over a year ago. He's been in a state of virtual exile, making few appearances outside his home in Beverly Hills.
Few details about the plot are known, but Alexander, in an interview with North By Northwestern magazine, offered some insight. He said that the premise of the story is that the four actors are gathering for a “Seinfeld” reunion episode.
The episodes are currently shooting in Los Angeles and should bring many viewers to the upcoming season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards will be featured in a multiple-episode story arc on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” this fall. The series was created by and stars Larry David, who co-created the extremely successful “Seinfeld.”
The appearance will mark the first time that all four actors have appeared together on a scripted television show since “Seinfeld” went off the air nearly 11 years ago.
David also served as the executive producer on “Seinfeld” until he left the show in the seventh season, but he eventually returned to write the finale. He is credited as one of the strongest creative voices behind one of the biggest shows on television.
Thus far, Seinfeld, Louis-Dreyfus and Alexander have all made individual appearances on the show in past seasons, but this will mark Richards’ first appearance on the show.
“Curb” stars David as a post-"Seinfeld" fictionalized version of himself as a self-centered, socially inept, semi-retired multimillionaire living in Los Angeles.
Louis-Dreyfus and Alexander both appeared in separate story arcs that centered on David trying to get the former “Seinfeld” stars to appear on a new show he was developing.
This is also the first time any news has surfaced about a time frame for “Curb Your Enthusiasm’s” return. The season that last aired (season six) ended in 2007 and speculation about season seven has been floating around ever since. One reason for the long gap between seasons was due to David filming the Woody Allen directed “Whatever Works,” which is set in New York City.
No official date has been set yet for the premiere of “Curb’s” seventh season, but HBO says the 10 episode season will air this fall.
The four stars will be playing themselves, keeping with the show’s interesting blend of reality and fiction. Ever since "Seinfeld" went off the air in 1998, there have been ramblings and rumors about a potential reunion of the show’s cast on NBC.
Richards return to the small screen is also notable because he hasn’t done much since his infamous rant at a comedy club over a year ago. He's been in a state of virtual exile, making few appearances outside his home in Beverly Hills.
Few details about the plot are known, but Alexander, in an interview with North By Northwestern magazine, offered some insight. He said that the premise of the story is that the four actors are gathering for a “Seinfeld” reunion episode.
The episodes are currently shooting in Los Angeles and should bring many viewers to the upcoming season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Bruce Sprinsteen CD Review
After his hard rocking energetic performance at the Super Bowl, Bruce Springsteen is likely to find some new fans. Fortunately for “The Boss,” he has a new album to offer.
Since reuniting the E Street Band in 1999, Bruce Springsteen has brought the lineup to the studio and recorded two critically acclaimed albums. Both ”The Rising,” (2002) and “Magic,” (2007) came from painful inspiration. The first in an effort to heal after Sept. 11 and the other a Bush-era protest. The third E Street album of the new millennium is the best yet.
“Working on a Dream” picks up where “Magic” left off, but is more up-beat and energetic than Springsteen’s previous efforts. Many of the songs reflect the working class Americans that have always populated his lyrics.
The youthful energy of the album's music combines neatly with the truthfulness of Springsteen’s lyrics. ”Working on a Dream” takes the band back to a more domestic and personal feel after the global appeal of the past two records. The songs for the album were written and recorded while the band toured for ”Magic.”
Some of the best songs on the album aren’t the hard rocking, ”Born to Run”-type tracks, but the more simply arranged folk-style recordings. ”The Last Carnival” tells the story of a trapeze artist who has fallen in love with her partner just in time for the carnival’s run to reach its end. The song is melancholy and lonesome, and Springsteen conveys perfectly what it feels like when you are separated from a loved one.
The album's opener, “Outlaw Pete,” is an eight minute folk saga, touching and slightly witty, and it's interesting arrangement of sound is a throwback to the music Springsteen made in the 70s. The tale of a pony stealing cowboy unfolds with rising violins and emotional vocals as Springsteen asks, “Outlaw Pete can you hear me?”
One quality that Springsteen has always possessed is the power to try something different or unusual. ”Good Eye” is an unexpected blues track, with Springsteen alternating between his harsh, deep sounding voice and an intense harmonica. Crafted on top of a loop, the song feels timeless and modern.
“Life Itself” is a song that is both intriguing and disturbing. It’s an ominous tale of love that uses backwards guitar and distorted vocals to reflect what it means. It can be perceived in different ways: Is it a celebration of love, or an admission that it’s inherently dangerous? Springsteen has shown he has the ability to spark some thought and creativity into the mind of his listeners.
The most fully engaged and best song on the album is the final track, “The Last Carnival,” which was written for Danny Federici, the E Street Band’s longtime guitarist who died last year from melanoma. Springsteen is heartfelt and honest as he sings, “We won’t be dancing together on the highwire / Facing the lions with you by my side anymore.”
Another excellent track is the bonus track, ”The Wrestler,” a song written for the movie of the same name, which Springsteen won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The song is both haunting and hopeful as Springsteen croons across its melody. It’s rare for a songwriter to bring new life into clichés, but “The Boss” does it with ease. Springsteen uses both a ”one-trick pony” and a ”one-legged dog” in his tale of a man who has no choice but to admit he’s a has-been.
Both familiar fans and newcomers alike will find something worth listening to in this album; be it the fast-paced rock songs and the slower ballads.
Since reuniting the E Street Band in 1999, Bruce Springsteen has brought the lineup to the studio and recorded two critically acclaimed albums. Both ”The Rising,” (2002) and “Magic,” (2007) came from painful inspiration. The first in an effort to heal after Sept. 11 and the other a Bush-era protest. The third E Street album of the new millennium is the best yet.
“Working on a Dream” picks up where “Magic” left off, but is more up-beat and energetic than Springsteen’s previous efforts. Many of the songs reflect the working class Americans that have always populated his lyrics.
The youthful energy of the album's music combines neatly with the truthfulness of Springsteen’s lyrics. ”Working on a Dream” takes the band back to a more domestic and personal feel after the global appeal of the past two records. The songs for the album were written and recorded while the band toured for ”Magic.”
Some of the best songs on the album aren’t the hard rocking, ”Born to Run”-type tracks, but the more simply arranged folk-style recordings. ”The Last Carnival” tells the story of a trapeze artist who has fallen in love with her partner just in time for the carnival’s run to reach its end. The song is melancholy and lonesome, and Springsteen conveys perfectly what it feels like when you are separated from a loved one.
The album's opener, “Outlaw Pete,” is an eight minute folk saga, touching and slightly witty, and it's interesting arrangement of sound is a throwback to the music Springsteen made in the 70s. The tale of a pony stealing cowboy unfolds with rising violins and emotional vocals as Springsteen asks, “Outlaw Pete can you hear me?”
One quality that Springsteen has always possessed is the power to try something different or unusual. ”Good Eye” is an unexpected blues track, with Springsteen alternating between his harsh, deep sounding voice and an intense harmonica. Crafted on top of a loop, the song feels timeless and modern.
“Life Itself” is a song that is both intriguing and disturbing. It’s an ominous tale of love that uses backwards guitar and distorted vocals to reflect what it means. It can be perceived in different ways: Is it a celebration of love, or an admission that it’s inherently dangerous? Springsteen has shown he has the ability to spark some thought and creativity into the mind of his listeners.
The most fully engaged and best song on the album is the final track, “The Last Carnival,” which was written for Danny Federici, the E Street Band’s longtime guitarist who died last year from melanoma. Springsteen is heartfelt and honest as he sings, “We won’t be dancing together on the highwire / Facing the lions with you by my side anymore.”
Another excellent track is the bonus track, ”The Wrestler,” a song written for the movie of the same name, which Springsteen won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The song is both haunting and hopeful as Springsteen croons across its melody. It’s rare for a songwriter to bring new life into clichés, but “The Boss” does it with ease. Springsteen uses both a ”one-trick pony” and a ”one-legged dog” in his tale of a man who has no choice but to admit he’s a has-been.
Both familiar fans and newcomers alike will find something worth listening to in this album; be it the fast-paced rock songs and the slower ballads.
Academy Award Recap
In our January 28 issue, Arts & Entertainment editor Matthew Jussim made his predictions for some of the major awards on Oscar night. Let's see how his picks stacked up against the Academy:
Best Supporting Actor:
My Pick: Should/Will win: Heath Ledger
In my opinion this pick was easy. Ledger gave a fantastic performance as the evil, manipulative villain in "The Dark Knight," and no one else (except maybe Josh Brolin) had a shot at winning the award. I also thought the acceptance speech given by Ledgers family was done very tastefully and respecfully. They accepted the award an honest, emotional speech which didn't go on for too long, but they didn't rush off the stage either.
Best Supporting Actress:
My Picks: Should Win: Marissa Tomei, Will Win: Taraji P. Henson
The only category in which neither of my picks went on to win just also happened to be the category with most of the years strongest acting performances. Tomei or Henson in any other year could have easiyl won the award, but it was Penelope Cruz for her sexy, comedic role in Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona" who took home the golden statuette. Cruz, who became the first Spanish actress to win an Oscar, was visibly shocked when she came on stage to receive her award. In her unmistakeable Spanish accent she asked, "has anyone ever fainted up her before?"
Best Actress:
My Picks: Should Win: Melissa Leo, Will Win: Kate Winslet.
I think I knew from the beginning that Melissa Leo never had a shot to win this award, but I was hoping that if she did, I would look like some sort of cinema genius for picking her. Kate Winslet beat out powerhouse actresses Meryl Streep and Angelina Jolie for her performance in "The Reader." It was her sixth nomination, which is the most for an actress as young as Winslet (33)
Best Actor
My Picks: Should Win: Mickey Rourke Will Win: Sean Penn
If I could have picked any award to hand out myself it would have been this one. I don't mean to take anything away from Sean Penn's winning performance as Harvey Milk, but Mickey Rourke was beyond amazing in "The Wrestler." It would have been fascinating to hear what Rourke would have said if he had won, but at least he recieved some praise from Sean Penn in his speech ("Mickey Rourke rises again and he is my brother."). This was Penn's second win for Best Actor, putting him on the level with elite company such as Jack Nicholson, Gary Cooper and Marlon Brando.
Best Picture:
My Picks: Should/Will: "Slumdog Millionaire"
This was another easy category to pick considering the amount of praise the film recieved leading up to the Oscars. Danny Boyle's sprawling love story centered in India was a masterpiece of filmmaking. The acting was superb, the writing top notch and the story was one in a million. For a movie that nearly got released on DVD, its win for Best Picture was definitely deserved.
Best Supporting Actor:
My Pick: Should/Will win: Heath Ledger
In my opinion this pick was easy. Ledger gave a fantastic performance as the evil, manipulative villain in "The Dark Knight," and no one else (except maybe Josh Brolin) had a shot at winning the award. I also thought the acceptance speech given by Ledgers family was done very tastefully and respecfully. They accepted the award an honest, emotional speech which didn't go on for too long, but they didn't rush off the stage either.
Best Supporting Actress:
My Picks: Should Win: Marissa Tomei, Will Win: Taraji P. Henson
The only category in which neither of my picks went on to win just also happened to be the category with most of the years strongest acting performances. Tomei or Henson in any other year could have easiyl won the award, but it was Penelope Cruz for her sexy, comedic role in Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona" who took home the golden statuette. Cruz, who became the first Spanish actress to win an Oscar, was visibly shocked when she came on stage to receive her award. In her unmistakeable Spanish accent she asked, "has anyone ever fainted up her before?"
Best Actress:
My Picks: Should Win: Melissa Leo, Will Win: Kate Winslet.
I think I knew from the beginning that Melissa Leo never had a shot to win this award, but I was hoping that if she did, I would look like some sort of cinema genius for picking her. Kate Winslet beat out powerhouse actresses Meryl Streep and Angelina Jolie for her performance in "The Reader." It was her sixth nomination, which is the most for an actress as young as Winslet (33)
Best Actor
My Picks: Should Win: Mickey Rourke Will Win: Sean Penn
If I could have picked any award to hand out myself it would have been this one. I don't mean to take anything away from Sean Penn's winning performance as Harvey Milk, but Mickey Rourke was beyond amazing in "The Wrestler." It would have been fascinating to hear what Rourke would have said if he had won, but at least he recieved some praise from Sean Penn in his speech ("Mickey Rourke rises again and he is my brother."). This was Penn's second win for Best Actor, putting him on the level with elite company such as Jack Nicholson, Gary Cooper and Marlon Brando.
Best Picture:
My Picks: Should/Will: "Slumdog Millionaire"
This was another easy category to pick considering the amount of praise the film recieved leading up to the Oscars. Danny Boyle's sprawling love story centered in India was a masterpiece of filmmaking. The acting was superb, the writing top notch and the story was one in a million. For a movie that nearly got released on DVD, its win for Best Picture was definitely deserved.
"Watchmen" Review
A funny thing happened when "Watchmen" came out. For years the film industry and the novels rabid fans have wondered if an adaptation were made, would it be faithful to the original material?
Once Zack Snyder was handed the reigns, the question still remained. Now that the film has finally been released, would it stay loyal to the original material? The answer is emphatically yes -- but perhaps to a fault.
"Watchmen" is aesthetically gorgeous, with amazingly detailed, vibrant sets, but one of its most obvious weaknesses as a film is that it is at times too loyal to the book.
I read the book a few years ago while I was in high school and I was marveled by the detailed plot, the non linear way of telling the story and the engrossing characters. After finishing I immediately considered myself a huge fan of the book. I was extremely excited while watching the film; for years I had anticipated being able to watch some of my favorite superheroes come alive on screen.
But the majority of people have never heard of Dr. Manhattan, the Comedian, Rorschach or even "Watchmen" itself before sitting down to watch the film. This can be problematic because some of the lines the characters speak are taken directly from the original source, which makes a fan of the material (such as me) extremely happy, but to someone who hasn't read it, some scenes translate into wooden, even corny exchanges of dialogue.
"Watchmen" begins with the murder of a superhero and then quickly sketches in the back story of an alternative universe in which masked vigilantes have been outlawed. The few who remain either work for the government or are retired. Set in 1985, it's a world that closely resembles our own during the last days of the Cold War in the 1980s. Russia has invaded Afghanistan and the US wants them out. The doomsday clock is ticking towards midnight, with the threat of nuclear annihilation in the air. In the world of "Watchmen," the Vietnam War ended in 1971, Watergate never happened, and Richard Nixon is still President.
The murder of The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) prompts Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), who has ignored the government ban on crime fighting activities, to investigate and he discovers a possible conspiracy, putting the lives of all the masked heroes in danger. He warns Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), who thinks about his glory days as a hero and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), who has used his superhero past to build a business empire.
Rorschach also tries to warn blue-skinned Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup) and his longtime partner Laurie aka Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman). Manhattan works for the government and helped end the Vietnam War with the Comedian. Ever since suffering a horrific accident that transformed him into the god-like, super-powered creature, he has been steadily losing touch with humanity. Laurie also harbors resentment toward The Comedian, who tried to rape her mother, the original Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino), and seeks solace in the company of her old friend Nite Owl.
There's a lot of ground to cover and the film isn't in a hurry to cover it, taking the better part of an hour just to establish the world where the film takes place. With many people meeting these characters for the first time, the film doesn't give the audience enough time to learn about the characters and accept them. By the end of the movie they haven't had the chance to connect with them completely.
The film is still enjoyable for those not in the "Watchmen" novel subculture, but without that previous knowledge of what the novel means culturally, some of the story is lost on the audience. But aside from some cardboard moments between characters and perhaps some audience members feeling confused, the film is a violent, tremendously entertaining adaptation.
The opening-credit sequence of the film is fantastic, and gives the audience a great introduction into the world where "Watchmen" takes place. It packs in the story of how the Minutemen (masked crime fighters of the 1940s) gave rise to their more nihilistic counterparts in the 50s and splices in historical events like the JFK assassination. The sequence is set to the thrillingly redone sound of Bob Dylan's ''The Times They Are A-Changin'," which is just one of the many pop culture references that are in the movie.
The film features some very stylish directing, but sometimes it feels as if the camera is too still and emotionless. One thing Snyder has shown he is extremely adept at are his use of slow motion shots. At the beginning of the film when the Comedian is murdered and later on when Ozymindas is attacked, Snyder uses slow motion shots to bring the audience close to the characters. At the beginning of the film when the Comedian is thrown from his apartment window he lets the audience watch every last detail of the scene, to the specks of glass that break as he falls.
He also added a few light touches of his own that were not from the novel: a pool of blood that forms a smiley face; the bloody aftermath of a superhero "rescue," a street prostitute exposing her breasts, and one character gets his hands cut off instead of having his throat sliced.
