Prepare to have your mind BLOWN by Mario’s Ladder…
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June 5, 2010
A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Doc Hammer: Part 1
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
In this episode, I have the first of a two-part chat featuring THE VENTURE BROS’ own Doc Hammer…
Oh yeah, and be sure to pick up his band’s new album, WORN THIN.
Hope you enjoy…
Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Doc Hammer: Part 1“:
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SUBSCRIBE
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Drop Ken a line HERE.
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You can also find more of my interviews by clicking HERE.
June 4, 2010
Soapbox: The Nerd Identity
The Nerd Identity
Tori Amos released a song in 1994 called “Cornflake Girl” in which she contends that womankind can be classed as two distinct groups. She identifies the two groups as “Cornflake Girls” and “Raisin Girls”. The idea comes from the distribution of flakes and raisins within certain breakfast cereals. In certain cereals as in the cereal bowl of life, the cornflakes are easier to find, they make up the largest portion of the cereal and also are kind of boring. The raisins are much rarer and some times you have to work harder to find them. But they also taste a lot better than the flakes and they make the cereal a hell of a lot more interesting. I feel that this is a pretty sound idea which can be applied to men as well as women, but even more than that, I feel that it could be even more appropriate to apply the “Raisins” and “Cornflakes” labels respectively to nerds and ordinary folk
Now before we go any further, I should probably make it clear that I’m going to be using the term “nerd” pretty frequently in this column, but not exclusively. In fairness, its pretty interchangeable in the mind of some ordinary folk with other words and terms like “geek” or “dork” or “sad git”. But “nerd” is the word that I prefer to use and it’s a good catch-all term for people who stand outside the norms of society. Basically, the word denotes life’s raisins.
On the journey in to Dublin one evening with a friend of mine, the conversation turned to a holiday I had been on in Florida a few weeks earlier and the comic convention that I attended. As I was excitedly telling him about the convention, the cosplay folk, the media guests and how much fun I had with my friends after the convention while we stayed up drinking most nights, I could see his eyes glaze over, pretty much the way mine would if he started to regale me with tales of his exploits playing hurling or rugby. But friends are allowed to bore each other with their stories, that’s what friends are for. I told him that it’s very hard not to have a good time when a group of nerds get together. At this juncture he said to me that I wasn’t really a nerd, that I was an ordinary guy in the body of a nerd.
Now, in fairness I do look like a nerd. There’d be no denying that fact whether I wanted to or not. Being a thin guy who wears glasses is going to get you labelled a nerd even if you’ve never read a book or seen a sci fi movie. The fact that I was wearing a Browncoat t-shirt and wearing the One Ring at the time meant that I couldn’t really argue with that part of the statement. But to quote Marian Call, “Nerdery is more than wardrobe deep, and I’m a nerd down in my heart and that’s where nerdhood rocks”. Nerds come in all shapes, sizes and guises from the most beautiful woman in the world all the way to the stereotypical thin guy with glasses. But no matter how you present yourself to the world, one of the best parts of being a nerd is being comfortable in your own skin.
And to be honest, it was a bit disheartening being called “ordinary”. By definition, most of the people on the planet are “ordinary” and just blend in to the background with nothing to differentiate them from their peers. Nerds have long accused of being cultish but I can’t think of any cult bigger or more insidious than the Cult of Being Ordinary.
Nerdhood knows neither borders nor boundaries. It doesn’t discriminate on grounds of race or colour or belief or orientation. There’s no membership fee, there’s no cost and you don’t have to be rich. Although having disposable income does come in handy when you want to buy a Dawn statue or a Stargate replica mirror on impulse.
Impulse buys aren’t an uncommon thing because nerds tend to get very excited about stuff, a love of merchandise is another hallmark of being a nerd. From Superman statues to framed original comic book pages to character t-shirts to Exogorth oven gloves, I’ll freely admit that we get excited about some very silly looking things at times. Hell, we get excited about generally anything that falls within our fandoms. It’s not common to find that level of enthusiasm amongst the regular folk. While I would never presume to speak for all nerds on this particular subject, I think it’s fair to say that a lot of nerds are Atheists. With Atheism comes a certainty that this life is finite and that this life is all you get, so you might as well squeeze every bit of enjoyment out of it, regardless of what it is that causes that joy. What other point could there possibly be but to squeeze every bit of joy and excitement out of your time on this earth regardless of what other people might think or how it might appear. And sometimes the simple pleasures are the best, whether it’s seeing a great movie on your own or reading a great comic book in a pub with a couple of pints or just hanging out with like minded people talking about anything and everything that comes to mind. Of course, that’s over and above the fact there’s just some very cool geeky merchandise out there that’s worth getting excited about. There’s a reason that it’s called “geeking out”.
Most of my geeking out and my social nerdery revolves to a greater or lesser degree around the View Askew Message Board and the fine folk who post there. Almost six years ago to the day, I signed up the the Board and not too long after, I took my first trip overseas and met some of the Boardies face to face. We had been talking online for a while and I felt comfortable enough in going to England to meet them but there was no getting away from the fact that I was actually in a totally different country on my own and I was going to meet a crowd of people who I actually didn’t know in person and it could have gone disastrously badly. But I needn’t have worried about meeting them, within ten minutes of arriving in the designated pub in London it felt like I was with people that I’d known for a long time. But the fact that I wasn’t drinking Guinness did raise more than a few questions. I don’t get asked those questions now by anybody, which is due to the people of the View Askew Message Board.
Since that day, every time that I’ve boarded a plane has been for the purpose of going to a View Askew event or to get to be in the company of the people who post on the Board. It’s a lot of trouble to go to just to see a group of people but it is worth the hassle to be in a group of people who are almost universally instantly accepting. When I think of my best days, they almost all involve nerd folk in some capacity or another, from dancing at the View Askew Prom to not meeting Richard Dean Anderson to randomly meeting Kevin Smith in Toys R Us in Times Square. Nerd folk just make life better.
To stretch the food allegory a little bit further, most of the people in the world are like crisps (potato chips for the Americans), and can fit and be welcome anywhere that they go, they’re a little bit plain and bland but they’re pretty much suited to everyone’s taste. Some people, nerds in particular are more like tostadas with jalapenos salsa, they appeal only to a very selective crowd with broader tastes. The thing is though; the people of broader tastes are much better to hang with and will accept you in any shape, size or guise. When you’re in a group of people where everyone’s different, the differences are what unite you.
The worst thing about having to fly to see my friends is the amount of time spent in airports or bus terminals, or sometimes even in bars, just waiting. But having nerdy interests comes in handy in that kind of situation. It’s the easiest thing in the world to spend time messing around online talking to your friends or reading a pile of comics or finishing a book or updating a blog. A lot of nerdy activities are solitary ones, and despite how amazing hanging out with nerds can be, being a nerd means being comfortable in your own company. We do what makes us happy, not what we think looks good to other people.
The mainstream world has accepted us to a certain degree in recent years and you only have to look at shows like Chuck or The Big Bang Theory to see that geek chic is big business at the moment. But that acceptance isn’t universal and if nerdery goes too far outside what is considered normal society, we’ll still get scorned. The acceptance sometimes manifests like affectionate curiosity, and that will only go so far. Ordinary folk will still scoff at cosplayers who wear home-made costumes, deeming them weird and obsessive instead of passionate and creative, but it’s OK for someone who has never kicked a football or done a bit of exercise in his life to spend a fortune on a replica jersey of a football team and then claim affiliation to a club that’s located hundreds or thousands of miles away. But still, not a day goes by that you won’t see somebody wearing a comic book t-shirt on the street. Superheroes are fashionable due in no small part to the commercial success of movies like Batman and Spiderman. People seem more willing to accept a fantasy or science fiction idea if it’s presented to them on a screen; somehow it’s more acceptable to watch Batman than it is to read Batman. I have to admit that it is kind of gratifying to see superhero movies and Sci-Fi movies doing so well and being so popular with the general public, even if it’s just from a “see, I told you this was awesome” point of view.
But fashions change and people change with them. Eventually nerds and faux-nerdery will be unstylish again, and when that happens… nothing will change for us. We’ll keep on doing our own thing. We managed just fine before the rest of the world sat up and took notice of us, we’ll manage just fine when the rest of the world moves on to the next big thing. If you’re doing what you do because it’s what makes you happy, you don’t have to defend it or seek approval. Indulging your passions is it’s own reward.
In the same way that the cornflakes are totally oblivious of the raisins in their midst, we’ll go back to being unnoticed. But we’ll still be there, making life more interesting and making life better. Because that’s what raisins do.
– Simon Fitzgerald
Weekend Shopping Guide 6/4/10: Life’s A Stooge
The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the FRED Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support FRED by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)
As a follow-up to the equally stunning Planet Earth, the BBC’s Life (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP) is just as incredible in regards to the footage they were able to capture of the animals that populate this planet of ours. My only regret is that Americans are stuck with the crappy Oprah Winfrey narration, while the Brits get the far superior Sir David Attenborough.. Or so it was on TV. Thankfully, you get to choose what home video version you want. The 4-disc set contains behind-the-scenes video diaries, deleted scenes, and a music-only viewing option. A Blu-Ray edition ($69.99 SRP) is available with identical bonus materials, but a far, far superior picture.
So you want a stapler, hole punch, one meter ruler, precision scissors, ballpoint pen, screwdrivers (+/-), screwdriver socket, staple remover, and storage space for paper clips, all in container the size of a deck of cards? Well, the Tool Logic Office Assistant ($9.99) is the answer to the dream you never even knew you had, because it’s all in there. All of it.
I was worried that something would come along and derail Sony’s release of the complete theatrical shorts, but with The Three Stooges Collection: Volume Eight 1955-1959 (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$24.96 SRP), fans now have them all. This last set contains not only Shemp’s final shorts, but also the ones using the fake Shemp (where a stand-in and old footage allowed them to crank a few more Shemps out) and infamous Stooge replacement Joe Besser (famed for not wanting to be hit). Thank you, Sony, for getting them all out there.
If you’re beginning to jones for more Rifftrax shorts DVDs, you can get your fix from not one, but two new releases – Rifftrax Plays With Their Shorts & Shorts-A-Poppin’ (Legend Films, Not Rated, DVD-$9.95 each). Both discs feature 9 brand new shorts apiece, though by the time you reach the end, you’ll be counting the days until the next release.
There was a time when a Tim Burton film meant a fair deal of whimsy with a surprisingly strong core of emotion at its center. Alice In Wonderland (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP) is just a mess – as if Burton were simply hurling fistfuls of whimsy at you, all sound and fury. Nothing really hangs together as a narrative, and seems more like a superficial theme park ride of a flick. Sad, really. The 3-disc set contains over a dozen featurettes on the characters and behind-the-scenes, plus the always-welcome standard DVD as well.
Not only do you get the much desired original in high definition, but The Magnificent Seven Collection (MGM/UA, Not Rated/Rated G/Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$69.98 SRP) also contains the sequels Return Of The Magnificent Seven, Guns Of The Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven Ride!. The first film is loaded with an audio commentary, featurettes, trailers, and a still gallery.
Originally available as part of last year’s big Clint Eastwood box set, you can now get the Richard Schickel produced documentary The Eastwood Factor (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) all on its own. The documentary is a retrospective of Eastwood’s 35-year history at Warners. Think of it as a personal trip down memory lane, at his work both in front of and behind the camera.
They’re not quite up to the same snuff as the classic specials of the 60’s, but there’s still plenty of fun in the Peanuts: 1970’s Collection Volume 2 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which contains Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, You’re A Good Sport, Charlie Brown, It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, What A Nightmare, Charlie Brown, It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown, and You’re The Greatest, Charlie Brown. The 2-disc set also contains a retrospective featurette.
Oh, History Channel – you’re not even bothering to do anything to do with hard history even more. You’ve become MTV, eager to throw up the next reality series, which you have with the garbage combers of American Pickers (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP). The 3-disc first season set contains all 12 episodes.
Fans jonesing for a hit of Meatwad, Frylock, and Master Shake can get their fix from Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume 7 (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which sports 11 episodes plus behind-the-scenes featurettes, Terror Phone II, and a featurette on the live action Carl.
I really hoped you would be able to pull it off, Joe Johnston. I mean, you had Benicio Del Toro as your lead, and a strong mythology behind it, but your new take on The Wolfman (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP) is just dull. You made a werewolf pic that just bored me to tears. It’s not bad. It’s not good. It just exists. Bonus materials include a pair of alternate endings, deleted/extended scenes, and featurettes.
When a shallow size zero supermodel dies in an accident and finds herself given the body of the recently-deceased Jane – a plus-sized attorney – you get Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$38.95 SRP). Surprisingly, it’s an affable, often funny series, even though I’d much rather have just seen a show about Jane. The first season set contains featurettes, deleted scenes, Dreamisodes, and more.
Recovering from some lost momentum, the third season of Burn Notice (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) turns back into the show we’ve all come to love. But really, as long as Bruce Campbell is back, all is good. Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurette and the show’s Comic-Con panel.
Insects are the order of the say in the new Sesame release Sesame Street: Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), as the Street (and kids!) gets to learn all about the world of creepy crawlies.
So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…
-Ken Plume
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Trailer Park: ONDINE, THE WOLFMAN, PRINCE OF PERSIA, & More
Check out my new column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp
Ondine – Review
The story seems silly enough if read on paper: Local fisherman (Colin Farrell), out fishing looking for seafood to sell at the local market, finds a woman in his net (Alicja Bachleda) who doesn’t remember who she is or how she ended up caught in a man’s fishing line. He allows the woman to live in a small house located in a sleepy wharf where she can get her bearings all the while telling his young daughter who suffers from kidney failure a story that involves an Irish version of mermaids, silkies, thus bringing us to the beginning of the story. The brevity with which writer and director Neil Jordan sets up almost all of the plot points is almost fantastical in its execution. Without realizing it as someone watching the film Jordan lays out all the pertinent stories that need telling at breakneck speed.