Snyder's attention to detail is absolutely extraordinary. Multiple views of the film will be needed to find every easter egg he has hidden throughout the movie. Snyder also does a great job of blocking his scenes, using his actors and the sets to recreate individual panels from the book.
Snyder's film is a dense piece of work with many layers of historical, cultural and intellectual commentary. Many of the film's deeper meanings are almost impossible to capture in a single viewing, which I think will help "Watchmen" stand up years down the road.
Some of the performances in the film were extremely hollow, but the ones that stood out were Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach) and Jeffery Dean Morgan (The Comedian). Each gave an extremely emotional and intense performance for two of the most popular characters from the original novel.
Haley's portrayal of the slightly insane, ink-blot mask wearing vigilante Rorschach is perfect. The actor is covered behind his endlessly shifting face-mask for almost the entire film, only offering the audience his gritty voice as a peek inside his character. But Haley's best moment comes when his character is in prison and his mask is off. His fights with the inmates and verbal sparring with his shrink are some of the films best scenes. The actor showed passion for the role even before he was part of the film.
In an interview with the A.V. Club (www.avclub.com) Haley said that he created an audition tape with the help of friends and sent it into the filmmakers unsolicited.
"I put together this little Halloween sort of Rorschach-ian costume and made this cheesy audition tape, and we sent it in to Zack," said Haley And a couple weeks later, he called me in for a meeting, and I went in and talked with him about the character for a good hour or two, and we shook hands. And a couple weeks later, I got the call and he chose me. And was just thrilled."
Morgan's take on the Comedian is surprisingly engaging. Although he plays a despicable character, Morgan somehow makes the audience feel sympathetic for him. At the very least he makes you understand this amoral soldier who commits some pretty atrocious acts on screen from nearly raping a woman in one scene to the brutal killing of an innocent in another.
Patrick Wilson brings a delicate touch to Nite Owl and his various unresolved issues, while Billy Crudup does a decent job with the film's most challenging role as the naked blue God among men Dr. Manhattan. Crudup's spent most of the time making the film dressed in small electronic sensors to enable the film's artists to render his character digitally in post production. Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre) and Matthew Goode (Ozymindas) give serviceable performances, but neither actor does anything memorable with their roles.
Snyder has said that even though his Watchmen movie is about an alternate 1985, it's subtly commenting on the world today. Once you realize that the Cold War and the domino theory and everything else was just a mass hallucination, you start to question our current situation and paranoia's, like the War on Terror.
One thing that Snyder's adaptation could not translate was the novels human perspective. The newsstand vendor and his customers, excerpts from the companion comic "Tales of the Black Freighter," the home life of the psychiatrist treating Rorschach, and the fiery tabloid editor and his sloppy assistant were victim to Snyder trimming his cut down. These scenes and characters in the novel convey a feeling of dread, of normal, mortal concern which is exactly what the writers were aiming for by putting the US at the brink of nuclear war.
For extreme fans of the novel and the film, Snyder will be releasing a directors cut in June which will run for over three hours. The extended version will also include some things the director was forced to cut from the final film. Along with extended and according to the director "more violent" scenes, the companion "Freighter" comic and excerpts from Hollis Mason's "Under the Hood" autobiography will be featured.
In the end though, "Watchmen" is the place where style and story collide. After years of fans worrying, a big time Hollywood studio has delivered a loyal adaptation of "Watchmen." Snyder has made the ultimate nihilistic movie, topping even "The Dark Knight" in that respect (but not in quality).
The characters are faced with tough decisions and by the end are forced to chose between what's right for themselves and for the world at large. It's a movie everyone should see including people who haven't read the graphic novel.
Once Zack Snyder was handed the reigns, the question still remained. Now that the film has finally been released, would it stay loyal to the original material? The answer is emphatically yes -- but perhaps to a fault.
"Watchmen" is aesthetically gorgeous, with amazingly detailed, vibrant sets, but one of its most obvious weaknesses as a film is that it is at times too loyal to the book.
I read the book a few years ago while I was in high school and I was marveled by the detailed plot, the non linear way of telling the story and the engrossing characters. After finishing I immediately considered myself a huge fan of the book. I was extremely excited while watching the film; for years I had anticipated being able to watch some of my favorite superheroes come alive on screen.
But the majority of people have never heard of Dr. Manhattan, the Comedian, Rorschach or even "Watchmen" itself before sitting down to watch the film. This can be problematic because some of the lines the characters speak are taken directly from the original source, which makes a fan of the material (such as me) extremely happy, but to someone who hasn't read it, some scenes translate into wooden, even corny exchanges of dialogue.
"Watchmen" begins with the murder of a superhero and then quickly sketches in the back story of an alternative universe in which masked vigilantes have been outlawed. The few who remain either work for the government or are retired. Set in 1985, it's a world that closely resembles our own during the last days of the Cold War in the 1980s. Russia has invaded Afghanistan and the US wants them out. The doomsday clock is ticking towards midnight, with the threat of nuclear annihilation in the air. In the world of "Watchmen," the Vietnam War ended in 1971, Watergate never happened, and Richard Nixon is still President.
The murder of The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) prompts Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), who has ignored the government ban on crime fighting activities, to investigate and he discovers a possible conspiracy, putting the lives of all the masked heroes in danger. He warns Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), who thinks about his glory days as a hero and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), who has used his superhero past to build a business empire.
Rorschach also tries to warn blue-skinned Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup) and his longtime partner Laurie aka Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman). Manhattan works for the government and helped end the Vietnam War with the Comedian. Ever since suffering a horrific accident that transformed him into the god-like, super-powered creature, he has been steadily losing touch with humanity. Laurie also harbors resentment toward The Comedian, who tried to rape her mother, the original Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino), and seeks solace in the company of her old friend Nite Owl.
There's a lot of ground to cover and the film isn't in a hurry to cover it, taking the better part of an hour just to establish the world where the film takes place. With many people meeting these characters for the first time, the film doesn't give the audience enough time to learn about the characters and accept them. By the end of the movie they haven't had the chance to connect with them completely.
The film is still enjoyable for those not in the "Watchmen" novel subculture, but without that previous knowledge of what the novel means culturally, some of the story is lost on the audience. But aside from some cardboard moments between characters and perhaps some audience members feeling confused, the film is a violent, tremendously entertaining adaptation.
The opening-credit sequence of the film is fantastic, and gives the audience a great introduction into the world where "Watchmen" takes place. It packs in the story of how the Minutemen (masked crime fighters of the 1940s) gave rise to their more nihilistic counterparts in the 50s and splices in historical events like the JFK assassination. The sequence is set to the thrillingly redone sound of Bob Dylan's ''The Times They Are A-Changin'," which is just one of the many pop culture references that are in the movie.
The film features some very stylish directing, but sometimes it feels as if the camera is too still and emotionless. One thing Snyder has shown he is extremely adept at are his use of slow motion shots. At the beginning of the film when the Comedian is murdered and later on when Ozymindas is attacked, Snyder uses slow motion shots to bring the audience close to the characters. At the beginning of the film when the Comedian is thrown from his apartment window he lets the audience watch every last detail of the scene, to the specks of glass that break as he falls.
He also added a few light touches of his own that were not from the novel: a pool of blood that forms a smiley face; the bloody aftermath of a superhero "rescue," a street prostitute exposing her breasts, and one character gets his hands cut off instead of having his throat sliced.
Snyder's attention to detail is absolutely extraordinary. Multiple views of the film will be needed to find every easter egg he has hidden throughout the movie. Snyder also does a great job of blocking his scenes, using his actors and the sets to recreate individual panels from the book.
Snyder's film is a dense piece of work with many layers of historical, cultural and intellectual commentary. Many of the film's deeper meanings are almost impossible to capture in a single viewing, which I think will help "Watchmen" stand up years down the road.
Some of the performances in the film were extremely hollow, but the ones that stood out were Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach) and Jeffery Dean Morgan (The Comedian). Each gave an extremely emotional and intense performance for two of the most popular characters from the original novel.
Haley's portrayal of the slightly insane, ink-blot mask wearing vigilante Rorschach is perfect. The actor is covered behind his endlessly shifting face-mask for almost the entire film, only offering the audience his gritty voice as a peek inside his character. But Haley's best moment comes when his character is in prison and his mask is off. His fights with the inmates and verbal sparring with his shrink are some of the films best scenes. The actor showed passion for the role even before he was part of the film.
In an interview with the A.V. Club (www.avclub.com) Haley said that he created an audition tape with the help of friends and sent it into the filmmakers unsolicited.
"I put together this little Halloween sort of Rorschach-ian costume and made this cheesy audition tape, and we sent it in to Zack," said Haley And a couple weeks later, he called me in for a meeting, and I went in and talked with him about the character for a good hour or two, and we shook hands. And a couple weeks later, I got the call and he chose me. And was just thrilled."
Morgan's take on the Comedian is surprisingly engaging. Although he plays a despicable character, Morgan somehow makes the audience feel sympathetic for him. At the very least he makes you understand this amoral soldier who commits some pretty atrocious acts on screen from nearly raping a woman in one scene to the brutal killing of an innocent in another.
Patrick Wilson brings a delicate touch to Nite Owl and his various unresolved issues, while Billy Crudup does a decent job with the film's most challenging role as the naked blue God among men Dr. Manhattan. Crudup's spent most of the time making the film dressed in small electronic sensors to enable the film's artists to render his character digitally in post production. Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre) and Matthew Goode (Ozymindas) give serviceable performances, but neither actor does anything memorable with their roles.
Snyder has said that even though his Watchmen movie is about an alternate 1985, it's subtly commenting on the world today. Once you realize that the Cold War and the domino theory and everything else was just a mass hallucination, you start to question our current situation and paranoia's, like the War on Terror.
One thing that Snyder's adaptation could not translate was the novels human perspective. The newsstand vendor and his customers, excerpts from the companion comic "Tales of the Black Freighter," the home life of the psychiatrist treating Rorschach, and the fiery tabloid editor and his sloppy assistant were victim to Snyder trimming his cut down. These scenes and characters in the novel convey a feeling of dread, of normal, mortal concern which is exactly what the writers were aiming for by putting the US at the brink of nuclear war.
For extreme fans of the novel and the film, Snyder will be releasing a directors cut in June which will run for over three hours. The extended version will also include some things the director was forced to cut from the final film. Along with extended and according to the director "more violent" scenes, the companion "Freighter" comic and excerpts from Hollis Mason's "Under the Hood" autobiography will be featured.
In the end though, "Watchmen" is the place where style and story collide. After years of fans worrying, a big time Hollywood studio has delivered a loyal adaptation of "Watchmen." Snyder has made the ultimate nihilistic movie, topping even "The Dark Knight" in that respect (but not in quality).
The characters are faced with tough decisions and by the end are forced to chose between what's right for themselves and for the world at large. It's a movie everyone should see including people who haven't read the graphic novel.
"Better Off Ted" Review
In the current era of television, quirky network comedies are usually critical darlings, but also struggle to get high ratings. Perfect examples of this are "30 Rock," "Scrubs" and "Arrested Development." The one glaring exception to this is NBC's "The Office," which has won many awards while also being able to bring in many of viewers.
The newest quirky comedy to join the club is ABC's "Better Off Ted." The show is very funny, but it's also unusual. It follows Ted (Jay Harrington), the head of research and development for Veridian Dynamics, a giant company that comes up with new uses for old things and old uses for new things. For example, when handed fabric, Ted is asked if he can make a breakfast meat out of it. He oversees a group of scientists who do things like weaponize pumpkins and make computer mice withstand extreme temperatures. He likes his job, he likes his people, but he doesn't always like the people he works for.
The company is represented by Veronica (Portia de Rossi), Ted's confident, but tightly wound and ridiculously literal-minded boss. She is a great executive, but only she doesn't have to deal with actual people; the best way to describe her could be socially awkward. The timing in which de Rossi ("Arrested Development") enters and exits each scene is hilarious, adding to the awkward nature of her character.
Ted's point men in the lab are Phil (Jonathan Slavin) and Lem (Malcolm Barrett), who both complain about the higher ups in the company while producing the innovations Ted asks for. Ted has an office love interest in sunny rebel Linda (Andrea Anders), who's job is to test the products the team produces. Ted is leery about getting involved, saying he ''used up'' his one office affair with Veronica years ago (itself being a funny joke). All the while Ted is trying to balance his career and raising his daughter Rose (Isabella Acres).
The show was created by Victor Fresco, who was behind another short lived quirky comedy "Andy Richter Controls the Universe".
"Better Off Ted" is sharply written and offers dozens of quote-worthy lines and memorable scenarios. One of the best is when Victoria discovers the effect that young, cute Rose has on people and starts using her as a buffer whenever she has to take care of unpleasant business.
In the episode, Ted brings Rose to work, she gets passed from co-worker to co-worker while Ted deals with other problems. At one point, Veronica realizes that having a cute kid in her office is useful for those moments when an angry superior barges in to yell at her, or when she doesn't want to suffer through the crying of an employee she just fired.
de Rossi's performance as a glossy, ruthless corporate henchperson is perfect. She would be absolutely scary if she weren't so absurdly funny. Speaking to Ted about one of their co-workers, Veronica says sharply, "We want to freeze Phil -- just to see if it's possible."
The first two episodes started off with hilarious ads for Veridian Dynamics, each promoting the company's various products and slogan: "We can do that."
Veridian manufactures almost every familiar product; in one ad a ptchman admits, "We don't make cows, but we have made a sheep." It seems Ted's office can stand in for any kind of company, in any kind of situation. This type of flexibility gives the show's writers a lot of material to work with and is one reason why the show could be successful.
In the first episode the company takes Veronica's words, and freezes Phil. After being frozen and then accidentally thawing out, Phil begins to make an uncontrollable loud shrieking noise. The running joke is used hilariously throughout the episode.
Another highlight is when Rose finds researcher Linda toying with a bright blue Play-Doh-like substance and asks what it is. "Something we invented for a line of diet foods," Linda explains. "People are going to eat this?" Rose asks. "Not knowingly," Linda admits.
An aspect of the show that is a little different than most comedies is that throughout the episode Ted will monologue directly into the camera. It's an idea partially borrowed from "The Office," but it's done differently because Ted is the only one to speak to the audience.
As Ted, a man who means well but has to pick his battles with the uncaring Veridian bosses, Harrington does a formidable job. He stands handsome and polite, while playing off the the funnier people around him.
de Rossi, plays an entirely different kind of character from her stint as the spoiled daughter on "Arrested Development." She gets all the best lines, due to the fact that de Rossi delivers each of them with a perfect, sarcastic yet serious tone. She also brings an unexpected likability to a character who could be a complete sociopath. There's a moment in the Rose episode where Veronica is struggling to relate to the kid, and Veronica tries to compliment her skin: "I wish there was a way to peel it off your face and attach it to mine."
I enjoy the character of Linda and the flirtation between her and Ted. Anders (once stuck on the sitcom "Joey"), is extremely likable and rebels against Veridian by stealing all the creamer from the kitchen. Slavin and Barrett are hilarious as Phil and Lem, bringing an extra bit of fun to the show and also proving that sometimes the nerds are way funnier than the pretty kids.
The show's one major pitfall is that it can be a little too quirky for its own good. Even the more realistic characters, Ted and Linda, step into the crazy zone at times. There's a fine line to walk between showing exaggerated versions of real worklife and veering into too ridiculous territory. Comedies like this need something to ground them, like the relationship of Jim and Pam on "The Office."
"Ted" is sometimes too silly, but there was some evolution between the pilot and the second episode. If the characters become even more fleshed out as the season goes on, that should help balance the wacky humor and situations. The problem with that is, if the show doesn't find a large enough audience, it may not have enough time to solidify itself.
"Better Off Ted" will drive a divide between the people who will quote the show's lines and those who will just wonder "why should i watch another one of these comedies?" I hope ABC gives "Ted" time to grow and find an audience, because it is a genuinely funny show.
ABC would be wise to follow follow in the footsteps of NBC and how they handled "The Office." Towards the beginning of the show's run the ratings were low, but NBC stood by the show, giving it time to grow and now it is one of the best rated, highest quality comedies on television.
With "Scrubs"'s future up in the air and "Arrested Development" long cancelled, the timing is good to add a sarcastic, sweet and witty comedy to network TV.
The newest quirky comedy to join the club is ABC's "Better Off Ted." The show is very funny, but it's also unusual. It follows Ted (Jay Harrington), the head of research and development for Veridian Dynamics, a giant company that comes up with new uses for old things and old uses for new things. For example, when handed fabric, Ted is asked if he can make a breakfast meat out of it. He oversees a group of scientists who do things like weaponize pumpkins and make computer mice withstand extreme temperatures. He likes his job, he likes his people, but he doesn't always like the people he works for.