Not only do we learn that Farrell, whose real name in the film is Syracuse but who town folk still call Circus for his legendary alcoholic antics before he gave up the sauce, is divorced from his wife, trying to put his wild days behind him, and is sharing custody of his daughter but we also learn of his troubled past as it relates to his present in a manner that seems better suited to the stage than it does the screen.
And this isn’t a knock on Jordan, mind you. I think this performance from Farrell is just as compelling as seeing him in In Bruges. The man simply melts into this man who is not a Hollywood version of a fisherman who’s lived, and still is living, a hardscrabble life he is that fisherman who only has his work and his daughter. There isn’t anything to grab onto beyond this and it’s refreshing insofar that Farrell has to lean on his ability to inhabit someone who feels more real than he does a caricature.
What Jordan does best in this movie is to put Farrell in a position to navigate the world of a man who has scooped up a gorgeous woman, and make no mistake Bachleda is a quintessential mermaid, a true flower of the ocean with her pale skin and radiant features, and understands his position as a man who could help someone not be found. Farrell buys into the mythos of the mermaid, however, when he thinks that this woman has helped changed his fortunes at sea with the amount of fish and lobster he catches with her aboard his ship but the movie is so much more than a man who thinks he’s on to something with this woman.
This is a movie about intimacy. Jordan captures an Ireland that is removed from the usual features of the Emerald Isle which are usually accentuated in a film that could have been set anywhere there was a boat and some fishing to be had. This film lives and breathes. From the small details like keeping in moments of people walking down a dirt path and the flourishes that show him to be an expert at capturing a moment, for example, when Farrell and his daughter Annie (Alison Barry) are talking during one of her dialysis treatments, the closeness of the camera and lighting creating a tender moment between a father and daughter that doesn’t feel manipulative, it feels heartfelt and sweet.
At the heart of it, of course, the mermaid has a secret and it might be one of the more typical elements of a movie that defies most every other convention when it comes to movies about two people falling in love. The brilliance of the film is that from the music to the cinematography by Christopher Doyle which just fits in with Jordan’s aesthetic here the movie has a quiet passion about it; the notes that play underneath the conversations, the shared moments between the players, this is a movie that is dependant on its acting and its pacing.
Without the ruggedness and everyman charm of Farrell, the mystery which surrounds Bachleda and how she navigates a character that has something to hide but covers it up with a thin veil of sweetness, and the precociousness of Annie who seems more like a real child her age rather than one cut from a script the movie would not be what it is. The idea of mythology and how Farrell believes this strange woman is indeed from the sea is interwoven into the film with a muted amusement while never being distracting to the actual plot of the picture.
True, Jordan’s script wavers slightly in its final act, the penultimate moment all but telegraphed leading up to the final moment when it all goes exactly to plan, but that shouldn’t take away from a movie that brims with character and is a romantic drama that just radiates talent and sweetness. There’s something to be said about living life in a small town, everyone knowing everyone else’s business, but that’s never been captured so personally and as precisely as Neil Jordan has done here.
The Wolfman – DVD Giveaway
I know some people ragged on this film for its silliness but I loved this picture in a real affectionate B-movie way.
The action was solid, the gore was viscous, the set design was spectacular and the acting was sub-par. All elements needed for a good horror film. I realize that’s not really what they were hoping to achieve on this picture but seeing how plagued the production was with shifting talent behind the camera I am amazed that this wasn’t a bigger disaster than it was because it’s still a really good film.
I am hoping this movie finds a new life on DVD and to that end I am offering copies of this movie to anyone who wants to get entered in a contest to get one. I have a few copies so your chances are fairly solid if you send me a note to Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and simply state your all-time favorite, classic Universal movie monster.
It’s just that easy, folks.
A film description:
Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Oscar® winner Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father (Oscar® winner Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out to find his brother…and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself. Lawrence Talbot’s childhood ended the night his mother died.
After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother’s fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline (Hugo Weaving) has come to investigate.
As he pieces together the gory puzzle, he hears of an ancient curse that turns the afflicted into werewolves when the moon is full. Now, if he has any chance at ending the slaughter and protecting the woman he has grown to love, Talbot must destroy the vicious creature in the woods surrounding Blackmoor. But as he hunts for the nightmarish beast, a simple man with a tortured past will uncover a primal side to himself…one he never imagined existed.
A Dead End, a Resurrection and a Disturbed After.Life by Ray Schillaci
Pardon my tardiness for posting this article. I have discovered that hell is moving and movers are its minions. I’m finally able to get my work space in semi-order and hammer out my thoughts (or what’s left of them) on some other highlights of the Phoenix Film Festival. The last time I checked, only 1 out of the 3 following films had distribution deals. Each filmmaker has infused their film with their own unique vision and artistic passion which sets it far apart from the standard studio drech and they deserve an audience (film festival, small art house run and/or cable deal).
“NoNames” was the big winner and obviously struck a chord with anyone from the mid-west. This is the simple story of people growing up in small town Wisconsin with very few choices and those who pick the wrong ones. The ones that tread the wrong path have little joy to look forward to but the local bar and partying in the back of their cramped trailers. For them, success would be staying out of trouble, getting their own home (that was not a trailer), maintaining a decent job, finding love and keeping it to the best of their ability. These are obviously not priorities in the lead character’s life, Kevin, played by James Badge Dale and that’s the frustrating part of watching his life spiral out of control.
At this viewer’s first glance it was easy to dismiss many of the characters in this cautionary tale as Jerry Springer candidates and hard to connect with when the choices seemed so simple. I’ve known people like this and try not to be around them since their narrow mindedness and stubborn ways always end up creating more drama in their lives which seems to suck so many unsuspecting others in. But rather than just dismissing this as a backwoods Shakespearean drama, I had to take myself out of the critic’s seat for a moment after seeing the reaction of the audience that stayed for the Q&A. Those people were actually from small towns and their heartfelt feelings were vindicated by the director, cast and crew capturing exactly what goes on in this lifestyle that Hollywood has no clue of or interest in.
All the more heart wrenching was the discovery that it’s based on a true story. The director and co-producers were very close to the people and their account. That may explain the straightforward style of the picture. The director, Kathy Lindboe, does not accentuate the palette of the narrative with canvases, editing techniques or music. Instead she relies on her actors, the lives of their characters and the town itself. This is captured in a very blunt way that some will embrace while others may feel put off. Lindboe and her talented cast and crew have put together a hard look at small town living and dismantled any romantic conceptions that usually has Hollywood scoop up and serve the inane pabulum to an unsuspecting public. No, director Kathy Lindboe has a purpose and intends to display it without heartstrings and pretty pictures.
This film is made for small town Middle America and those who have been fortunate enough to escape it. Let me back step for a moment that is not to say that being a small town is instant doom for those who reside in it. The choices have become extremely minimal thanks to America and its politics joining in on the good ol’ global bandwagon. Small towns use to be considered the heart and soul of America and now have been under sold as a worthless commodity. This leaves many in disarray constantly searching for some kind of balance in a purposely unbalanced world. Dysfunction has become the norm and we’re told to live with it rather than address it. “NoNames” displays these symptoms with pathos and guilt, capturing a very sad side of the nation we live in.
The film is by no means perfect with some editing issues (a little long) and some much needed dialogue to be punched up. But the film struck a primal chord with the Phoenix audiences and has continued to do so with various other showings, hence the accolades. Both James Badge Dale and Gillian Jacobs turn in notable deep felt performances while the rest of the cast blend well with the tale itself. “NoNames” is not the kind of film that opens in L.A. or New York. And, it may find a struggle pulling itself out of obscurity like the characters that are portrayed, but it already has a built-in audience that could definitely give a smart distributor a reason to pick it up and make a profit on an entire heartland audience that can speak volumes.
Now for something really different; when was the last time you were truly taken on a journey that left you breathless? In the 70s there were a multitude of such films that explored the human condition and left one with so many deep conversations at small coffee shops; Michelangelo Antonioni’s “The Passenger” Nicholas Roeg’s “Walkabout” and any one of John Cassavetes’ films of that era. The Phoenix Film Festival was treated to such a personal event with Jason Lehel’s “Gaia,” an amazing journey of self realization for one troubled young woman. It appears that Lehel may be cut from the same creative cloth as those mentioned.
The director has made (what some may say) an insane proposition; to film an emotionally charged concept infused with brilliant ideas without the aid of a script and then cast an unknown in the lead role with everything hinging on her believability. On top of that, he puts her right smack dab in the middle of a real Indian reservation with non-actors. It pays off in spades! This is the art that has been missing from art houses. Lehel conjures images that haunt and have one talking for days while Emily Lape pulls off a performance that is not only Oscar worthy, but should have other actresses taking notes for years. It is a beautifully nuanced and natural piece of acting that almost feels like an intrusion into one’s life thanks to Lehel’s wonderful eye.
To say Gaia is a troubled woman with a dark past is an understatement. This young woman appears hell-bent in partying herself to death till she winds up wandering the Arizona desert in a complete drug and alcohol haze after being brutally raped. She eventually collapses and is taken in by a caring Native American Indian, named Ed. What transpires between Gaia, Ed and the other natives is a revelation. Nothing is taken for granted and Gaia’s journey is not a quick fix. It is an arduous task that is never clear if it will ever come into fruition until the very end. This is not a horrifying cautionary tale, but an ode to hope, survival and self-realization. It is both the frailness of being human and the triumph of the human spirit. The story almost takes on a cosmic sojourn with the time spent with the Native Americans and their culture.
Aside from Miss Lape’s stellar turn, Ed Mendoza as the Native American who helps her along is wonderfully touching with a lightheartedness that lifts Gaia and the viewers from the ashes of her life. He is the grounding rod to Gaia’s lightening and his sensitivity and interaction with so many others makes him even more embracing. There is also a strained, touching and nearly doomed relationship between Gaia and a deaf mute Native American. Their scenes range from the gentle to the abrasive with Gaia’s past haunting both of them.
Warning: this film is not for the simple minded. It makes you think about life and what it has to offer. Director Jason Lehel (a 25+ year veteran cinematographer) has created, for his directorial debut, a complex drama that does not follow the normal narrative. He explores time shifts, uncomfortable sexual dalliances and an exploration into a culture virtually ignored in film today. I recommend this beautiful thought provoking film to those who miss intelligent drama laced with a hint of the metaphysical. It is a rare breed and a breath of fresh air that makes one thankful for the talents of Jason Lehel and Emily Lape.
I have saved a most puzzling for last. There are times that life imitates art and other times when there is a bizarre collision that results in uncomfortable, nails on the chalk board, moments. Case in point; actress, Brittany Murphy’s recent passing in her bathroom colliding with the debut of her new movie on DVD, the cover displaying the actress dead in a bathtub”¦eerie. Now treading from eerie to damn creepy is Liam Neeson’s turn as a funeral director who claims to have a relationship with his (dead) clientele. For some, “After.Life” will be the equivalent of afterbirth; disgusting and tossed aside. But it’s not that easy for the curious at heart and as aggravating and unsettling it is to watch the film can be considered either a carefully crafted twisted piece of Grand Guignol or the demented work of a sick mind. I may save the last for another gruesome film oddity, “The Human Centipede”. After all, “After.Life” plays more with your mind than serving up stomach churning visuals.
I’m on the fence with this one since I could not help but wonder what possessed the great and respected Liam Neeson to take on such a ghoulish role and then to top it off have the love of his life pass away in an unusual accident just months after finishing the project. It adds tremendous weight to the story as we watch it unfold between Neeson’s funeral director and his new visitor Christina Ricci, who may or may not be dead. It appears that the funeral director has a gift/curse to have conversations with those on the slab who insist they are still alive and it is his job to assist them into the beyond. On the other hand, this guy may be the greatest slight-of-hand trickster since Norman Bates.
This is as cold and calculating as it sounds. Mr. Neeson gives a performance that harkens back to the good old days of the great Boris Karloff, but it is not over the top. If anything, he underplays beautifully which adds to the gruesomeness of it all. With several naked shots, Ricci is very off-putting to watch. A combination of material, performance and direction make the scenes feel very wrong, almost taboo. There is nothing sexy here, like what was delivered in “Black Snake Moan”. Ricci runs the gamut of emotions trying to figure out if she is actually dead and so do we.
Although there are others in the cast, “After.Life” is basically a two person melodrama/thriller and at times may remind one of a play. Justin Long as Paul appears to be in for the ride, once again as a long suffering boyfriend. I don’t know if it’s a casting curse, but Long’s character looks like it just traversed across the screen from the same thankless character he played in “Drag Me to Hell”. He has the ability to be engaging, but it’s wasted in movies of this sort. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was casted in “Scream 4” as another victim.
“After.Life” has played some festivals, had a limited run in April 2010 and is readying for an August 2010 DVD release. But this film cries out for the midnight show freaks. The director’s ghoulish twists and turns keep the audience on its toes and hammered to their seats while the weak may watch through parted fingers. Agitating, aggravating and like searching for a pulse that may or may not be there, “After.Life” challenges its viewers. Are you up for the challenge? Me, I had to take a good shower afterwards, remind myself it was only celluloid and look forward to a lighter side of a tanned Mr. Neeson as Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith on “The A Team”.