The company is represented by Veronica (Portia de Rossi), Ted's confident, but tightly wound and ridiculously literal-minded boss. She is a great executive, but only she doesn't have to deal with actual people; the best way to describe her could be socially awkward. The timing in which de Rossi ("Arrested Development") enters and exits each scene is hilarious, adding to the awkward nature of her character.
Ted's point men in the lab are Phil (Jonathan Slavin) and Lem (Malcolm Barrett), who both complain about the higher ups in the company while producing the innovations Ted asks for. Ted has an office love interest in sunny rebel Linda (Andrea Anders), who's job is to test the products the team produces. Ted is leery about getting involved, saying he ''used up'' his one office affair with Veronica years ago (itself being a funny joke). All the while Ted is trying to balance his career and raising his daughter Rose (Isabella Acres).
The show was created by Victor Fresco, who was behind another short lived quirky comedy "Andy Richter Controls the Universe".
"Better Off Ted" is sharply written and offers dozens of quote-worthy lines and memorable scenarios. One of the best is when Victoria discovers the effect that young, cute Rose has on people and starts using her as a buffer whenever she has to take care of unpleasant business.
In the episode, Ted brings Rose to work, she gets passed from co-worker to co-worker while Ted deals with other problems. At one point, Veronica realizes that having a cute kid in her office is useful for those moments when an angry superior barges in to yell at her, or when she doesn't want to suffer through the crying of an employee she just fired.
de Rossi's performance as a glossy, ruthless corporate henchperson is perfect. She would be absolutely scary if she weren't so absurdly funny. Speaking to Ted about one of their co-workers, Veronica says sharply, "We want to freeze Phil -- just to see if it's possible."
The first two episodes started off with hilarious ads for Veridian Dynamics, each promoting the company's various products and slogan: "We can do that."
Veridian manufactures almost every familiar product; in one ad a ptchman admits, "We don't make cows, but we have made a sheep." It seems Ted's office can stand in for any kind of company, in any kind of situation. This type of flexibility gives the show's writers a lot of material to work with and is one reason why the show could be successful.
In the first episode the company takes Veronica's words, and freezes Phil. After being frozen and then accidentally thawing out, Phil begins to make an uncontrollable loud shrieking noise. The running joke is used hilariously throughout the episode.
Another highlight is when Rose finds researcher Linda toying with a bright blue Play-Doh-like substance and asks what it is. "Something we invented for a line of diet foods," Linda explains. "People are going to eat this?" Rose asks. "Not knowingly," Linda admits.
An aspect of the show that is a little different than most comedies is that throughout the episode Ted will monologue directly into the camera. It's an idea partially borrowed from "The Office," but it's done differently because Ted is the only one to speak to the audience.
As Ted, a man who means well but has to pick his battles with the uncaring Veridian bosses, Harrington does a formidable job. He stands handsome and polite, while playing off the the funnier people around him.
de Rossi, plays an entirely different kind of character from her stint as the spoiled daughter on "Arrested Development." She gets all the best lines, due to the fact that de Rossi delivers each of them with a perfect, sarcastic yet serious tone. She also brings an unexpected likability to a character who could be a complete sociopath. There's a moment in the Rose episode where Veronica is struggling to relate to the kid, and Veronica tries to compliment her skin: "I wish there was a way to peel it off your face and attach it to mine."
I enjoy the character of Linda and the flirtation between her and Ted. Anders (once stuck on the sitcom "Joey"), is extremely likable and rebels against Veridian by stealing all the creamer from the kitchen. Slavin and Barrett are hilarious as Phil and Lem, bringing an extra bit of fun to the show and also proving that sometimes the nerds are way funnier than the pretty kids.
The show's one major pitfall is that it can be a little too quirky for its own good. Even the more realistic characters, Ted and Linda, step into the crazy zone at times. There's a fine line to walk between showing exaggerated versions of real worklife and veering into too ridiculous territory. Comedies like this need something to ground them, like the relationship of Jim and Pam on "The Office."
"Ted" is sometimes too silly, but there was some evolution between the pilot and the second episode. If the characters become even more fleshed out as the season goes on, that should help balance the wacky humor and situations. The problem with that is, if the show doesn't find a large enough audience, it may not have enough time to solidify itself.
"Better Off Ted" will drive a divide between the people who will quote the show's lines and those who will just wonder "why should i watch another one of these comedies?" I hope ABC gives "Ted" time to grow and find an audience, because it is a genuinely funny show.
ABC would be wise to follow follow in the footsteps of NBC and how they handled "The Office." Towards the beginning of the show's run the ratings were low, but NBC stood by the show, giving it time to grow and now it is one of the best rated, highest quality comedies on television.
With "Scrubs"'s future up in the air and "Arrested Development" long cancelled, the timing is good to add a sarcastic, sweet and witty comedy to network TV.
U2 Review
Saying that U2 had a pretty big week is an understatement. The hugely successful band went on a promotional blitz: they released a new album, spent the week as David Letterman’s band and even had a street named after them.
March 2, when they started their weeklong gig on the "Late Show with David Letterman."
The band's first night of their weeklong gig was strategically scheduled the night before the band's new album, "No Line on the Horizon," hit stores. On the show U2 performed their new song "Breathe" and were featured in a comedy skit that found them shoveling snow in front of Roseland Ballroom the day after a blizzard hit the area.
"No Line On The Horizon," is band's first album in nearly five years; and is a really good album, but definitely not their best. Sometimes when a band comes out with so many albums over the years, it's hard to keep churning out quality work. That's not the case here, but a couple of the tracks are not up to par with what U2 has perviously done, including "Stand Up Comedy," which leaves listeners wanting more. The track has a good melody, but Bono's lyrics such as, "I need to stand up to my ego/But my ego is not my enemy," seem uninspired.
During their phenomenal week, Tuesday March 3 was perhaps the biggest day for the band. Coinciding with their new record being released they were honored by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. On the cold afternoon Bloomberg announced that a section of West 53rd Street will briefly be renamed "U2 Way." Later on that night the band gave another great performance, playing "Magnificent," which is by far the best track on their new album.
The group was absolutely hilarious on their third show when they did the Top Ten List, which was called the "Top 10 Things U2 Has Learned Over the Years." One of the funniest bits was when guitarist The Edge admitted that he does "suck at Guitar Hero." The band proved that they can make a joke, but also take one at their expense.
On Thursday, their fourth night on the show, the band sat down for the first time this week with Letterman for an interview. During their very relaxed chat they spoke about the Beatles and about the early days of the band including a time when they accidentally ventured to the wrong side of the Berlin Wall.
Afterwards, they took the stage to play "Beautiful Day," an older song rather than one from their newest album. While it's not one of U2's best songs, they played it with high energy and their performance was a pleasant surprise.
The band's last night on the show was a solid performance, but it didn't stack up to the rest of the week. They played the first single off their new album "Get On Your Boots" and thanked Letterman's audience for watching all week.
For anyone who felt that five nights of U2 would be too much, the band definitely proved them wrong. Their performances were great and when featured in skits, they proved to be genuinely fun and humorous.
The band also announced this week that they are going on a world tour which will kick off in Barcelona, Spain on June 30. They plan to stay on the road through the fall of 2010, playing between 90 and 100 shows. The initial European leg will wrap up in August 22, then head to North America on October 28.
March 2, when they started their weeklong gig on the "Late Show with David Letterman."
The band's first night of their weeklong gig was strategically scheduled the night before the band's new album, "No Line on the Horizon," hit stores. On the show U2 performed their new song "Breathe" and were featured in a comedy skit that found them shoveling snow in front of Roseland Ballroom the day after a blizzard hit the area.
"No Line On The Horizon," is band's first album in nearly five years; and is a really good album, but definitely not their best. Sometimes when a band comes out with so many albums over the years, it's hard to keep churning out quality work. That's not the case here, but a couple of the tracks are not up to par with what U2 has perviously done, including "Stand Up Comedy," which leaves listeners wanting more. The track has a good melody, but Bono's lyrics such as, "I need to stand up to my ego/But my ego is not my enemy," seem uninspired.
During their phenomenal week, Tuesday March 3 was perhaps the biggest day for the band. Coinciding with their new record being released they were honored by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. On the cold afternoon Bloomberg announced that a section of West 53rd Street will briefly be renamed "U2 Way." Later on that night the band gave another great performance, playing "Magnificent," which is by far the best track on their new album.
The group was absolutely hilarious on their third show when they did the Top Ten List, which was called the "Top 10 Things U2 Has Learned Over the Years." One of the funniest bits was when guitarist The Edge admitted that he does "suck at Guitar Hero." The band proved that they can make a joke, but also take one at their expense.
On Thursday, their fourth night on the show, the band sat down for the first time this week with Letterman for an interview. During their very relaxed chat they spoke about the Beatles and about the early days of the band including a time when they accidentally ventured to the wrong side of the Berlin Wall.
Afterwards, they took the stage to play "Beautiful Day," an older song rather than one from their newest album. While it's not one of U2's best songs, they played it with high energy and their performance was a pleasant surprise.
The band's last night on the show was a solid performance, but it didn't stack up to the rest of the week. They played the first single off their new album "Get On Your Boots" and thanked Letterman's audience for watching all week.
For anyone who felt that five nights of U2 would be too much, the band definitely proved them wrong. Their performances were great and when featured in skits, they proved to be genuinely fun and humorous.
The band also announced this week that they are going on a world tour which will kick off in Barcelona, Spain on June 30. They plan to stay on the road through the fall of 2010, playing between 90 and 100 shows. The initial European leg will wrap up in August 22, then head to North America on October 28.
Will Ferrell...President?
George W. Bush’s last day as President was on January 20, but his second term will last just a little bit longer. This time though he won’t be residing in the White House. Instead he will be at the Cort Theater on West 48th Street in New York City. And oh yeah, he’s being played by comedian Will Ferrell.
Ferrell, known for playing mostly movie roles as egotistical athletes, wild-eyed anchormen and over aged frat boys, is finally making the jump to Broadway. In his debut “You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush”, Ferrell plays the 43 President, an impression he made famous a decade ago.
He will perform the one-man show through March 15 with tickets being relatively inexpensive ranging from $30 to $100 dollars. The star himself said that the audience should “expect the unexpected,” when it comes to the show.
Previews for the show began on January 20, the same day Barack Obama was inaugurated as President and premiered on February 5. The first preview began with Mr. Bush dropping to the stage, apparently from the Marine One helicopter that carried him from the lawn of the new Obama White House.
Adam McKay, Ferrell’s longtime friend and producing partner, is directing the 80-minute production. McKay has previously directed the films “Talladega Nights,” “Anchorman” and along with Ferrell wrote the script for “Step Brothers.”
“This is one of the biggest flying leaps I’ve ever taken,” said Ferrell. “The only thing it compares to is auditioning for ‘Saturday Night Live’ in Studio 8H with a camera on me, a couple of people watching in the darkness, no one laughing, and me thinking, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening!’ But it feels good right now, to take a leap.”
Ferrell had time to try to perfect his Bush impersonation many years ago when he still was the star of “Saturday Night Live.” The character was featured mostly during Ferrell’s sixth season on the show, when the country was on their way to electing Dubya President.
Since leaving “Saturday Night Live,” Mr. Ferrell has performed as President Bush on occasion. Last year Jon Stewart interviewed Ferrell-as-Bush during a fund-raiser for autism education and two weeks ago he appeared on the last episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”
His impersonation of the President’s voice can sometimes slip into surfer dude status, but no one is better at capturing the little nuances of Bush --the squint, the curled lip, the stuttered laugh—better than Ferrell.
Right now the show is the hottest ticket on Broadway, generating over $5 million in advanced sales and nearly every seat has been sold for its eight week run. The first weeks of the show brought out A-list stars such as Bon Jovi, Matthew Broderick and rapper Common.
The reviews of the show have been mostly positive so far; with many critics praising Ferrell’s spot on impersonation as the reason the show is successful.
Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News said, "Ferrell is lightning fast on his feet and turns each ad lib into a burst of hilarity, a mission accomplished, if you will." While David Rooney of Variety wrote that “Ferrell provides a cathartic, almost cleansing farewell in "You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W Bush."
Fortunately for Ferrell fans, if they can’t make it to New York City by March 20, they will still have a chance to see the show. HBO is set to air a live telecast of the show towards the end of its run on Saturday March 14.
One person who is unlikely to attend the show in its final week is the real ex-prez, although at one point Ferrell was under the impression that Bush was a fan.
"It was back when he was governor, I had just started playing him and he was going to be on the show," Ferrell said. "I was told that he and his people were huge fans of mine and would love to meet me. So I hurried down to the 'SNL' studio and all these photographers were taking pictures and they pushed me into this circle of people and they said, 'Go say hi.' So I went up and said, 'Hello, Mr. Governor. Thanks for doing the show.' I could tell he had no idea who I was."
Ferrell, known for playing mostly movie roles as egotistical athletes, wild-eyed anchormen and over aged frat boys, is finally making the jump to Broadway. In his debut “You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush”, Ferrell plays the 43 President, an impression he made famous a decade ago.
He will perform the one-man show through March 15 with tickets being relatively inexpensive ranging from $30 to $100 dollars. The star himself said that the audience should “expect the unexpected,” when it comes to the show.
Previews for the show began on January 20, the same day Barack Obama was inaugurated as President and premiered on February 5. The first preview began with Mr. Bush dropping to the stage, apparently from the Marine One helicopter that carried him from the lawn of the new Obama White House.
Adam McKay, Ferrell’s longtime friend and producing partner, is directing the 80-minute production. McKay has previously directed the films “Talladega Nights,” “Anchorman” and along with Ferrell wrote the script for “Step Brothers.”
“This is one of the biggest flying leaps I’ve ever taken,” said Ferrell. “The only thing it compares to is auditioning for ‘Saturday Night Live’ in Studio 8H with a camera on me, a couple of people watching in the darkness, no one laughing, and me thinking, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening!’ But it feels good right now, to take a leap.”
Ferrell had time to try to perfect his Bush impersonation many years ago when he still was the star of “Saturday Night Live.” The character was featured mostly during Ferrell’s sixth season on the show, when the country was on their way to electing Dubya President.
Since leaving “Saturday Night Live,” Mr. Ferrell has performed as President Bush on occasion. Last year Jon Stewart interviewed Ferrell-as-Bush during a fund-raiser for autism education and two weeks ago he appeared on the last episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”
His impersonation of the President’s voice can sometimes slip into surfer dude status, but no one is better at capturing the little nuances of Bush --the squint, the curled lip, the stuttered laugh—better than Ferrell.
Right now the show is the hottest ticket on Broadway, generating over $5 million in advanced sales and nearly every seat has been sold for its eight week run. The first weeks of the show brought out A-list stars such as Bon Jovi, Matthew Broderick and rapper Common.
The reviews of the show have been mostly positive so far; with many critics praising Ferrell’s spot on impersonation as the reason the show is successful.
Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News said, "Ferrell is lightning fast on his feet and turns each ad lib into a burst of hilarity, a mission accomplished, if you will." While David Rooney of Variety wrote that “Ferrell provides a cathartic, almost cleansing farewell in "You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W Bush."
Fortunately for Ferrell fans, if they can’t make it to New York City by March 20, they will still have a chance to see the show. HBO is set to air a live telecast of the show towards the end of its run on Saturday March 14.
One person who is unlikely to attend the show in its final week is the real ex-prez, although at one point Ferrell was under the impression that Bush was a fan.
"It was back when he was governor, I had just started playing him and he was going to be on the show," Ferrell said. "I was told that he and his people were huge fans of mine and would love to meet me. So I hurried down to the 'SNL' studio and all these photographers were taking pictures and they pushed me into this circle of people and they said, 'Go say hi.' So I went up and said, 'Hello, Mr. Governor. Thanks for doing the show.' I could tell he had no idea who I was."
Will "The Road" Ever Get Released?
Last year while on spring break, my roommate suggested a book for me to read. He handed me a decent sized book, with nothing on the cover except a title and the name of the author. Reading the back of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road," I wasn't sure what to expect.
The novel takes place in a post-apocolypic world and follows the journey taken by a father and his young son over a period of several months. They travel across a landscape blasted years before by an unnamed disaster that destroyed civilization and almost everyone on earth.
"The Road" was released in 2006 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Anytime you stumble upon a book that has a sticker on the cover that reads "Pulitzer Prize winner," it's impossible not to be intrigued. Once I started reading, I simply could not put the book down.