Prince of Pulp and Circumstance by Ray Schillaci
How easy is it to take apart another Jerry Bruckheimer spectacle that hopes to follow in the footsteps of Cecile B. Demille or is that too lofty a goal to suggest? Perhaps it’s the idea of taking another ride, toy or video game and making oodles of money on merchandising via a movie while nearly forgetting the entertainment value. Whatever it may be, “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” is as convoluted as its title. Too bad, it didn’t have to be, had somebody taken a little more time with the story and direction. The movie had any number of classic yarns it could have emulated from, Ali Baba, Aladdin and so forth. Instead, gymnastics and CGI cover up plot holes, dead space and time filler.
The story is simple; a street urchin demonstrates his tenacity in a marketplace and the king of Persia not only spares his life for the spirit the young man displays, but adopts him as well. The young man grows up with royalty and like nearly everyone else learns to speak with a British accent even though they’re Persian. The only exception is Ben Kingsley, but that’s because he looks more the part, is suspicious and is far capable of acting rings around everyone else. That’s just one of the many things that irks me in this wrong minded new venture from the man that brought you “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Just to prove that, Alfred Molina is thrown in for good measure to represent the Captain Jack Sparrow character in the guise of Sheik Amar. Molina is the lighthearted rogue that is more bark than bite with a sense of humor that gets crushed in all the slam-bang antics. To be fair to Mr. Molina, he is a redeeming value in this mess and should have been spared and put to better use in the new “Pirates”¦” movie instead.
Oops, I almost forgot to finish what story there is. Jake Gyllenhall plays Dastan the adopted brother who is raised with two other good looking brothers. Without the king’s knowledge, the three march on a sacred city as a suspected enemy of their land. In doing so, Dastan accidently discovers a mystical dagger that can reverse time. The adventure starts from there and if anybody ever had a chance to see the sorrowful time waster “Next” starring Nicholas Cage, one could only guess where it will all end up. It’s the equivalent of a lot of build up and then discovering”¦it’s only a dream? That’s right, dress a pig up all you want, but in the end it’s just an overdressed heffer.
Jake Gyllenhall plays cavalier well, unfortunately it’s to Gemma Arterton’s emotionless, cardboard cutout character that makes us appreciate Keira Knightly’s underwritten character from “Pirates”¦” all the more. The CGI cities are becoming stale wastelands for the eye and are better suited for the small computer screen where they belong. The acrobatics, supposedly achieved by Gyllenhal’s character, soon become redundant after twenty minutes leaving a lot of useless commotion as time filler.
Is it unfair to ask for just a little bit of creative writing or wit from this lackluster piece? The trailers themselves could not muster up enough of a great weekend box office for this tired retread. Mind you, it’s not a bad time waster for the under 15 year-old male set. The sad part was half way through, my 10 year-old son and his year younger cousin were getting antsy. They didn’t even want to stay past the credits to see if anything would happen as some of the Disney films have. They could care less. But they did want to get the Prince of Persia lego set. They thought it was cooler than the movie.
June 3, 2010
Ken P. D. Snydecast #150: Golden Soles Part II
Adult Swim’s Dana Snyder and FRED’s Ken Plume set out to have a literate conversation between two pals, but inevitably devolve into a verbal, and funny, free-for-all full of bickering, infighting, and the special kind of male bonding that comes from conflict expressed through the podcast medium.
Actor/comedian/raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake, Squidbillies‘ Granny, Minoriteam’s Dr. Wang, and The Venture Bros.‘ Alchemist. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.
Ken Plume is the editor-in-chief here at FRED. He is a friend of Dana’s, as well as his arch-nemesis.
VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE
KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #150: Golden Soles Part II – Ken & Dana return, and Dana keeps going on about his new shoes. He just won’t stop till he says enough. Then, the passing of a great comedian is argued over.
[CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #150 (MP3 format)
[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-150.mp3]
SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes
Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES
##
Soapbox: Give Us The Girly Men (And Nobody Gets Hurt)
Give Us The Girly Men (And Nobody Gets Hurt)
It all began when a woman I know described Justin Bieber as “sexy”. Sure, I guess he’s a cute kid and all, but this just seemed wrong to me. How can a woman in her mid-thirties find a sixteen year old child “sexy”? I tried to let her comment slide, but found myself haunted by images of ‘The Biebs’ as he is lovingly referred to by his fans. How does a 16 year old boy from Ontario become an internationally worshipped and drooled over sex icon? Furthermore, why does it creep me out so much?
Granted, many of his fans are teenage girls, but how could this skinny little teen appeal to women with the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Josh Holloway equally available to receive their affections from afar? I have a theory which may surprise you.
Girly Boy and Manly Man
According to various scientific studies, being on the birth control pill may be the reason many sexually mature women swoon over the likes of Justin Bieber and everyone’s favorite sparkly vampire Robert Pattinson (Twi-moms, anyone?). Many of the studies to date do not fully tackle the issue of physical attraction based on appearance alone, but to me it seems the effects of the birth control pill on at least some women’s preferences towards different types of men are apparent.
Scent has been identified as a crucial factor in terms of physical attraction, as subconsciously we are all affected by them. Through these imperceptible differences in scent, naturally ovulating women are naturally attracted to males with differing MHC genes than their own, to ensure offspring with healthy and functioning immune systems. This does not seem to apply to women on the birth control pill, and as many studies have shown they actually tend to be more attracted to men with more similar MHC genes.
What does this mean? Generally, men with very differing MHC genes from women are rugged, manly, hairy, and strong. Men with MHC genes more similar to their female counterparts tend to be less hairy, less muscular and possess more effeminate features.
Couples who share similar MHC genes are far more likely to be related, which some studies are linking to higher infertility rates. It also means that the laws of natural attraction no longer apply for many of us, men and women included. Ovulating women are known to give off subtle signals that attract men and signal fertility – women with regulated hormone levels do not.
Nobody really knows why this makes them more drawn to more effeminate men, but some theories suggest that the hormones in birth control which mimic pregnancy also tend to subconsciously draw women to more nurturing companions. This brings in another issue entirely: deciding to go on or off the birth control pill could have potentially disastrous effects on a relationship. Think about it, if your girlfriend is attracted to you while she is on the pill, and then stops taking it, she will undergo a massive change in hormones which she will have no control over. This hormonal change could wreak havoc on an unsuspecting relationship in a number of ways – such as the woman being more likely to end the relationship or cheat as she is no longer attracted to the partner she is with on a purely physical/hormonal level.
One thing is for sure: A lot has changed since the 1960’s when the birth control was made widely available to women. Though this may be highly subjective, to me it appears that male sex icons are getting younger and for lack of a better word, girlier, while female sex icons have remained relatively the same age, with the same degree of femininity.
It is impossible to argue that pre-1960’s heartthrobs such as Marlon Brando, Warren Beatty, Sean Connery, Clark Gable, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood were not ultra-masculine. Can you say the same for the 1990’s or 2000’s? Fashions and styles change, but when pictured side by side it is clear that more modern definitions of sexual attractiveness have undergone many changes in the last fifty years. Even comparing Michael Keaton (who played Batman in 1989) to Christian Bale (who played Batman in 2005) you can see how these changes have affected what is sexy in 2010. Whether it has been a purely cultural shift or something more complex is up to you to decide.
– Mary Hoffman
Contest Round-Up: 2010-06-03
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at FRED. Every week, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) sets of FAMILY GUY: VOLUME 8 and AMERICAN DAD: VOLUME 5 on DVD.
In conjunction with BBC Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of LIFE on both DVD and Blu-Ray.
In conjunction with Adult Swim Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of AQUA TEEN: VOLUME 7 on DVD.
In conjunction with History Channel Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of ICE ROAD TRUCKERS: SEASON 3 on Blu-Ray.
Win ICE ROAD TRUCKERS: SEASON 3 on Blu-Ray!
In conjunction with History Channel Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of ICE ROAD TRUCKERS: SEASON 3 on Blu-Ray.
Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June 16th.
CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!
Official Rules
No member of FRED Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.
No Purchase necessary to win.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
One entry per day, per person.
All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June 16th.
The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.
Win AQUA TEEN: VOLUME 7 on DVD!
In conjunction with Adult Swim Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of AQUA TEEN: VOLUME 7 on DVD.
Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June 16th.
CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!
Official Rules
No member of FRED Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.
No Purchase necessary to win.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
One entry per day, per person.
All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June 16th.
The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.
Win LIFE on DVD & Blu-Ray!
In conjunction with BBC Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of LIFE on both DVD and Blu-Ray.
Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June 16th.
CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!
Official Rules
No member of FRED Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.
No Purchase necessary to win.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
One entry per day, per person.
All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June 16th.
The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.
Win FAMILY GUY: VOLUME 8 & AMERICAN DAD: VOLUME 5 on DVD!
In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) sets of FAMILY GUY: VOLUME 8 and AMERICAN DAD: VOLUME 5 on DVD.
Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June 16th.
Who’s King of the grill with our top Father’s Day game ““ Peter or Stan? You decide by playing BBQ Wars here: www.familyguydvd.com
CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!
Official Rules
No member of FRED Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.
No Purchase necessary to win.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
One entry per day, per person.
All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June 16th.
The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.
June 2, 2010
FREDagator: 2010-06-02
Time to toss those Canons and HPs and get yourself a LEGO printer…
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Cabin Fever 96: A Blunt Instrument
Oh no! Just when you thought it was safe to hang out at the FRED…
Cabin Fever (hosted by the twisted souls Brian Fitzpatrick and Aaron Poole) is the result of having too much time on your hands and access to your local community radio station.
Over the course of an hour, they manage to trawl the depths of good taste, plus throw some music in. How much more could you want from a podcast?… Quality? Oh… we didn’t think of that.
Enjoy! And we hope our cross Atlantic friends can understand the Irish accent 😉
Hugs and Kisses,
Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy
CABIN FEVER #96: A Blunt Instrument – Listen to all these amazing things: Toilet brushes, throwing up, questions, jocks, monkeys. It’s a party in your ears! Join us, why don’t you…
[CONTENT WARNING]: Explicit contents! We say every naughty word you can think of. You have been warned!
DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #96 (MP3 format)
[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_96.mp3]
SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes
Got something to say? E-mail Aaron & Brian at the Cabin Fever mailbag.
CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES
##
May 31, 2010
Hands Down #6
Welcome to Hands Down, FRED’s own look into the world of the folks that frequent this sordid world of geekery. Follow Aaron, Brian and Colin (and a menagerie on the way) as they traverse the light fantastic or some such nonsense… What? It’s an online fortnightly comic strip, what kind of description did you expect?
Written by Aaron Poole. Art by John Merker & J.K. Hulon. Copyright 2010.
FREDagator: 2010-05-31
In support of Comic Relief for Red Nose Net, I chatted with Misery Bear. Have a look & donate at Red Nose Net…
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May 30, 2010
Essential Sounds (2010/05/30)
Essential Sounds (2010/05/30)
Aloha one and all welcome back to another edition of Essential Sounds, as always I am your human satellite for all things musical and once again I come bearing gifts. But before we move on to this week’s treats its come to my attention that we are all but at the bitter end of May and my first month with Essential sounds and FRED Entertainment. I have loved every minute of my time here and I’m extremely grateful for having you wonderful people on board. So enough of the sentimental stuff let’s move onwards and upwards and heres hoping June proves just as fruitful as May.
1. “How I Got Over” by The Roots
If you’re unfamiliar with the wonderful work of The Roots, “How I Got Over” is an excellent introduction to this truly versatile hip hop troop from Philly. On a instrumental tip the track is held together like glue by the ever funky drumming from iconic sticks man ?uestlove. However the beautiful blend of soulful keys and smokey vocals gives “How I Got Over” it’s gloss. Of course no Roots song is complete without an on point flow from Black Thought who is easily one of the strongest and most consistent MCs to ever plug in a mic. Despite being veterans of the game now, The Roots are still bringing fresh goods to the table which in a market oversaturated with rotten apples can only be considered a blessing.
2. “Flashover” by Klaxons
Since gaining critical and commercial acclaim after their 2007 Mercury Music Prize win the nu-rave trio have worked their socks off on new material only to scrap it and start all over again. Three years after their debut and debunked rumours of a Dr Dre collaboration Klaxons are back with “Flashover” the first single from an as yet untitled sophomore album. The first thing you might notice about Flashover is that it manages to come across as somewhat familiar yet the slightest changes in sound seem to have the biggest impact. The leftfield lyrical structure steeped in mystic mythology and the Gregorian monk like vocal hooks are back but they’re mixed in with a rougher dirtier sound throughout. This not only gives “Flashover” an edgier sound but provides a wonderful juxtaposition in sound when placed next to blissful digital meltdown and staccato piano section we encounter in the final act. If this is a sign of things to come then I believe good things are coming our way.
3. “ADD SUV (Armand Van Helden Vocal Mix)” by Uffie feat Pharrell
Ever wondered where Lady Gaga might have got her “original” style from? Well excluding Madonna, Grace Jones, Peaches and David Bowie of course, take a look or rather a listen to France’s alternative Goddess, Uffie, and you’ll find it’s pretty much a no brainer that Uff has had a significant influence in spawning the “Fame Monster”. But I’m not here to follow the band wagon I’m here to deliver this musical gem and drop it in your ears. This reworking of Uffie’s first single from forthcoming album Sex Dreams And Denim Jeans keeps the funky vocoded vocals and killer verse from Pharell Williams it also in true AVH style adds one hell of a funky guitar riff. Working his magic on Uffie’s tounge cheek look at Hip Hop consumerism Armand Van Helden takes an already solid song and gives it a burst of disco dance ability which is simply undeniable. Listen to it and try your best not to dance, I double dare you!