McCarthy writes with an interesting, rough style throughout the book, neglecting to use commas, apostrophes and quotation marks. This makes the book feel realistic and although I was reading the book on the beach in broad daylight, I still found myself feeling empathetically scared for the characters.
I finished the book well before my vacation was over and after I turned the last page, I thought to myself, "This is easily one of the best books I've ever read."
Eventually, I picked up another book, but "The Road" still hung around in my mind. Late last year, I was thrilled when I heard that the novel was being adapted into a film starring Viggo Mortensen. Even though many film adaptations of books are successful, once they stray from the original material, they can go horribly awry.
The adaptation of author Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" followed the book directly and was a critical and commercial success. Other releases of his books such as "The Lost World" and "Timeline," strayed from the original material and were both huge critical flops.
Filming for "The Road" began in early 2008 with a release date set for November. The news coming from the set of the film was positive and photographs released by the producers showed that they were sticking very close to the original material. With its combination of dramatic lot, a strong cast and an early winter release date, I felt the film would be sure to win numerous awards. However, in October, the distributors of the film, The Weinstein Company, postponed the film to December. A few weeks later, it was pushed back to sometime in 2009. The company stated that they felt the film will benefit from more post-production work and a less crowded release calendar.
The Weinstein Company made two other films, Stephen Daldry's "The Reader" and Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona" that the company hoped would compete for awards this season as well. Instead of rushing "The Road" along so they would have three awards contenders, the company allowed the creators of the film more time to ready the film for release.
Sometimes, when push comes to shove, studios will rush filmmakers along, hoping for the biggest amount of box office returns and not worrying about the quality of the film. It is encouraging to see a studio work with creative talent to help make the best adaptation possible.
Releasing a film a year early could greatly hinder the films award chances, but it is isn't unprecedented for a movie that was released early in the year to win awards. In the past decade, two Academy Award winners for Best Picture, "Gladiator" and "Crash" were released prior to October.
Since I enjoyed the book so much, I wish the film was released on schedule but perhaps the delay will allow for the movie to become even better. There still is no set release date, but that just gives people more time to discover the book. Head to the library or bookstore and pick up "The Road." It's a decision you will not regret.
The novel takes place in a post-apocolypic world and follows the journey taken by a father and his young son over a period of several months. They travel across a landscape blasted years before by an unnamed disaster that destroyed civilization and almost everyone on earth.
"The Road" was released in 2006 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Anytime you stumble upon a book that has a sticker on the cover that reads "Pulitzer Prize winner," it's impossible not to be intrigued. Once I started reading, I simply could not put the book down.
McCarthy writes with an interesting, rough style throughout the book, neglecting to use commas, apostrophes and quotation marks. This makes the book feel realistic and although I was reading the book on the beach in broad daylight, I still found myself feeling empathetically scared for the characters.
I finished the book well before my vacation was over and after I turned the last page, I thought to myself, "This is easily one of the best books I've ever read."
Eventually, I picked up another book, but "The Road" still hung around in my mind. Late last year, I was thrilled when I heard that the novel was being adapted into a film starring Viggo Mortensen. Even though many film adaptations of books are successful, once they stray from the original material, they can go horribly awry.
The adaptation of author Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" followed the book directly and was a critical and commercial success. Other releases of his books such as "The Lost World" and "Timeline," strayed from the original material and were both huge critical flops.
Filming for "The Road" began in early 2008 with a release date set for November. The news coming from the set of the film was positive and photographs released by the producers showed that they were sticking very close to the original material. With its combination of dramatic lot, a strong cast and an early winter release date, I felt the film would be sure to win numerous awards. However, in October, the distributors of the film, The Weinstein Company, postponed the film to December. A few weeks later, it was pushed back to sometime in 2009. The company stated that they felt the film will benefit from more post-production work and a less crowded release calendar.
The Weinstein Company made two other films, Stephen Daldry's "The Reader" and Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona" that the company hoped would compete for awards this season as well. Instead of rushing "The Road" along so they would have three awards contenders, the company allowed the creators of the film more time to ready the film for release.
Sometimes, when push comes to shove, studios will rush filmmakers along, hoping for the biggest amount of box office returns and not worrying about the quality of the film. It is encouraging to see a studio work with creative talent to help make the best adaptation possible.
Releasing a film a year early could greatly hinder the films award chances, but it is isn't unprecedented for a movie that was released early in the year to win awards. In the past decade, two Academy Award winners for Best Picture, "Gladiator" and "Crash" were released prior to October.
Since I enjoyed the book so much, I wish the film was released on schedule but perhaps the delay will allow for the movie to become even better. There still is no set release date, but that just gives people more time to discover the book. Head to the library or bookstore and pick up "The Road." It's a decision you will not regret.
Eastbound and Down Review
With shows like “The Sopranos,” “Entourage,” and “Six Feet Under,” HBO has always been successful with their television programming. On Sunday night, "Eastbound & Down," a new comedy, joined the ranks of the networks best.
The show stars Danny McBride (“Pineapple Express”) as Kenny Powers, a foulmouthed, mullet- wearing former Major League Baseball pitcher, who washed out of the league due to his massive ego, drugs, and politically incorrect comments. He is forced to return to his hometown, where he ends up living with his older brother (John Hawkes). To make matters even worse, the only job Powers can get is as a substitute physical education teacher at the local middle school. While there he flirts with an old flame April (Katy Mixon), an art teacher who is now engaged to the clueless principal (Andrew Daly).
McBride shows a great talent for playing a character who is has way too much arrogance than he should. He's a nonstop offender to every person he encounters, even ordering the services of a prostitute on the phone in front of his sister-in-law.
Throughout the episode Powers is out of shape, frequently drunk and prone to cocaine, possibly setting up the idea that he will have some type of redemption later on. McBride's pitch and delivery of his lines are hilarious, like when he insults his brother's wife and then confesses: "Instantly I regret saying that. That was a horrible thing to say."
Kenny is self-delusional to an almost heroic extent; his head looks like it might weigh 20 pounds and his beer belly hangs out over his jeans, yet he imagines himself to be a beautiful athletic specimen no woman could ever resist. One of the funniest scenes of the episode is when Kenny's in the shower, and his tan lines reveal that he wears a thong bikini when out lounging in the sun.
The show resembles the Will Ferrell film "Talladega Nights," with both main characters being washed up, egotistical athletes. The similarities are not accidental; the show, which was created by McBride, is executive produced by Ferrell's production company and the actor will have a cameo later on in the series.
Things weren't always so easy for McBride.
Not long ago, McBride and pals Ben Best and Jody Hill (now an “Eastbound” writer/director/producer) were all broke and dreaming. The combined the money in their pockets to buy a case of beer, which they consumed while sitting in a kiddie pool behind Best’s house in Charlotte.
In 2006 McBride caught Ferrell's eye when he starred in the movie "The Foot Fist Way," a very low-budget comedy. Ferrell purchased the distribution rights to the film and said it was one of his all time favorite movies. The film stars McBride as a pompous Tae Kwon Do instructor not much unlike Kenny Powers. Soon after, Ferrell called McBride, telling him he wanted to know if he had any other ideas in the works.
As it turns out, sipping beer in kiddie pools was good for the creative flow. One of the ideas thrown around that day eventually became “Eastbound & Down."
Throughout the episode the focus is primarily on Kenny, not really allowing for any characters to make much of an impression. This isn't a complaint, because it allows McBride to flash his comedic talent in almost every scene. While fighting with his brother and sister-in-law Powers hilariously says, "I'm not gonna stop yelling, because that would mean I lost the fight!"
The force of McBride's performance and his mullet are more than enough to carry the half hour television show. "Eastbound & Down" is not your typical comedy and after finishing the pilot I could not wait to watch it again.
The show stars Danny McBride (“Pineapple Express”) as Kenny Powers, a foulmouthed, mullet- wearing former Major League Baseball pitcher, who washed out of the league due to his massive ego, drugs, and politically incorrect comments. He is forced to return to his hometown, where he ends up living with his older brother (John Hawkes). To make matters even worse, the only job Powers can get is as a substitute physical education teacher at the local middle school. While there he flirts with an old flame April (Katy Mixon), an art teacher who is now engaged to the clueless principal (Andrew Daly).
McBride shows a great talent for playing a character who is has way too much arrogance than he should. He's a nonstop offender to every person he encounters, even ordering the services of a prostitute on the phone in front of his sister-in-law.
Throughout the episode Powers is out of shape, frequently drunk and prone to cocaine, possibly setting up the idea that he will have some type of redemption later on. McBride's pitch and delivery of his lines are hilarious, like when he insults his brother's wife and then confesses: "Instantly I regret saying that. That was a horrible thing to say."
Kenny is self-delusional to an almost heroic extent; his head looks like it might weigh 20 pounds and his beer belly hangs out over his jeans, yet he imagines himself to be a beautiful athletic specimen no woman could ever resist. One of the funniest scenes of the episode is when Kenny's in the shower, and his tan lines reveal that he wears a thong bikini when out lounging in the sun.
The show resembles the Will Ferrell film "Talladega Nights," with both main characters being washed up, egotistical athletes. The similarities are not accidental; the show, which was created by McBride, is executive produced by Ferrell's production company and the actor will have a cameo later on in the series.
Things weren't always so easy for McBride.
Not long ago, McBride and pals Ben Best and Jody Hill (now an “Eastbound” writer/director/producer) were all broke and dreaming. The combined the money in their pockets to buy a case of beer, which they consumed while sitting in a kiddie pool behind Best’s house in Charlotte.
In 2006 McBride caught Ferrell's eye when he starred in the movie "The Foot Fist Way," a very low-budget comedy. Ferrell purchased the distribution rights to the film and said it was one of his all time favorite movies. The film stars McBride as a pompous Tae Kwon Do instructor not much unlike Kenny Powers. Soon after, Ferrell called McBride, telling him he wanted to know if he had any other ideas in the works.
As it turns out, sipping beer in kiddie pools was good for the creative flow. One of the ideas thrown around that day eventually became “Eastbound & Down."
Throughout the episode the focus is primarily on Kenny, not really allowing for any characters to make much of an impression. This isn't a complaint, because it allows McBride to flash his comedic talent in almost every scene. While fighting with his brother and sister-in-law Powers hilariously says, "I'm not gonna stop yelling, because that would mean I lost the fight!"
The force of McBride's performance and his mullet are more than enough to carry the half hour television show. "Eastbound & Down" is not your typical comedy and after finishing the pilot I could not wait to watch it again.
Joaquin Phoenix's Rap Career: Real or Hoax?
Throughout his entire career one thing Joaquin Phoenix could never be described as is typical. His parents were members of the religious cult the 'Children of God,' he used to credit himself under the name Leaf and he has siblings with names like Summer, Rain, and Liberty.
Phoenix's career took another unexpected turn late last year when he announced that he was retiring from acting to focus on his music career. What's even more farfetched is that Phoenix is trying to make it as a rap artist.
If the career transition holds true, Phoenix's last film will be "Two Lovers," which opened on Friday.
Phoenix has had a lengthy and extremely successful acting career. He began with guest appearances on television shows and established himself as a child actor in 1989 when he co-starred in "Parenthood," featuring Steve Martin and directed by Ron Howard. Afterwards Phoenix decided to withdraw from acting for a while and travel with his father to Mexico and South America.
Phoenix was thrust into public view again after his brother River Phoenix suffered a fatal drug overdose in 1993 outside the Viper Room in Hollywood. The 911 call Joaquin made to attempt to save his brother was recorded and repeatedly played over airwaves and television. Phoenix retreated from the public once again and did not re-emerge until a year later.
After playing small roles in Gus Van Sant's "To Die For" and Oliver Stone's "U-Turn," Phoenix received his first Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator." The biggest role of his career however would come a few years later. Phoenix was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his role as iconic musician Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line."
After the announcement rumors swirled through the industry claiming that the whole ploy was an elaborate hoax. But after playing shows in Culver City and Las Vegas, and signing a record deal with Sean “Diddy” Combs the career change seems legitimate. His brother-in-law, actor Casey Affleck, is following Phoenix and filming the transition for a documentary.
This strange story took another unexpected turn last week when Phoenix appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” On the show to promote his film “Two Lovers,” Phoenix had an extremely awkward interview with Letterman.
He stumbled out onto the stage in a sloppy suit with sunglasses and a huge “Grizzly Adams”-type beard. Phoenix seemed totally out of it during the interview, and at one point stuck a piece of gum he was chewing under the host’s desk. Letterman finished the interview by saying “Joaquin, I’m sorry you couldn’t be here tonight.”
The actor claims that his aspiring rap career is not a fabrication, but legitimate publications have reported that it is. Entertainment Weekly said that two sources close to the actor told them that his rap career is a “complete hoax” being perpetrated by Affleck to “poke fun at pompous actors and the media.”
Phoenix’s rap performances have received horrible reviews and can be easily found on YouTube. According to the former actor his rap career has started “terrible,” but doesn’t seem phased by his lack of success.
"It's not about quote, unquote 'being good.' It's about an experience. I didn't act because I wanted people to say I was good; I enjoyed that process. And now, I enjoy this process. What can I say? The album might suck. Everyone might hate it, and I might be the only one who likes it. But that's OK, because I'm having an amazing time making the record."
Whether Phoenix’s rap career is a hoax or not, it has made for some interesting headlines.
Phoenix's career took another unexpected turn late last year when he announced that he was retiring from acting to focus on his music career. What's even more farfetched is that Phoenix is trying to make it as a rap artist.
If the career transition holds true, Phoenix's last film will be "Two Lovers," which opened on Friday.
Phoenix has had a lengthy and extremely successful acting career. He began with guest appearances on television shows and established himself as a child actor in 1989 when he co-starred in "Parenthood," featuring Steve Martin and directed by Ron Howard. Afterwards Phoenix decided to withdraw from acting for a while and travel with his father to Mexico and South America.
Phoenix was thrust into public view again after his brother River Phoenix suffered a fatal drug overdose in 1993 outside the Viper Room in Hollywood. The 911 call Joaquin made to attempt to save his brother was recorded and repeatedly played over airwaves and television. Phoenix retreated from the public once again and did not re-emerge until a year later.
After playing small roles in Gus Van Sant's "To Die For" and Oliver Stone's "U-Turn," Phoenix received his first Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator." The biggest role of his career however would come a few years later. Phoenix was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his role as iconic musician Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line."
After the announcement rumors swirled through the industry claiming that the whole ploy was an elaborate hoax. But after playing shows in Culver City and Las Vegas, and signing a record deal with Sean “Diddy” Combs the career change seems legitimate. His brother-in-law, actor Casey Affleck, is following Phoenix and filming the transition for a documentary.
This strange story took another unexpected turn last week when Phoenix appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” On the show to promote his film “Two Lovers,” Phoenix had an extremely awkward interview with Letterman.
He stumbled out onto the stage in a sloppy suit with sunglasses and a huge “Grizzly Adams”-type beard. Phoenix seemed totally out of it during the interview, and at one point stuck a piece of gum he was chewing under the host’s desk. Letterman finished the interview by saying “Joaquin, I’m sorry you couldn’t be here tonight.”
The actor claims that his aspiring rap career is not a fabrication, but legitimate publications have reported that it is. Entertainment Weekly said that two sources close to the actor told them that his rap career is a “complete hoax” being perpetrated by Affleck to “poke fun at pompous actors and the media.”
Phoenix’s rap performances have received horrible reviews and can be easily found on YouTube. According to the former actor his rap career has started “terrible,” but doesn’t seem phased by his lack of success.
"It's not about quote, unquote 'being good.' It's about an experience. I didn't act because I wanted people to say I was good; I enjoyed that process. And now, I enjoy this process. What can I say? The album might suck. Everyone might hate it, and I might be the only one who likes it. But that's OK, because I'm having an amazing time making the record."
Whether Phoenix’s rap career is a hoax or not, it has made for some interesting headlines.
2009 Grammy Awards Recap
Award shows usually try to bring in viewers by manufacturing the impression that with the hoards of celebrities and big egos in attendance “anything can happen.” On Sunday night, the fifty first Grammy Awards delivered with cancelled performances, a star nominee in police custody, a song-theft controversy, a 9-month pregnant M.I.A. performing and another surprise winner for album of the year.
Last year the Grammy awards stunned the music world when Herbie Hancock’s “River: The Joni Letters” was chosen as album of the year, beating out the more mainstream artists Kanye West, Amy Winehouse and Norah Jones.
This year the Grammy’s shocked the industry after Robert Plant and Allison Krauss’ “Raising Sand” won album of the year. Plant, the former lead singer of Led Zeppellin, and Krauss, a bluegrass/country music star, also picked up five other awards on the night, including the prestigious Record of the Year for “Please Read the Letter.” Krauss came into the ceremony as the leading female winner in the history of the Grammy’s and Sunday's wins bring her career total to 26.