4. “Silence” by Camo & Krooked feat Nina
This week in Essential Sounds were breaking new ground, our fourth pick is from drum ‘n’ bass/dubstep duo Camo & Krooked. Despite being very familiar with the former I must admit that I am quite the novice when it comes to the valued art of dubstep. I know a little bit but this little grasshopper still has a lot to learn. However if anything “Silence” only makes me want to dig deeper into this particular sub genre. With atmospheric thunder storm and rainy ambience combined with a sincere and emotional vocal delivery from guest star Nina Silence is one part beautiful melancholy yet this is balanced out by the warm sub bass and rolling drum patterns which give the track an almost uplifting appeal. But the well crafted contrasts don’t end there, despite revelling in the fresh sounding dubstep instrumentation the vocal performance seems to channel the spirit of early 90’s dance anthems. A truly post modern wonder if there ever was one.
5. “Month of May” by Arcade Fire
If like me the inclusion of “Wake Up” on last year’s trailer to Where The Wild Things Are wetted your appetite for all things Arcade Fire again then fear not as this week saw the return of the Canadian natives and their eclectic stylings. “Month of May” is really quite a different sound to their previous material right from the start we can hear how its full of get up and go. The straight up ensemble of guitars, bass and drums is not only reminiscent of rock ‘n’ roll as it used to be but it also gives Arcade Fire their sexiest song to date. This comes courtesy of the booty shaking groove forged by the songs solid rhythm section. Some die hard fans might not fully appreciate the new direction but to me it shows an already inventive band taking a further step into musical progression.
–Malcolm Foster
FREDagator: 2010-05-30
You wanna see some Stan Freberg-produced ads for It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World? Sure ya do…
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May 29, 2010
FREDagator: 2010-05-29
Recent events give whole new meaning to the premise of The Gary Coleman Show…
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May 28, 2010
Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #149: Golden Soles
Adult Swim’s Dana Snyder and FRED’s Ken Plume set out to have a literate conversation between two pals, but inevitably devolve into a verbal, and funny, free-for-all full of bickering, infighting, and the special kind of male bonding that comes from conflict expressed through the podcast medium.
Actor/comedian/raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake, Squidbillies‘ Granny, Minoriteam’s Dr. Wang, and The Venture Bros.‘ Alchemist. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.
Ken Plume is the editor-in-chief here at FRED. He is a friend of Dana’s, as well as his arch-nemesis.
VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE
KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #149: Golden Soles – Ken & Dana return, as Dana gets a new pair of fly footwear. Word.
[CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #149 (MP3 format)
[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-149.mp3]
SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes
Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES
##
Weekend Shopping Guide 5/28/10: When Penguins Fly
The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the FRED Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support FRED by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)
While the first volume could be a bit rough going, as the strip was still finding its footing and voice, Bloom County: The Complete Library Volume 2 (IDW, $39.99 SRP) is Berke Breathed really hitting his stride and crafting the comic that a generation (including me) fell in love with. Combining gut-level comedy with brilliant satire, its absence from the landscape is still a loss, but I encourage everyone to pick this up and re-live the good times.
It may seem a bit pricey, but considering what a real pain it can be to keep monitors and TV screen clean and dust-free, finding a solid product that quickly and effectively does that cleaning with no fuss certainly makes the cost worthwhile. So what is this great product? The TV Clean Electronics Duster ($59.99). Essentially, it’s a spiffy lint roller for your gear.
Forged in the fire of the Writers Strike of 2008, released on the internet to rabid fan acclaim, and long available on that selfsame net, you can now get Joss Whedon’s online musical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (New Video, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.95 SRP) in high definition. Bonus features include a musical studio commentary, a standard commentary, making-of featurettes, and Evil League Of Evil application videos.
It’s an uneven affair, but Mystery Team (Lionsgate, Rated R, DVD-$27.98 SRP) – about a trio of high school seniors still lodged in their childhood fantasy as white bread investigators suddenly in the deep end of a murder mystery – is still smart enough to be a worthwhile watch. It certainly makes me interested to see what else Derrick Comedy – the troupe behind the flick – have to offer in the future. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, a comedy short, and a gag reel.
New to Blu-Ray from the fine folks at Criterion is By Brakhage: An Anthology – Volumes One and Two (Criterion, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.95 SRP), whose 3 discs contain a collection of the often bizarre, but always fascinating, experimental short films by Stan Brakhage. By tinkering with exposure, painting, editing, and more, Brakhage presaged much of what we see in advertising (and even MTV) today. Bonus materials include video encounters with Brakhage, audio remarks, a video interview, a short film by his wife, footage from his Sunday salons at the University of Colorado, audio recordings of his lectures, and an essay-filled booklet.
It’s nice to see that IDW is continuing to give love to John Byrne’s creator-owned venture all these years later with the 2nd volume of their Next Men Premiere Edition (IDW, $50.00 SRP) – a deluxe, oversized, hardcover presentation of issues 11-20, including the Mark IV back-up features. Definitely a must have addition to any true comics fan’s library.
It’s big 50’s filmmaking at its finest, it contains one of the most memorable sequences ever set to film, and I’m delighted that Spartacus (Universal, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$26.98 SRP) has made its way to high definition that ports over all of the special features of the standard special edition from a few years back – including featurettes, archival interviews, newsreels, deleted scenes, and galleries.
Admittedly, it’s squirm-inducing car wreck TV, but I can’t help but be riveted by Hoarders (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP), which looks at – and ostensibly helps – those who compulsively, and detrimentally, retain everything from magazines to trash. The 2-disc 1st season set also contains additional footage.
Long one of those classic shows that has been absent on DVD, the complete first season of The Virginian (Timeless Media Group, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 SRP) is now available in full color, fully restored. With a guest list that includes the likes of Bette Davis, Lee Marvin, George C. Scott, Robert Duvall, Ricardo Montalban, and more, TV’s very first western is worth a look-see. The 10-disc set contains all 3 episodes, plus a bonus disc with exclusive cast interviews.
If you’ve been ensnared by the bayou vampire drama True Blood (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP), then you’ll probably be snapping up the complete second season, as a new threat to the sleepy southern town of Bon temps rears its ugly head. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, and a special edition of the Vampire News.
The modern day Robin Hoods of Leverage (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) return in a second season that finds them without a base of operations and within even bigger greedy prey in the offing – everything from Ponzi schemers to a rival crew of thieves. The 4-disc set contains all 15 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, a spoof video, and a gag reel.
Made for the UK’s ITV, both The Glory Boys & The Contract – available together in a box set (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP) – are true relics of the cold war era, with a cast list that includes the likes of Rod Steiger, Joanna Lumley, and Anthony Perkins. They’re both worth a spin.
Oh yes. It’s that time again. Are you ready for it? Are you sure? Because you have to make sure you’re ready for a new David Cross comedy special, and David Cross: Bigger And Blackerer (SubPop, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) is a fitting follow-up to his two previous releases. To describe the material is to ruin the surprise. Just get it.
Wil Wheaton brings his evil, evil presence to the 3rd season of The Guild (New Video, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP) as the leader of a rival group of gamers know as the Axis Of Anarchy, which face off against a Guild left in tatters after the party that ended season 2. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, music videos, featurettes, interviews, gag reels, and more.