“Raising Sand,” a mystic-minded album reminiscent of America's bluegrass roots beat out a popular contingent of nominees including "The Year of the Gentleman," by Ne-Yo and "Viva La Vida" from Coldplay.
Before the show even began, the producers were in a mad scramble when they found out that two nominees scheduled to perform, Chris Brown and Rihanna would not be able to attend. Al Green and Justin Timberlake were pressed into service, performing "Let's Stay Together," while Boys II Men and Keith Urban took the other spots.
The reason for their absence, was an early morning incident which involved the arrest of Brown and an injury to Rihanna. Not usually known for a wild lifestyle, Brown was arrested after a woman identified him as the man who atacked her. He was charged with criminal threats but released on released on $50,000 bail late Sunday. Authorities have stated that additional charges may be filed. The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that the woman was Brown's girlfriend Rihanna.
According to the LAPD, the 19-year-old Brown and an unidentified woman were in a vehicle in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles early Sunday when they began arguing. Police said the "woman suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker." Officers said Brown was not present at the scene when they arrived.
Rapper Lil Wayne came into the night with eight nominations, the most of nay artist. His album “Tha Carter III” was the best selling album of 2008, moving more than one million copies its first week of release. The self-proclaimed “best rapper alive” walked away with four Grammys including Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song for “Lollipop” featuring Static Major. He also won Best Rap Solo Performance for his addicting, bass heavy "A Milli." He accepted his award for Best Rap Album with his daughter and other family members behind him and exclaimed, “Thank God, thank New Orleans, thank these people right here, and thank you!”
During the show Lil Wayne was joined by piano legend Allen Toussaint and singer Robin Thicke to perform his song “Tie My Hands.” The song paid tribute to his hometown of New Orleans and the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as images flashed on the screens above the stage.
Coldplay came in with seven nominations but settled for only three awards, losing Album and Record of the Year to Plant and Krauss. The band performed their heartfelt song “Lost” during the show, where singer Chris Martin was joined onstage by Jay-Z who laid down his verse from the song's remix. They won Best Rock Album of the Year and Song of the Year for “Viva La Vida,” beating out hits such as “American Boy” by Estelle and “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz.
Coldplay's "Viva La Vida brought some controversy in December when guitarist Joe Satriani filed a copyright infringement lawsuit claming that the track was too similar to the melody of his song “I Just Wanna Fly.”
Before the awards ceremony, reports surfaced that the guitarist was planning on ambushing the Grammys and serving the group papers because the group had allegedly been dodging his attempts. Thankfully the band received no interruptions on the night, and also performed an energetic, uplifting rendition of their single “Viva La Vida.”
One of the most coveted awards of the night, Best New Artist, went to singer Adele, who is best known for her song "Chasing Pavements." The Jonas Brothers were favored to win, but were upset by the 20-year-old British soul singer. She said she wrote the song after a night on the town with her ex-boyfriend, who she realized wasn't worth pursuing anymore. She performed the song and was also nominated for Song and Record of the Year, but lost both. She also beat out a slew of popular artists including Leona Lewis, Pink, Katy Perry, Duffy and Sara Bareilles to win Best Female pop Vocal Performance.
Radiohead, Death Cab For Cutie, Gnarls Barkley, Beck and My Morning Jacket were all nominated for Best Alternative Album. Each of the group's records made numerous top ten lists at the end of the year and had a good chance to take the award. Radiohead, nominated for six awards on the night, won for "In Rainbows," and also performed "15 Step" with the help of the University of Southern California Marching Band.
John Mayer walked away with two awards, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Say" and Best Solo Rock Performance for "Gravity." Bruce Springsteen won Best Rock Song for writing "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," beating out "Violet Hill" by Coldplay and "I Will Possess Your Heart" by Death Cab For Cutie.
Although Ne-Yo did not win Album of the Year, he did not leave the show empty handed. The smooth singer won Best R&B Song and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Miss Independent." American Idol star Jennifer Hudson, who performed "You Pull Me Through" with the help of a full choir, won the award for Best R&B Album.
The Grammy's are usually remembered for the colorful performances rather than who actually accepts the awards, and this year's broadcast showcased nominated songs and artists.
The most interesting performance of the night was a very pregnant M.I.A. sharing the stage with rap stars Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and T.I. (channeling The Rat Pack) to sing "Swagga Like Us." The Indian-born artist exploded onto the scene this summer with her hit "Paper Planes," which was featured in ads for "Pineapple Express" and also in the film "Slumdog Millionaire." M.I.A.'s performance was spirited and fun as she acted oblivious to the fact that she was 9 months pregnant and Sunday happened to be her due date. The song was nominated for Best Rap Song and won for Best Rap Performance by a Group.
Performances at the Grammy Awards can sometimes be a bit over the top, and that was the case with Katy Perry, who performed her nominated hit "I Kissed A Girl." She descended onto the stage in a giant banana, while wearing a fruit-themed skirt and was surrounded by dancers. More flashy, but just as good, were Estelle and Kanye West. The duo won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and took the stage to sing the cross-continental hit "American Boy." West was dressed shiny, decked out in a silver jacket and black pants, with his hair cut into a very 80s looking flattop.
With the help of Justin Timberlake on piano, T.I. performed the song "Dead and Gone," a tribute to friends that have passed on. The song was T.I.'s final performance before entering prison on gun charges. Timberlake was fantastic, crooning the chorus and providing back up on piano. T.I. ended his performance by saying, "Adversity builds character, character will take you places money can't, welcome to my road to redemption."
This year's Grammy's will most likely be remembered for the controversy involving Chris Brown and Rihanna, but the incident should not overshadow what turned out to be an entertaining show. The various combinations of talent and sound made for some fantastic performances and even made Blink 182 fans happy (yes, they are reuniting).
The producers of the show can only hope to duplicate the energy and creativity of this year's spectacle when Grammy time comes around again next year.
Last year the Grammy awards stunned the music world when Herbie Hancock’s “River: The Joni Letters” was chosen as album of the year, beating out the more mainstream artists Kanye West, Amy Winehouse and Norah Jones.
This year the Grammy’s shocked the industry after Robert Plant and Allison Krauss’ “Raising Sand” won album of the year. Plant, the former lead singer of Led Zeppellin, and Krauss, a bluegrass/country music star, also picked up five other awards on the night, including the prestigious Record of the Year for “Please Read the Letter.” Krauss came into the ceremony as the leading female winner in the history of the Grammy’s and Sunday's wins bring her career total to 26.
“Raising Sand,” a mystic-minded album reminiscent of America's bluegrass roots beat out a popular contingent of nominees including "The Year of the Gentleman," by Ne-Yo and "Viva La Vida" from Coldplay.
Before the show even began, the producers were in a mad scramble when they found out that two nominees scheduled to perform, Chris Brown and Rihanna would not be able to attend. Al Green and Justin Timberlake were pressed into service, performing "Let's Stay Together," while Boys II Men and Keith Urban took the other spots.
The reason for their absence, was an early morning incident which involved the arrest of Brown and an injury to Rihanna. Not usually known for a wild lifestyle, Brown was arrested after a woman identified him as the man who atacked her. He was charged with criminal threats but released on released on $50,000 bail late Sunday. Authorities have stated that additional charges may be filed. The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that the woman was Brown's girlfriend Rihanna.
According to the LAPD, the 19-year-old Brown and an unidentified woman were in a vehicle in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles early Sunday when they began arguing. Police said the "woman suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker." Officers said Brown was not present at the scene when they arrived.
Rapper Lil Wayne came into the night with eight nominations, the most of nay artist. His album “Tha Carter III” was the best selling album of 2008, moving more than one million copies its first week of release. The self-proclaimed “best rapper alive” walked away with four Grammys including Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song for “Lollipop” featuring Static Major. He also won Best Rap Solo Performance for his addicting, bass heavy "A Milli." He accepted his award for Best Rap Album with his daughter and other family members behind him and exclaimed, “Thank God, thank New Orleans, thank these people right here, and thank you!”
During the show Lil Wayne was joined by piano legend Allen Toussaint and singer Robin Thicke to perform his song “Tie My Hands.” The song paid tribute to his hometown of New Orleans and the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as images flashed on the screens above the stage.
Coldplay came in with seven nominations but settled for only three awards, losing Album and Record of the Year to Plant and Krauss. The band performed their heartfelt song “Lost” during the show, where singer Chris Martin was joined onstage by Jay-Z who laid down his verse from the song's remix. They won Best Rock Album of the Year and Song of the Year for “Viva La Vida,” beating out hits such as “American Boy” by Estelle and “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz.
Coldplay's "Viva La Vida brought some controversy in December when guitarist Joe Satriani filed a copyright infringement lawsuit claming that the track was too similar to the melody of his song “I Just Wanna Fly.”
Before the awards ceremony, reports surfaced that the guitarist was planning on ambushing the Grammys and serving the group papers because the group had allegedly been dodging his attempts. Thankfully the band received no interruptions on the night, and also performed an energetic, uplifting rendition of their single “Viva La Vida.”
One of the most coveted awards of the night, Best New Artist, went to singer Adele, who is best known for her song "Chasing Pavements." The Jonas Brothers were favored to win, but were upset by the 20-year-old British soul singer. She said she wrote the song after a night on the town with her ex-boyfriend, who she realized wasn't worth pursuing anymore. She performed the song and was also nominated for Song and Record of the Year, but lost both. She also beat out a slew of popular artists including Leona Lewis, Pink, Katy Perry, Duffy and Sara Bareilles to win Best Female pop Vocal Performance.
Radiohead, Death Cab For Cutie, Gnarls Barkley, Beck and My Morning Jacket were all nominated for Best Alternative Album. Each of the group's records made numerous top ten lists at the end of the year and had a good chance to take the award. Radiohead, nominated for six awards on the night, won for "In Rainbows," and also performed "15 Step" with the help of the University of Southern California Marching Band.
John Mayer walked away with two awards, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Say" and Best Solo Rock Performance for "Gravity." Bruce Springsteen won Best Rock Song for writing "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," beating out "Violet Hill" by Coldplay and "I Will Possess Your Heart" by Death Cab For Cutie.
Although Ne-Yo did not win Album of the Year, he did not leave the show empty handed. The smooth singer won Best R&B Song and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Miss Independent." American Idol star Jennifer Hudson, who performed "You Pull Me Through" with the help of a full choir, won the award for Best R&B Album.
The Grammy's are usually remembered for the colorful performances rather than who actually accepts the awards, and this year's broadcast showcased nominated songs and artists.
The most interesting performance of the night was a very pregnant M.I.A. sharing the stage with rap stars Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and T.I. (channeling The Rat Pack) to sing "Swagga Like Us." The Indian-born artist exploded onto the scene this summer with her hit "Paper Planes," which was featured in ads for "Pineapple Express" and also in the film "Slumdog Millionaire." M.I.A.'s performance was spirited and fun as she acted oblivious to the fact that she was 9 months pregnant and Sunday happened to be her due date. The song was nominated for Best Rap Song and won for Best Rap Performance by a Group.
Performances at the Grammy Awards can sometimes be a bit over the top, and that was the case with Katy Perry, who performed her nominated hit "I Kissed A Girl." She descended onto the stage in a giant banana, while wearing a fruit-themed skirt and was surrounded by dancers. More flashy, but just as good, were Estelle and Kanye West. The duo won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and took the stage to sing the cross-continental hit "American Boy." West was dressed shiny, decked out in a silver jacket and black pants, with his hair cut into a very 80s looking flattop.
With the help of Justin Timberlake on piano, T.I. performed the song "Dead and Gone," a tribute to friends that have passed on. The song was T.I.'s final performance before entering prison on gun charges. Timberlake was fantastic, crooning the chorus and providing back up on piano. T.I. ended his performance by saying, "Adversity builds character, character will take you places money can't, welcome to my road to redemption."
This year's Grammy's will most likely be remembered for the controversy involving Chris Brown and Rihanna, but the incident should not overshadow what turned out to be an entertaining show. The various combinations of talent and sound made for some fantastic performances and even made Blink 182 fans happy (yes, they are reuniting).
The producers of the show can only hope to duplicate the energy and creativity of this year's spectacle when Grammy time comes around again next year.
Comedian Louis Ramey Plays Oneonta
As warmer weather begins to melt the snow and ice off of Oneonta's landscape, comedian Louis Ramey heated SUNY Oneonta from the inside out, performing at CUAC's Laugh In on February 9.
Ramey, an Atlanta, GA. native, has appeared on the show "Last Comic Standing," where he finished in fifth place, and performed on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." He has performed at Oneonta before, and was enthusiastic to return.
"I remember the last time I drove in I saw snow everywhere. I thought, man this has got to be the worst place on earth... to shoot a 'Girls Gone Wild' video.""
The audience responded loudly to the jabs Ramey took at the college town.
"I plugged the address into my GPS and it said 'No.' Eventually it took me left, right, right, left, and all I kept seeing were people's backyards" Ramey said with a frustrated look on his face. "Then it takes me down a drive way, and wow! There's a college in someone's backyard."
He also shared his thoughts on Wal-Mart. "Lord knows I love a Super Wal-Mart. My favorite thing to do is go there at three in the morning, go inside buy shotgun shells and one home pregnancy test. That's all I need," Ramey said deadpan. "Then I just wait on the questions."
The comedian described members of his family, in particular his grandfather.
"He's 95. He lives in Cincinnati, likes to drive classic cars. Each year on Thanksgiving he drives to Atlanta and we try to steal the keys," said Ramey. "But he also collects guns."
He also mentioned how before the show he received a call from his mother. Ramey found out his grandfather had Alzheimer's and it might be hereditary. Clearly not the funniest bit of news, Ramey creatively spun it into a hilarious joke, repeating it three different times and making the audience burst into laughter.
Ramey exhibited great skill at extending jokes by using pauses. One punch line would come right after another, the crowd laughing louder each time. He also toyed with the audience, poking fun at someone's Star Wars shirt ("You're never getting laid man!") and a group of kids in the front row.
"You can always tell the potheads. We have the Olympic hackeysack team over here," said Ramey while the audience clutched their sides.
Towards the middle of the set, Ramey turned to politics, education, the environment and Obama. "This was the oddest presidential election ever for me," Ramey said in a serious tone. "Afterwards my neighbor said to me congratulations on Obama, and I could not figure out if he was being racist or not. So I said back to him 'Congratulations on OJ'."
One of Ramey's funniest bits of the night was when he joked about his education history. After picking on a few students in the audience, Ramey said he shouldn't mock them considering he graduated high school and got a football scholarship to DeVry University. Only half the audience laughed, but joined in moments later when Ramey let them know it's a online school with no football team.
Ramey spoke about how his career has enabled him to travel and see places he never would have seen. "I went to central Canada and I have one word to describe that place, diverse," Ramey said with a straight face. "Yeah that's sarcasm. Everyone is white and there's snow. I was pumping gas and I heard someone say 'I think that's Tiki Barber'."
After the audience was done laughing, Ramey delivered another joke, "Either that or Hootie," to which the crowd gave thunderous round of applause.
Ramey ended the night with a hilarious impression of deep throated singer Barry White as a five year old, and then proceeded to make his best joke of the night. As the audience was laughing he commented about one of the rows of students in the crowd. "It looks like the reunion of 'Saved By the Bell' over here."
He left the stage with the audience on their feet and then jumped back out from behind the curtain for a second go around.
"The show was great, I couldn't stop laughing. He just might be the best comedian to come to Oneonta all semester," said Josh Lefkowitz, present at the show. "I thought some of his best material was when he was making fun of Oneonta."
Ramey, an Atlanta, GA. native, has appeared on the show "Last Comic Standing," where he finished in fifth place, and performed on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." He has performed at Oneonta before, and was enthusiastic to return.
"I remember the last time I drove in I saw snow everywhere. I thought, man this has got to be the worst place on earth... to shoot a 'Girls Gone Wild' video.""
The audience responded loudly to the jabs Ramey took at the college town.
"I plugged the address into my GPS and it said 'No.' Eventually it took me left, right, right, left, and all I kept seeing were people's backyards" Ramey said with a frustrated look on his face. "Then it takes me down a drive way, and wow! There's a college in someone's backyard."
He also shared his thoughts on Wal-Mart. "Lord knows I love a Super Wal-Mart. My favorite thing to do is go there at three in the morning, go inside buy shotgun shells and one home pregnancy test. That's all I need," Ramey said deadpan. "Then I just wait on the questions."
The comedian described members of his family, in particular his grandfather.
"He's 95. He lives in Cincinnati, likes to drive classic cars. Each year on Thanksgiving he drives to Atlanta and we try to steal the keys," said Ramey. "But he also collects guns."
He also mentioned how before the show he received a call from his mother. Ramey found out his grandfather had Alzheimer's and it might be hereditary. Clearly not the funniest bit of news, Ramey creatively spun it into a hilarious joke, repeating it three different times and making the audience burst into laughter.
Ramey exhibited great skill at extending jokes by using pauses. One punch line would come right after another, the crowd laughing louder each time. He also toyed with the audience, poking fun at someone's Star Wars shirt ("You're never getting laid man!") and a group of kids in the front row.
"You can always tell the potheads. We have the Olympic hackeysack team over here," said Ramey while the audience clutched their sides.
Towards the middle of the set, Ramey turned to politics, education, the environment and Obama. "This was the oddest presidential election ever for me," Ramey said in a serious tone. "Afterwards my neighbor said to me congratulations on Obama, and I could not figure out if he was being racist or not. So I said back to him 'Congratulations on OJ'."
One of Ramey's funniest bits of the night was when he joked about his education history. After picking on a few students in the audience, Ramey said he shouldn't mock them considering he graduated high school and got a football scholarship to DeVry University. Only half the audience laughed, but joined in moments later when Ramey let them know it's a online school with no football team.
Ramey spoke about how his career has enabled him to travel and see places he never would have seen. "I went to central Canada and I have one word to describe that place, diverse," Ramey said with a straight face. "Yeah that's sarcasm. Everyone is white and there's snow. I was pumping gas and I heard someone say 'I think that's Tiki Barber'."
After the audience was done laughing, Ramey delivered another joke, "Either that or Hootie," to which the crowd gave thunderous round of applause.
Ramey ended the night with a hilarious impression of deep throated singer Barry White as a five year old, and then proceeded to make his best joke of the night. As the audience was laughing he commented about one of the rows of students in the crowd. "It looks like the reunion of 'Saved By the Bell' over here."
He left the stage with the audience on their feet and then jumped back out from behind the curtain for a second go around.
"The show was great, I couldn't stop laughing. He just might be the best comedian to come to Oneonta all semester," said Josh Lefkowitz, present at the show. "I thought some of his best material was when he was making fun of Oneonta."
My Oscar Picks...Albeit A Little Late
Each year, once the Academy Award nominations are released, movie critics, fans, news anchors, professors and anyone you can think of give their opinions on who they think will win. Here are some of the major categories with my picks for who should win, who actually will win and who should have some beef for not getting nominated.
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin (“Milk”), Robert Downey Jr. (“Tropic Thunder”), Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Doubt”), Heath Ledger (“The Dark Knight”), Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road”)
Supporting actor may be the most interesting category of the awards this year, but it is also the most predictable. No one else will win this award but Heath Ledger.
The last time an actor was nominated posthumously was 1977, when Peter Finch died in January, about a month before he was nominated for “Network”. The second Ledger shows up on screen in “The Dark Knight” you realize that this Joker has all but obliterated Jack Nicholson’s version from “Batman” (1989). This will allow the Academy to award a young, deserving actor whose career and life was cut too short.
The biggest shock of the awards has to be Robert Downey Jr. getting nominated for “Tropic Thunder”. Just like Mickey Rourke, Downey has made a great comeback this year, first with “Iron Man” and now with this nomination.
Josh Brolin brought some depth and humility to his character of Dan White, the man who went on to assassinate Harvey Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone.
Michael Shannon was the lone nominee from “Revolutionary Road”, beating out more high profile actors Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet. Shannon is only on-screen for about 10 minutes, but his portrayal of a disturbed neighbor serves as the voice of reason in the film.
Who Should/Will Win: The fact that Heath Ledger died last year had some critics wondering, if he was alive, would he still receive this award? The answer is emphatically yes. His turn as the nihilistic, always torturous Joker was simply divine and one of the best performances of this year.
Who Got Snubbed?: For all the tabloid coverage he gets, sometimes people don’t realize how talented Brad Pitt actually is. Throughout his career he has done quality work (“Babel”, “Fight Club”) and in the Coen Brothers dark comedy, “Burn After Reading”, Pitt plays his character perfectly, which is nothing more than a complete imbecile, perfectly. It’s one of the more understated performances of the year and he is by far the funniest actor in the picture.
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway (“Rachel Getting Married”), Angelina Jolie (“Changeling”), Melissa Leo (“Frozen River”), Meryl Streep (“Doubt”), Kate Winslet (“The Reader”)
After winning two Golden Globes for her performances in “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road,” many felt that the Academy might reward Kate Winslet with two nominations again. Instead they gave her one for her portrayal of Hanna, a former Holocaust camp guard. Her performance is one of the best of the finest this year and may give Winslet her first career win.
There is usually one major nomination each year that gets most people wondering “who is she and what’s that movie?” This year it’s Melissa Leo and “Frozen River”. Leo plays a single mother who gets drawn into a scheme smuggling illegal workers from New York City to Canada to help support her family. She is definitely a long shot to win, but the Academy has surprised people before (Frances McDormand, “Fargo”).
Meryl Streep has been nominated a record 15 times, winning twice, but it has been over 25 years since she won an Oscar.
Anne Hathaway is best known for her roles in mostly lighthearted movies (“The Devil Wears Prada”, “Princess Diaries”), which is why her turn as Kym, a recovering drug addict in “Rachel Getting Married” is so powerful. Released from drug rehab to attend her sisters wedding, Hathaway’s Kym does all she can to wreak havoc on her sister’s big day. The audience finds themselves anxiously wondering if she can redeem herself by the end.
Angelina Jolie fits the old Hollyood-era setting perfectly of Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling.” As a mother who loses her child in 1940’s Los Angeles, her performance is good, but at times very one-dimensional.
Who Should Win: Chances are Melissa Leo will be overlooked on award’s night for a more notable actress like Kate Winslet or Meryl Streep. But in her understated, realistic performance, she captures how life doesn’t always deal you the easiest hand of cards.
Who Will Win: At 33 years old, Kate Winslet has already earned herself six nominations. It’s finally time for her to win one for a great performance in a mediocre film.
Who Got Snubbed?: Sally Hawkins won a Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy or musical for her performance in Mike Leigh’s “Happy Go Lucky”. She was left out here, but easily could have garnered a nomination for her portrayal of the always cheerful, infinitely optimistic Poppy.
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams (“Doubt”), Penelope Cruz (“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”), Viola Davis (“Doubt”), Taraji P. Henson (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), Marisa Tomei (“The Wrestler”)
By far the strongest acting category this year, the supporting actress nominees feature some powerful, fantastic performances.
Viola Davis displays remarkable restraint and power in her performance as the mother of a student implicated in a sex scandal in “Doubt.” Many times supporting roles are meant to be small, allowing the audience just to see through an open window of a character. Davis fills the small role with complexity and depth and as the film goes on she pours out her heart, revealing the aspirations and desperation any parent would have for their child.
Taraji P. Henson gives a splendid performance as Benjamin Button’s adoptive mother. As her son’s guiding force throughout the movie, she inspires him to see the world and can’t say enough about how truly extraordinary he is. Henson’s genuineness and love is completely believable because of how naturally she slides into her role.
Marissa Tomei charmed everyone’s hearts as the lovable girlfriend in “My Cousin Vinny” for which she won an Oscar for best supporting actress in 1993. She does it once again, only this time as an aging stripper named Cassidy. Tomei’s performance is emotional and sincere, and she seems very comfortable in the role, possibly due to the fact that she and director Darren Aronofsky attended the same Brooklyn high school.
Who Should Win: The warmth and humor of Taraji P. Henson as an adoring mother to her son Benjamin Button is genuine and extremely impressive to watch.
Who Will Win: Marissa Tomei has always been an excellent actress (“In the Bedroom”, “My Cousin Vinny”), and her performance in “The Wrestler” is one of the best of her career.
Who Got Snubbed?: The beautiful Freida Pinto was fantastic in “Slumdog Millionaire” as Jamal’s love interest Latika. The love between the two is the driving force behind the movie, and the actress, who is barely known in the United States, brought some uncompromising vulnerability to one of the most important roles in the film.
Best Actor: Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”), Frank Langella (“Frost/Nixon”), Sean Penn (“Milk”), Brad Pitt (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), Mickey Rourke (“The Wrestler”)
Last year there was no question that Daniel Day Lewis would win the award for his performance in “There Will Be Blood.” This year the race is a bit tighter.
Sean Penn seems to be the favorite here due to the fact that he has won the award before (“Mystic River’” 2003), and his portrayal of San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk was pitch perfect. Penn slips into the skin of Milk, channeling his enthusiasm and gentleness, creating an almost mirror image of the real character.
It’s nice to see Richard Jenkins score a nomination for “The Visitor.” The long time character actor has done a wide range of work (“Step Brothers”, “Six Feet Under”) and it’s good to see that the Academy didn’t overlook his performance. It was Jenkins’ first leading role, and his first career nomination. Director Tom McCarthy wrote the role of Walter, a widowed college professor, specifically for Jenkins.
Brad Pitt played Benjamin Button with a little help of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), but his overall performance was one of the best of his career. Pitt has been nominated before (Best Supporting Actor, “12 Monkeys”, 1994), but never for Best Actor. Pitt brings an unwavering sense of youth, exuberance and thoughtfulness to his character.
Frank Langella won the Tony Award for Best Actor in 2007 for playing Richard Nixon in the stage version of “Frost/Nixon.” His commanding performance was enhanced by the way Langella handled himself off-camera. To help cultivate the loneliness and social awkwardness of Nixon, he kept to himself and didn’t fraternize with his costars.
Mickey Rourke’s comeback should now officially be considered over. With years of drug abuse, boxing, plastic surgery and passing up on some ridiculously good roles (“Pulp Fiction”, “Rain Man”, “The Untouchables”) behind him, Rourke has found himself on the right track. Teaming with director Darren Aronofsky, Rourke literally becomes his character. He takes hold of washed-up 80s wrestler Randy “Ram” Robinson, and while on screen you just can’t take your eyes off Rourke. By voting for Rourke, the Academy proved that Hollywood loves a comeback story. If he wins he’s sure to give one hell of an acceptance speech.
Who Should Win: Everyone loves the underdog, right? Mickey Rourke’s performance coupled with his amazing comeback story makes his turn as Randy “The Ram” Robinson unforgettable.
Who Will Win: It’s hard to distinguish between the real life Harvey Milk and the character Sean Penn brings to the screen. In any other year Penn would be a lock in, but Rourke’s performance stands a dark horse to take the award from him.
Who Got Snubbed?: One of the biggest snubs of all the categories this year has to be Clint Eastwood’s performance in Gran Torino. The National Board of Review named him the Best Actor for his vintage, yet endearing performance. He plays Walt, a Korean War veteran, much like the tough guys he’s played in the past. What’s different about Eastwood’s portrayal of Walt is that although he is extremely backwards in his treatment of the people around him as a viewer your emotions seem to rise and fall with him in this simple story of redemption and doing what’s right.
Best Picture: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon”, “Milk”, “The Reader”, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Coming into the Academy Awards, four nominees seem to be a lock for a nomination. “Milk,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Frost/Nixon” have all received praise from critics and were all nominated for best picture by the Producer’s Guild of America and the Golden Globes, and were nominated for various other awards.
Many felt that the year’s biggest and most critically acclaimed film, “The Dark Knight,” would defy the odds and get a nomination from the Academy. But they decided to play it safe this year, awarding the fifth nomination to the Holocaust story “The Reader.”
“Slumdog Millionaire” is the film with the most widespread appeal of any of the nominees. Directed masterfully by Danny Boyle, the film is both a hit with regular folks and critics alike. Dev Patel as Jamal gives a grossly underrated performance as he searches for his lost love. It’s a story of vicious violence and horrifying poverty, but at the same time is really more of an alluring fable of love defying all.
Like “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is another film about a decent, young man searching for his life’s love. The film is stylistically unbelievable, but too much like “Forrest Gump,” which is understandable since screenwriter Eric Roth wrote both.
Ron Howard’s political drama “Frost/Nixon” is a fine film and a serviceable adaptation of Peter Morgan’s stage play. Howard doesn’t try to do too much with the film, he is extremely adept at allowing his actors to take hold of the screen and flesh out their own characters.
“Milk” has a superb supporting cast (Emile Hirsch, James Franco) and marvelous direction from Gus Van Sant. This portraiture of Harvey Milk and the political landscape of 1970s San Francisco is one of the finest biographical films you will see.
Who Should Win: “Slumdog Millionaire.” Danny Boyle’s wondrous love story takes you on a crash course through India and the city of Mumbai. The acting is top notch, the music perfect and no film this year is better. “Slumdog Millionaire” has everything going for it. A darling with both the masses and critics, it has already won big at the Golden Globes, as well as winning best picture from the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA) and the Screen Actors’ Guild of America (SAG).
Who Was Snubbed?: The Academy chose to nominate “The Reader” because, they can’t find it within themselves to overlook a film about the Holocaust. But they made a grave mistake by failing to nominate “The Dark Knight.” After scoring a best picture nomination from the PGA, it looked as if Christopher Nolan’s superhero epic would get the Academy’s recognition.
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin (“Milk”), Robert Downey Jr. (“Tropic Thunder”), Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Doubt”), Heath Ledger (“The Dark Knight”), Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road”)
Supporting actor may be the most interesting category of the awards this year, but it is also the most predictable. No one else will win this award but Heath Ledger.
The last time an actor was nominated posthumously was 1977, when Peter Finch died in January, about a month before he was nominated for “Network”. The second Ledger shows up on screen in “The Dark Knight” you realize that this Joker has all but obliterated Jack Nicholson’s version from “Batman” (1989). This will allow the Academy to award a young, deserving actor whose career and life was cut too short.
The biggest shock of the awards has to be Robert Downey Jr. getting nominated for “Tropic Thunder”. Just like Mickey Rourke, Downey has made a great comeback this year, first with “Iron Man” and now with this nomination.
Josh Brolin brought some depth and humility to his character of Dan White, the man who went on to assassinate Harvey Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone.
Michael Shannon was the lone nominee from “Revolutionary Road”, beating out more high profile actors Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet. Shannon is only on-screen for about 10 minutes, but his portrayal of a disturbed neighbor serves as the voice of reason in the film.
Who Should/Will Win: The fact that Heath Ledger died last year had some critics wondering, if he was alive, would he still receive this award? The answer is emphatically yes. His turn as the nihilistic, always torturous Joker was simply divine and one of the best performances of this year.
Who Got Snubbed?: For all the tabloid coverage he gets, sometimes people don’t realize how talented Brad Pitt actually is. Throughout his career he has done quality work (“Babel”, “Fight Club”) and in the Coen Brothers dark comedy, “Burn After Reading”, Pitt plays his character perfectly, which is nothing more than a complete imbecile, perfectly. It’s one of the more understated performances of the year and he is by far the funniest actor in the picture.
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway (“Rachel Getting Married”), Angelina Jolie (“Changeling”), Melissa Leo (“Frozen River”), Meryl Streep (“Doubt”), Kate Winslet (“The Reader”)
After winning two Golden Globes for her performances in “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road,” many felt that the Academy might reward Kate Winslet with two nominations again. Instead they gave her one for her portrayal of Hanna, a former Holocaust camp guard. Her performance is one of the best of the finest this year and may give Winslet her first career win.
There is usually one major nomination each year that gets most people wondering “who is she and what’s that movie?” This year it’s Melissa Leo and “Frozen River”. Leo plays a single mother who gets drawn into a scheme smuggling illegal workers from New York City to Canada to help support her family. She is definitely a long shot to win, but the Academy has surprised people before (Frances McDormand, “Fargo”).
Meryl Streep has been nominated a record 15 times, winning twice, but it has been over 25 years since she won an Oscar.
Anne Hathaway is best known for her roles in mostly lighthearted movies (“The Devil Wears Prada”, “Princess Diaries”), which is why her turn as Kym, a recovering drug addict in “Rachel Getting Married” is so powerful. Released from drug rehab to attend her sisters wedding, Hathaway’s Kym does all she can to wreak havoc on her sister’s big day. The audience finds themselves anxiously wondering if she can redeem herself by the end.
Angelina Jolie fits the old Hollyood-era setting perfectly of Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling.” As a mother who loses her child in 1940’s Los Angeles, her performance is good, but at times very one-dimensional.
Who Should Win: Chances are Melissa Leo will be overlooked on award’s night for a more notable actress like Kate Winslet or Meryl Streep. But in her understated, realistic performance, she captures how life doesn’t always deal you the easiest hand of cards.
Who Will Win: At 33 years old, Kate Winslet has already earned herself six nominations. It’s finally time for her to win one for a great performance in a mediocre film.
Who Got Snubbed?: Sally Hawkins won a Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy or musical for her performance in Mike Leigh’s “Happy Go Lucky”. She was left out here, but easily could have garnered a nomination for her portrayal of the always cheerful, infinitely optimistic Poppy.
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams (“Doubt”), Penelope Cruz (“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”), Viola Davis (“Doubt”), Taraji P. Henson (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), Marisa Tomei (“The Wrestler”)
By far the strongest acting category this year, the supporting actress nominees feature some powerful, fantastic performances.
Viola Davis displays remarkable restraint and power in her performance as the mother of a student implicated in a sex scandal in “Doubt.” Many times supporting roles are meant to be small, allowing the audience just to see through an open window of a character. Davis fills the small role with complexity and depth and as the film goes on she pours out her heart, revealing the aspirations and desperation any parent would have for their child.
Taraji P. Henson gives a splendid performance as Benjamin Button’s adoptive mother. As her son’s guiding force throughout the movie, she inspires him to see the world and can’t say enough about how truly extraordinary he is. Henson’s genuineness and love is completely believable because of how naturally she slides into her role.
Marissa Tomei charmed everyone’s hearts as the lovable girlfriend in “My Cousin Vinny” for which she won an Oscar for best supporting actress in 1993. She does it once again, only this time as an aging stripper named Cassidy. Tomei’s performance is emotional and sincere, and she seems very comfortable in the role, possibly due to the fact that she and director Darren Aronofsky attended the same Brooklyn high school.
Who Should Win: The warmth and humor of Taraji P. Henson as an adoring mother to her son Benjamin Button is genuine and extremely impressive to watch.
Who Will Win: Marissa Tomei has always been an excellent actress (“In the Bedroom”, “My Cousin Vinny”), and her performance in “The Wrestler” is one of the best of her career.
Who Got Snubbed?: The beautiful Freida Pinto was fantastic in “Slumdog Millionaire” as Jamal’s love interest Latika. The love between the two is the driving force behind the movie, and the actress, who is barely known in the United States, brought some uncompromising vulnerability to one of the most important roles in the film.
Best Actor: Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”), Frank Langella (“Frost/Nixon”), Sean Penn (“Milk”), Brad Pitt (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), Mickey Rourke (“The Wrestler”)
Last year there was no question that Daniel Day Lewis would win the award for his performance in “There Will Be Blood.” This year the race is a bit tighter.
Sean Penn seems to be the favorite here due to the fact that he has won the award before (“Mystic River’” 2003), and his portrayal of San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk was pitch perfect. Penn slips into the skin of Milk, channeling his enthusiasm and gentleness, creating an almost mirror image of the real character.
It’s nice to see Richard Jenkins score a nomination for “The Visitor.” The long time character actor has done a wide range of work (“Step Brothers”, “Six Feet Under”) and it’s good to see that the Academy didn’t overlook his performance. It was Jenkins’ first leading role, and his first career nomination. Director Tom McCarthy wrote the role of Walter, a widowed college professor, specifically for Jenkins.
Brad Pitt played Benjamin Button with a little help of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), but his overall performance was one of the best of his career. Pitt has been nominated before (Best Supporting Actor, “12 Monkeys”, 1994), but never for Best Actor. Pitt brings an unwavering sense of youth, exuberance and thoughtfulness to his character.
Frank Langella won the Tony Award for Best Actor in 2007 for playing Richard Nixon in the stage version of “Frost/Nixon.” His commanding performance was enhanced by the way Langella handled himself off-camera. To help cultivate the loneliness and social awkwardness of Nixon, he kept to himself and didn’t fraternize with his costars.
Mickey Rourke’s comeback should now officially be considered over. With years of drug abuse, boxing, plastic surgery and passing up on some ridiculously good roles (“Pulp Fiction”, “Rain Man”, “The Untouchables”) behind him, Rourke has found himself on the right track. Teaming with director Darren Aronofsky, Rourke literally becomes his character. He takes hold of washed-up 80s wrestler Randy “Ram” Robinson, and while on screen you just can’t take your eyes off Rourke. By voting for Rourke, the Academy proved that Hollywood loves a comeback story. If he wins he’s sure to give one hell of an acceptance speech.
Who Should Win: Everyone loves the underdog, right? Mickey Rourke’s performance coupled with his amazing comeback story makes his turn as Randy “The Ram” Robinson unforgettable.
Who Will Win: It’s hard to distinguish between the real life Harvey Milk and the character Sean Penn brings to the screen. In any other year Penn would be a lock in, but Rourke’s performance stands a dark horse to take the award from him.
Who Got Snubbed?: One of the biggest snubs of all the categories this year has to be Clint Eastwood’s performance in Gran Torino. The National Board of Review named him the Best Actor for his vintage, yet endearing performance. He plays Walt, a Korean War veteran, much like the tough guys he’s played in the past. What’s different about Eastwood’s portrayal of Walt is that although he is extremely backwards in his treatment of the people around him as a viewer your emotions seem to rise and fall with him in this simple story of redemption and doing what’s right.
Best Picture: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon”, “Milk”, “The Reader”, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Coming into the Academy Awards, four nominees seem to be a lock for a nomination. “Milk,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Frost/Nixon” have all received praise from critics and were all nominated for best picture by the Producer’s Guild of America and the Golden Globes, and were nominated for various other awards.
Many felt that the year’s biggest and most critically acclaimed film, “The Dark Knight,” would defy the odds and get a nomination from the Academy. But they decided to play it safe this year, awarding the fifth nomination to the Holocaust story “The Reader.”
“Slumdog Millionaire” is the film with the most widespread appeal of any of the nominees. Directed masterfully by Danny Boyle, the film is both a hit with regular folks and critics alike. Dev Patel as Jamal gives a grossly underrated performance as he searches for his lost love. It’s a story of vicious violence and horrifying poverty, but at the same time is really more of an alluring fable of love defying all.
Like “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is another film about a decent, young man searching for his life’s love. The film is stylistically unbelievable, but too much like “Forrest Gump,” which is understandable since screenwriter Eric Roth wrote both.
Ron Howard’s political drama “Frost/Nixon” is a fine film and a serviceable adaptation of Peter Morgan’s stage play. Howard doesn’t try to do too much with the film, he is extremely adept at allowing his actors to take hold of the screen and flesh out their own characters.
“Milk” has a superb supporting cast (Emile Hirsch, James Franco) and marvelous direction from Gus Van Sant. This portraiture of Harvey Milk and the political landscape of 1970s San Francisco is one of the finest biographical films you will see.
Who Should Win: “Slumdog Millionaire.” Danny Boyle’s wondrous love story takes you on a crash course through India and the city of Mumbai. The acting is top notch, the music perfect and no film this year is better. “Slumdog Millionaire” has everything going for it. A darling with both the masses and critics, it has already won big at the Golden Globes, as well as winning best picture from the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA) and the Screen Actors’ Guild of America (SAG).
Who Was Snubbed?: The Academy chose to nominate “The Reader” because, they can’t find it within themselves to overlook a film about the Holocaust. But they made a grave mistake by failing to nominate “The Dark Knight.” After scoring a best picture nomination from the PGA, it looked as if Christopher Nolan’s superhero epic would get the Academy’s recognition.
Lost Season 5 Review (First Episodes)
In May 2007 the producers of “Lost” announced that the show would come to a close at the end of its sixth season, set to air in 2010. They decided that 48 episodes (three seasons, 16 episodes each), were just the right amount they needed to wrap up one of television’s most addicting shows.
The first two hours of the new season are enjoyable, confusing and creatively marvelous.
At the end of season four, the world of “Lost” as we know it has been split in half. The Oceanic Six, along with Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), Ben (Michael Emerson) and a dead Locke (Terry O’Quinn) are back in the real world, while Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) and the other survivors left on the island vanished in a puff of bright light.
The last time we saw the Six, some of their lives were in complete disarray. Sayid (Naveen Andrews) was an assassin/spy; Sun (Yunjin Kim) got tough looking for revenge on her slain husband and stood up to her domineering father; Kate (Evangeline Lilly) was becoming an annoyingly domestic mother; Hurley (Jorge Garcia) was holed up in a mental hospital; and Jack (Matthew Fox) was fully bearded, desperately trying to find a way back to the island.
However, on the island, things are in extreme limbo. When the island vanished, it left the audience wondering: where did the island go? The proper question to ask is when did the island go.
If you’re someone who runs for cover when the words time travel are mentioned, don’t fret. The way time travel is utilized on “Lost” is not in the same vein as other shows like "Heroes,” which has frustrated fans with random time travel twists. Thanks to some helpful explaining from physicist Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies), we learn that time travel on this show has rules, meaning you can’t simply jump back in time and kill Hitler. He describes time as a string, you can move backwards and forwards , but you cannot create a new string.
Time travel has always been hinted at throughout the show, but it has mostly taken a backseat to other storylines. When it has been the center of attention in “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” “The Constant,” Lost is at its creative peak. Both “Flashes” and “The Constant” are considered two of the best episodes of the series by both fans and critics alike.
With the separation of the survivors and the fearless leader Jack gone, it has given Sawyer the chance to step into the spotlight and take charge. Standing mostly shirtless for the premiere, Sawyer does what he does best, butting heads with Dr. Daniel (he slaps him in the face) and the red headed Charlotte (“you want one too Ginger?”). Josh Holloway has always played Sawyer to perfection, channeling him as if he were the ultimate “everyman.” He’s not a physicist or a doctor; he’s a regular guy, the character many can identify with.
The writers of the show are some of the smartest people involved in television today. They have been able to combine fantastical science fiction elements with adventure story-telling in such a relevant and believable way that the audience buys into the plot.
Sawyer is one of the main reasons why the show is able to do that and keep the loyalty of their fans. He is the channel that brings all of the show’s science and complicated theories to the ground where we all can understand it.
Along with that, what helps separate "Lost" from other shows is its ability to lighten the situation with sharp wit and humor. Most dramatic shows stay too serious, but “Lost” brings humor to the table with perfection, having Sawyer calling pretty much everyone by a nickname, or Miles (Ken Leung) being cynical and sarcastic to everyone around him.
As the people left on the island jump through time, they come under attack from some of its mysterious past inhabitants. In one of “Lost’s” best and most creative action scenes, the survivors must out run a dizzying array of flaming arrows that strike down onto the beach in the dead of night. Sawyer leads the way, protecting Juliet and trying to survive.
The best part of the time travel aspect to the new season is that it gives the writer’s a great amount of creative flexibility. They can now expand on the mythology of “Lost,” giving answers and a clear picture about the history of the island, and what makes it so special.
The first two episodes play out like the movie “Pulp Fiction”. “You are presented with many different timelines, unsure of what came first, last or inbetween. It is up to you to put them into the right order, but as time goes on you realize two hours isn’t nearly enough time to do that. Unlike "Pulp Fiction," chances are we will have to wait till the end of the season (or perhaps beyond) to find out exactly how everything happened.
This season of Lost looks to be one of its best yet. "Lost" airs Wednesdays on ABC at 9 PM.
The first two hours of the new season are enjoyable, confusing and creatively marvelous.
At the end of season four, the world of “Lost” as we know it has been split in half. The Oceanic Six, along with Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), Ben (Michael Emerson) and a dead Locke (Terry O’Quinn) are back in the real world, while Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) and the other survivors left on the island vanished in a puff of bright light.
The last time we saw the Six, some of their lives were in complete disarray. Sayid (Naveen Andrews) was an assassin/spy; Sun (Yunjin Kim) got tough looking for revenge on her slain husband and stood up to her domineering father; Kate (Evangeline Lilly) was becoming an annoyingly domestic mother; Hurley (Jorge Garcia) was holed up in a mental hospital; and Jack (Matthew Fox) was fully bearded, desperately trying to find a way back to the island.
However, on the island, things are in extreme limbo. When the island vanished, it left the audience wondering: where did the island go? The proper question to ask is when did the island go.
If you’re someone who runs for cover when the words time travel are mentioned, don’t fret. The way time travel is utilized on “Lost” is not in the same vein as other shows like "Heroes,” which has frustrated fans with random time travel twists. Thanks to some helpful explaining from physicist Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies), we learn that time travel on this show has rules, meaning you can’t simply jump back in time and kill Hitler. He describes time as a string, you can move backwards and forwards , but you cannot create a new string.
Time travel has always been hinted at throughout the show, but it has mostly taken a backseat to other storylines. When it has been the center of attention in “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” “The Constant,” Lost is at its creative peak. Both “Flashes” and “The Constant” are considered two of the best episodes of the series by both fans and critics alike.
With the separation of the survivors and the fearless leader Jack gone, it has given Sawyer the chance to step into the spotlight and take charge. Standing mostly shirtless for the premiere, Sawyer does what he does best, butting heads with Dr. Daniel (he slaps him in the face) and the red headed Charlotte (“you want one too Ginger?”). Josh Holloway has always played Sawyer to perfection, channeling him as if he were the ultimate “everyman.” He’s not a physicist or a doctor; he’s a regular guy, the character many can identify with.
The writers of the show are some of the smartest people involved in television today. They have been able to combine fantastical science fiction elements with adventure story-telling in such a relevant and believable way that the audience buys into the plot.
Sawyer is one of the main reasons why the show is able to do that and keep the loyalty of their fans. He is the channel that brings all of the show’s science and complicated theories to the ground where we all can understand it.
Along with that, what helps separate "Lost" from other shows is its ability to lighten the situation with sharp wit and humor. Most dramatic shows stay too serious, but “Lost” brings humor to the table with perfection, having Sawyer calling pretty much everyone by a nickname, or Miles (Ken Leung) being cynical and sarcastic to everyone around him.
As the people left on the island jump through time, they come under attack from some of its mysterious past inhabitants. In one of “Lost’s” best and most creative action scenes, the survivors must out run a dizzying array of flaming arrows that strike down onto the beach in the dead of night. Sawyer leads the way, protecting Juliet and trying to survive.
The best part of the time travel aspect to the new season is that it gives the writer’s a great amount of creative flexibility. They can now expand on the mythology of “Lost,” giving answers and a clear picture about the history of the island, and what makes it so special.
The first two episodes play out like the movie “Pulp Fiction”. “You are presented with many different timelines, unsure of what came first, last or inbetween. It is up to you to put them into the right order, but as time goes on you realize two hours isn’t nearly enough time to do that. Unlike "Pulp Fiction," chances are we will have to wait till the end of the season (or perhaps beyond) to find out exactly how everything happened.
This season of Lost looks to be one of its best yet. "Lost" airs Wednesdays on ABC at 9 PM.
The Unfilmable Movie
For those not familiar with the comic, “Watchmen” is a genre-defying piece of art. It is unlike anything else in its medium. It was the only graphic novel to appear on Times’ list of the 100 best novels from 1923 to present.
Created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, “Watchmen” is a complex, multi-layered mystery adventure set in an alternate 1985 America. Costumed superheroes are part of the fabric everyday society, and the Doomsday Clock – which keeps track of the United States’ tension with the Soviet Union – is inching closer to midnight. Freelance vigilantes have been outlawed and most costumed super-heroes are in retirement or working for the government.
The story revolves around the personal development and struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government-sponsored super-hero pulls them out of retirement. As the clues begin to unravel, they find themselves immersed in a wide-ranging conspiracy that has links to the group’s past and has catastrophic consequences for the future.
The heroes are unlike any you’ve ever seen before. This crime fighting legion of heroes are a ragtag group in which only one of the characters has actual “powers” and they all have deep personal issues. The novel is one of the most realistic portrayals of heroes ever created within comics.
The main characters of “Watchmen” are: The Comedian/Edward Blake, a government-sanctioned superhero, whose murder opens the story and sets the plot in motion; Dr. Manhattan/Dr. Jon Osterman is a scientist who became super powered being when he was caught in an Intrinsic Field reactor in 1959 and is now contracted by the U.S. government; Nite Owl/Dan Drieberg is a retired, out of shape, saddened and lonely hero who utilizes owl-themed gadgets (has a bit in common with Batman); Ozymandias/Adrian Veidt is considered the smartest man on the planet and is retired as a superhero so he can focus on running his own business enterprise; Rorschach/Walter Kovacs is a vigilante who wears a white mask that contains constantly shifting ink blots, and continues to fight crime in spite of his outlaw status; and Silk Spectre/Laurie Juspeczyk is the daughter of the original Silk Spectre, with whom she has a strained relationship.
For many years the most prominent critics and people in the entertainment industry felt that “Watchmen” was unfilmable. It’s important societal metaphors, pop culture references and extremely stylish and intelligent writing just seemed too difficult to translate to the silver screen. With just under two months until the films release, those skeptics have now been quieted. But the road to the film version of “Watchmen” has not been an easy one. The film lingered in development hell for many years before Warner Bros. decided to seriously pursue the project, handing the reigns to director Zack Snyder (“Dawn of the Dead”, “300”).
The film version of “Watchmen” has been in development since 1986, when producer Lawrence Gordon acquired the rights to it. The project was in the hands of many different directors over the years including, Terry Gilliam, Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass. Impressed with Zack Snyder’s work on another graphic novel adaptation (“300”) in June 2006 the studio announced that he would direct the adaptation of the novel.
Since Snyder was brought on, all the news that came from the production was positive. The cast (including Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffery Dean Morgan to name a few) was pretty much perfect, while the footage that was previewed over the year looked fantastic, creating some very good buzz for the film.
But in February 2008, the film hit its biggest hurdle, and for a bit of time, it seemed that there might be a chance that “Watchmen” would never hit the big screen. Twentieth Century Fox brought a lawsuit against Warner Bros. that alleged copyright infringement on the Watchmen property. To make a long story short, Fox felt it retained the rights to make the film (or at least distribute it) due to part of a deal made with producer Lawrence Gordon that allowed them the first option on participation in creating a film version.
As the two studios agreed to enter a non-binding mediation in November, Snyder had already completed filming, saying that no one had tried to prevent him from finishing the movie and each and every fan held their breath as a decision came close.
From a fan’s standpoint, Fox was the villain. With a completed film that was looking amazing, there was now a chance that the film would never see the light of day. With the days nearing closer and closer to Watchmen’s March 6 release date, Fox and Warner Bros. finally reached a settlement on January 15, 2009. With the legal scare behind it, the film is ready to be released and in the coming weeks more footage and other parts of the studio’s viral marketing campaign will surface.
What the critics wonder now is, will Snyder’s film merely be a fanboy’s wet dream, or will it be a dark, gritty cinematic masterpiece that will help shape the comic book movie genre from this time on?
Created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, “Watchmen” is a complex, multi-layered mystery adventure set in an alternate 1985 America. Costumed superheroes are part of the fabric everyday society, and the Doomsday Clock – which keeps track of the United States’ tension with the Soviet Union – is inching closer to midnight. Freelance vigilantes have been outlawed and most costumed super-heroes are in retirement or working for the government.
The story revolves around the personal development and struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government-sponsored super-hero pulls them out of retirement. As the clues begin to unravel, they find themselves immersed in a wide-ranging conspiracy that has links to the group’s past and has catastrophic consequences for the future.
The heroes are unlike any you’ve ever seen before. This crime fighting legion of heroes are a ragtag group in which only one of the characters has actual “powers” and they all have deep personal issues. The novel is one of the most realistic portrayals of heroes ever created within comics.
The main characters of “Watchmen” are: The Comedian/Edward Blake, a government-sanctioned superhero, whose murder opens the story and sets the plot in motion; Dr. Manhattan/Dr. Jon Osterman is a scientist who became super powered being when he was caught in an Intrinsic Field reactor in 1959 and is now contracted by the U.S. government; Nite Owl/Dan Drieberg is a retired, out of shape, saddened and lonely hero who utilizes owl-themed gadgets (has a bit in common with Batman); Ozymandias/Adrian Veidt is considered the smartest man on the planet and is retired as a superhero so he can focus on running his own business enterprise; Rorschach/Walter Kovacs is a vigilante who wears a white mask that contains constantly shifting ink blots, and continues to fight crime in spite of his outlaw status; and Silk Spectre/Laurie Juspeczyk is the daughter of the original Silk Spectre, with whom she has a strained relationship.
For many years the most prominent critics and people in the entertainment industry felt that “Watchmen” was unfilmable. It’s important societal metaphors, pop culture references and extremely stylish and intelligent writing just seemed too difficult to translate to the silver screen. With just under two months until the films release, those skeptics have now been quieted. But the road to the film version of “Watchmen” has not been an easy one. The film lingered in development hell for many years before Warner Bros. decided to seriously pursue the project, handing the reigns to director Zack Snyder (“Dawn of the Dead”, “300”).
The film version of “Watchmen” has been in development since 1986, when producer Lawrence Gordon acquired the rights to it. The project was in the hands of many different directors over the years including, Terry Gilliam, Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass. Impressed with Zack Snyder’s work on another graphic novel adaptation (“300”) in June 2006 the studio announced that he would direct the adaptation of the novel.
Since Snyder was brought on, all the news that came from the production was positive. The cast (including Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffery Dean Morgan to name a few) was pretty much perfect, while the footage that was previewed over the year looked fantastic, creating some very good buzz for the film.
But in February 2008, the film hit its biggest hurdle, and for a bit of time, it seemed that there might be a chance that “Watchmen” would never hit the big screen. Twentieth Century Fox brought a lawsuit against Warner Bros. that alleged copyright infringement on the Watchmen property. To make a long story short, Fox felt it retained the rights to make the film (or at least distribute it) due to part of a deal made with producer Lawrence Gordon that allowed them the first option on participation in creating a film version.
As the two studios agreed to enter a non-binding mediation in November, Snyder had already completed filming, saying that no one had tried to prevent him from finishing the movie and each and every fan held their breath as a decision came close.
From a fan’s standpoint, Fox was the villain. With a completed film that was looking amazing, there was now a chance that the film would never see the light of day. With the days nearing closer and closer to Watchmen’s March 6 release date, Fox and Warner Bros. finally reached a settlement on January 15, 2009. With the legal scare behind it, the film is ready to be released and in the coming weeks more footage and other parts of the studio’s viral marketing campaign will surface.
What the critics wonder now is, will Snyder’s film merely be a fanboy’s wet dream, or will it be a dark, gritty cinematic masterpiece that will help shape the comic book movie genre from this time on?
24 Season 7 Review
This time last year, the seventh season of “24” was set to premiere. The new season was highly anticipated due to the fact that season six was not well received by fans and critics alike. However, the show was the biggest casualty of the 2007-2008 Writer’s Guild strike.
Due to this, the producers did not have the required time to air the show nonstop with no reruns (which they had been doing since season four), so they decided to postpone the premiere until January 2009, almost 20 months after the last episode aired.
To reward the fans for being so patient and to help bridge the gap to season seven, the creators of the show filmed a two hour made-for-TV prequel leading up to the premiere called “24: Redemption,” which aired in November. In “Redemption,” we find that former Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) uber-agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is hiding out in Africa from a subpoena to appear before the U.S. Senate on torture charges. While working at a school in the fictional nation of Sengala, Jack finds himself caught up in the middle of a military coup. Meanwhile, we are introduced to a whole crop of new characters who will all eventually tie into each other somehow.
As the violence rages in Africa, it’s Inauguration Day for President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) in Washington D.C. Her husband (Colm Feore) and Chief of Staff (Bob Gunton) are by her side, while her son Roger (Eric Lively) finds himself in trouble when he receives a visit from a friend. Roger’s friend informs him of a possible conspiracy involving the people he works for, which includes Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight).
As “Redemption” comes to a close, Allison Taylor is sworn in, her son’s friend is murdered by the men he works for and Jack Bauer gives in to the government's demands and agrees to travel to Washington D.C.
Season seven of “24” is a reboot of sorts. For six seasons the show has taken place place in Los Angeles—mostly in CTU headquarters. As we meet Jack again at 8:00 a.m. (where the new season begins) we find that CTU has been disbanded and the show has shifted its location to Washington D.C.
The change in location has definitely invigorated the series by giving it a better level of authenticity. Not being tied to Los Angeles gives the audience a feeling that anything big that happens this season is just that much bigger.
The first five episodes of the year set the wheels in motion for what could be one of the best seasons of “24” yet. The episodes begin begins four months after the events of “24: Redemption” and has most of the characters facing a dilemma right away.
The genocide in Africa still rages on as the new, progressive-minded President Taylor has to decide to keep her promise to the exiled/former Prime Minister of Sengala to send troops to stop the violence.
The action really starts up when FBI Agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) barges into Jack’s Senate hearing because he is needed to help with a crisis. Turns out one of Jack’s old colleagues, Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), has switched to the dark side and is threatening the country by cracking a firewall that controls the U.S. infrastructure (power grids, air traffic, water supplies).
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is presented here in a totally different way than CTU was over the past six seasons. The strictly by the book, rule-following branch is run by Larry Moss (Jeffery Nording), who is skeptical of bringing Jack in due to his authority fighting past. Part of his team at the FBI includes tech whiz Janis Gold (Janeane Garofolo), and Special Agent Sean Hillinger (Rhys Corio).
We meet a new Jack Bauer at FBI headquarters. Years of service and sacrifice for his country has left him in a strange state of mind where he neither hates the country nor is he as patriotic as he used to be. Jack is like the rest of us; do a job too long and eventually you become slightly jaded. It just so happened that Jack’s job was to save the country on countless occasions.
Within the first hour of the show, the terrorists are able to take control of the nations air traffic and display their power and control when they nearly crash two planes trying to land at John F. Kennedy airport.
The First Gentleman Henry Taylor (Colm Feore) is trying to figure out what is really going on behind his son’s suicide. We now know that after the events in “Redemption” something happened to the president’s son after he learned of a conspiracy involving some shady businessmen and terrorist financing. Taylor bounces around town looking for information from Roger’s ex-girlfriend with the help of one of his secret service agents. By the end of the first five episodes, he finds himself drugged and double-crossed by his own protector, and we discover that the agent is involved with the people responsible for Roger’s death.
The best parts of the season so far were when the cameras followed around our favorite American hero Jack Bauer. Throughout the first five hours of “24,” Jack is working with the FBI, clashing with protocol and looking for answers as to why his old friend Tony would be attacking the United States.
In true “24” fashion, we find out that not everything is as it seems. After Tony is captured and interrogated by Jack, he whispers something into his ear, and all of a sudden Jack is breaking Tony out of FBI custody. The biggest twist of the season so far (and I’m sure there will be many more) was to find out that Tony is working deep cover for some former CTU pals Bill Buchanon (James Morrison) and Chloe O’Brien (Mary Lynn Rajskub).
As the clock ticks down on the fifth hour of “24,” Jack has joined up with Tony’s squad of terrorists, and they manage to kidnap former Prime Minister Motobo and his wife, along with FBI Agent Walker, who had been trying to track Jack down and bring him back into custody.
The final seconds find Jack having to murder Agent Walker (who doesn’t know Jack is now undercover) and bury her. Jack slyly shoots her, but does not kill her and as we see the dirt coming down on her, the clock fades to black.
“24” is a lot to handle all at once, but as the season goes on, the plot becomes less convoluted and more clear and precise. The premiere of “24” answered a lot of questions and solidified that the show has left last seasons less than par storyline behind and created a new, intense crisis to deal with.
The show is usually most effective when Jack can act on his instincts (usually meaning a beat down for someone), and the new season allows for the masculine melodrama to take front stage. Along with that, the writers have done a great job so far of emphasizing the most important plot points and keeping the narrative moving forward.
The first five hours of the show were fantastic, action packed and filled with a lot of intrigue which is sure to continue for the rest of the year. “24” airs on FOX, Mondays at 9 p.m.
Due to this, the producers did not have the required time to air the show nonstop with no reruns (which they had been doing since season four), so they decided to postpone the premiere until January 2009, almost 20 months after the last episode aired.
To reward the fans for being so patient and to help bridge the gap to season seven, the creators of the show filmed a two hour made-for-TV prequel leading up to the premiere called “24: Redemption,” which aired in November. In “Redemption,” we find that former Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) uber-agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is hiding out in Africa from a subpoena to appear before the U.S. Senate on torture charges. While working at a school in the fictional nation of Sengala, Jack finds himself caught up in the middle of a military coup. Meanwhile, we are introduced to a whole crop of new characters who will all eventually tie into each other somehow.
As the violence rages in Africa, it’s Inauguration Day for President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) in Washington D.C. Her husband (Colm Feore) and Chief of Staff (Bob Gunton) are by her side, while her son Roger (Eric Lively) finds himself in trouble when he receives a visit from a friend. Roger’s friend informs him of a possible conspiracy involving the people he works for, which includes Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight).
As “Redemption” comes to a close, Allison Taylor is sworn in, her son’s friend is murdered by the men he works for and Jack Bauer gives in to the government's demands and agrees to travel to Washington D.C.
Season seven of “24” is a reboot of sorts. For six seasons the show has taken place place in Los Angeles—mostly in CTU headquarters. As we meet Jack again at 8:00 a.m. (where the new season begins) we find that CTU has been disbanded and the show has shifted its location to Washington D.C.
The change in location has definitely invigorated the series by giving it a better level of authenticity. Not being tied to Los Angeles gives the audience a feeling that anything big that happens this season is just that much bigger.
The first five episodes of the year set the wheels in motion for what could be one of the best seasons of “24” yet. The episodes begin begins four months after the events of “24: Redemption” and has most of the characters facing a dilemma right away.
The genocide in Africa still rages on as the new, progressive-minded President Taylor has to decide to keep her promise to the exiled/former Prime Minister of Sengala to send troops to stop the violence.
The action really starts up when FBI Agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) barges into Jack’s Senate hearing because he is needed to help with a crisis. Turns out one of Jack’s old colleagues, Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), has switched to the dark side and is threatening the country by cracking a firewall that controls the U.S. infrastructure (power grids, air traffic, water supplies).
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is presented here in a totally different way than CTU was over the past six seasons. The strictly by the book, rule-following branch is run by Larry Moss (Jeffery Nording), who is skeptical of bringing Jack in due to his authority fighting past. Part of his team at the FBI includes tech whiz Janis Gold (Janeane Garofolo), and Special Agent Sean Hillinger (Rhys Corio).
We meet a new Jack Bauer at FBI headquarters. Years of service and sacrifice for his country has left him in a strange state of mind where he neither hates the country nor is he as patriotic as he used to be. Jack is like the rest of us; do a job too long and eventually you become slightly jaded. It just so happened that Jack’s job was to save the country on countless occasions.
Within the first hour of the show, the terrorists are able to take control of the nations air traffic and display their power and control when they nearly crash two planes trying to land at John F. Kennedy airport.
The First Gentleman Henry Taylor (Colm Feore) is trying to figure out what is really going on behind his son’s suicide. We now know that after the events in “Redemption” something happened to the president’s son after he learned of a conspiracy involving some shady businessmen and terrorist financing. Taylor bounces around town looking for information from Roger’s ex-girlfriend with the help of one of his secret service agents. By the end of the first five episodes, he finds himself drugged and double-crossed by his own protector, and we discover that the agent is involved with the people responsible for Roger’s death.
The best parts of the season so far were when the cameras followed around our favorite American hero Jack Bauer. Throughout the first five hours of “24,” Jack is working with the FBI, clashing with protocol and looking for answers as to why his old friend Tony would be attacking the United States.
In true “24” fashion, we find out that not everything is as it seems. After Tony is captured and interrogated by Jack, he whispers something into his ear, and all of a sudden Jack is breaking Tony out of FBI custody. The biggest twist of the season so far (and I’m sure there will be many more) was to find out that Tony is working deep cover for some former CTU pals Bill Buchanon (James Morrison) and Chloe O’Brien (Mary Lynn Rajskub).
As the clock ticks down on the fifth hour of “24,” Jack has joined up with Tony’s squad of terrorists, and they manage to kidnap former Prime Minister Motobo and his wife, along with FBI Agent Walker, who had been trying to track Jack down and bring him back into custody.
The final seconds find Jack having to murder Agent Walker (who doesn’t know Jack is now undercover) and bury her. Jack slyly shoots her, but does not kill her and as we see the dirt coming down on her, the clock fades to black.
“24” is a lot to handle all at once, but as the season goes on, the plot becomes less convoluted and more clear and precise. The premiere of “24” answered a lot of questions and solidified that the show has left last seasons less than par storyline behind and created a new, intense crisis to deal with.
The show is usually most effective when Jack can act on his instincts (usually meaning a beat down for someone), and the new season allows for the masculine melodrama to take front stage. Along with that, the writers have done a great job so far of emphasizing the most important plot points and keeping the narrative moving forward.
The first five hours of the show were fantastic, action packed and filled with a lot of intrigue which is sure to continue for the rest of the year. “24” airs on FOX, Mondays at 9 p.m.
Old, But Quality...At Least to Me
I am posting a bunch of old articles I wrote for my school newspaper over the year...hope they aren't too outdated
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