For anyone interested in exploring the origins of the amateur literary jam session that is The Bible, take a look at the impressively researched documentary series Testament (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP), which explores the writing, revisions, translations, and misinterpretations of the tome.
The History Channel packages profiles of history’s most naughty rulers in the 2-disc Ancients Behaving Badly (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP), featuring Caligula, Alexander The Great, Julius Caesar, Attila The Hun, Hannibal, Cleopatra, Ghengis Khan, and Nero.
So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…
-Ken Plume
##
Party Favors: Not The Fonz
MILWAUKEE – Henry Winkler is not the Fonz.
He played the coolest guy on Happy Days for eleven seasons. But he doesn’t wear a leather jacket, ride a motorcycle or fix things by bumping them with his elbow. He’s not even Italian. He’s got a life that has gone beyond the Fonz. There’s probably a generation that knows him better for Adam Sandler movies and Arrested Development. On a May evening at the Quail Ridge bookstore in Raleigh, there is a group of kids under 12 years old that know him as the author of the Hank Zipzer books (along with co-writer Lin Oliver).
Many stars of the ’70s sell their tawdry memoirs of behind the scenes perversions. Winkler created a young adult book series that taps into grade school life instead of the action in Arnold’s bathroom. We’ll have to wait for lurid tales of the Hooper triplets. During the talk before the book signing, he admits to being Hank Zipzer. A while ago someone suggested he write about a dyslexic school kid. He scoffed at the idea at the time. How could he be an author? However he realized that his struggles and success in education could help others. He was able to overcome his issues to not only graduate high school, but eventually earn an MFA from Yale’s drama school. He also had an attitude change which he summed up by saying, “If you will it, it is not a dream.”
When the idea of him writing books for young adults was brought up again, he decided to will it. He met with Lin Oliver and the character of Hank Zipzer, The World’s Greatest Underachiever became a reality. Winkler’s talk to the audience was aimed mainly at the kids in the audience. He discussed his marriage that has lasted three decades and their three children. He read the first chapter from A Brand-New Me! – the 17th and final Hank Zipzer novel. This is the end of Hank’s career in elementary school except he might not graduate to middle school. Winkler had the kids mesmerized as he assumed the voice of a distracted child.
Originally I was planning on taping Winkler’s talk so I could stick it up on yoututbe for my cousin in Afghanistan to enjoy. We grew up watching Happy Days – at least until the gang entered college. I felt bad that he wouldn’t get to hang out with the Fonz. Right before the program was to start, the announced that people could take photos, but Winkler didn’t want his talk videotaped. Turns out Winkler’s got a set introduction speech for his book tour. This was reflected during the Q&A when a little kid pointed out how he’d said the same stuff on youtube.
Before I could stick the camera back in the car, a bookstore employee told me that they had mentioned to Henry how I wanted to videotape the event for my cousin stuck in a warzone. While Henry still didn’t want me taping his speech, he promised to tape a special message for my cousin.
While normally I’d consider this a private message, I sense that Winkler’s message should go out to all the folks who enjoy this column that are currently stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. So please enjoy:
He might not be the Fonz, but Henry Winkler is cool.
COMING THIS FALL
Ice Cube Time Machine will be this fall’s most outrageous comedy. The movie starts in 1989 when rapper Ice Cube gets sucked into a motel’s ice machine. It transports him into 2010 where he quickly discovers what happened to him. At first he’s blown away at his 21st Century lavish lifestyle. He’s got cars, mansions and the world on his cellphone. But he quickly learns the price of success. No longer is he feared by America. He’s now considered America’s Least Threatening Black Man. Morgan Freeman and Cuba Gooding Jr instill more fear in middle America than the star of Are We There Yet?
The saddest moment is when Ice Cube gets pulled over by a cop who only wants an autograph….for his grandmother. So much for Amerikkka’s Most Wanted. Ice Cube sits by the side of the road crying his eyes out knowing that old white ladies consider him comic relief like a black Larry the Cable Guy. The big ending has Ice Cube sucked back into a time vortex where he appears at Easy E’s deathbed. He begs Easy E to cap his ass so he can die like a gangsta. Easy’s final breath informs his old NWA cohort that he can’t deny old white ladies their precious new Bill Cosby. Ice Cube cries like a baby knowing that he’s doomed to a fate of being more socially acceptable than Vanilla Ice.
Remember that you can watch Ice Cube push his inoffensive persona on TBS this summer. And to think I drank St. Ides Malt Liquor based on his endorsement.
DRAW THE LINE
I’ve been told that you have to choose – You either live on Sesame Street or exist on Elmo’s World. The war is coming. Muppet fur will burn.
THE SMELL
Kevin James is Chris Farley’s rotting corpse in Grown Ups. Why didn’t Adam Sandler just spring to create a CGI Chris for the movie? Kevin James could still be in the film except he’d be covered in ping pong balls.
FATES WORSE THAN CHUCKLEHUT
In the wee hours, there was the most disturbing show on the sat TV. Rich Hall, Victoria Jackson and Dom Irrera were holding comedy court on what appeared to be a cruise ship. This was probably more frightening for the vacationers than a visit from Somali pirates. Was this really entertainment or community service? They must have been the comic relief between rounds of cockfighting.
WHAT MOVIE?
It’s not summer until I go out to the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theater in Henderson, NC to take in the joys of drive in cinema. This year’s opening title was Iron Man 2. Or was it? I enjoyed seeing Robert Downey Jr and Mickey Rourke smashing each other. But it seemed that half of the stupid movie was wasted on pimping The Avengers movie that’s coming out in a few years. It’s like watching Monday Night Raw when all they do is pimp an upcoming pay-per-view match. Except the difference is I already paid to view Iron Man 2. Note to filmmakers that expect me to pay for admission – don’t keep telling me about the film I’m not watching.
GET LOST
Now that Lost is over, where will the kids go to be completely confused about time? The best substitute is a visit to the DMV.
HORSE’S MOUTH
Among my strangest of viewing passions is anything featuring talking animals (not including CGI). You get a real animal to move their lips, I’m glued. Thus I’m thrilled to see Mister Ed: The Complete Third Season is out. Mister Ed is a talking horse who isn’t reincarnated or a mad scientist’s project. He’s just got a working mouth and plenty of horse sense to spare. He lives in Wilbur’s office in a residential neighborhood. The season opens with “Ed Gets Amnesia.” The horse can’t remember Wilbur or who he is. His only hope lays in the genius of Richard Deacon (Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy). “Ed the Pilgrim” should be required viewing after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Ed explains to Wilbur that a horse saved the pilgrims. “Big Pine Lodge” turns a ski vacation into a crooked card game. It’s up to Ed to help Wilbur out cheat the cheaters by posing as a mounted head on the wall. Mister Ed: The Complete Third Season is the perfect relief to TV political pundit who wish they were as smart as a talking horse. Only two and a half more seasons to go. Here’s a glimpse of Mister Ed in action for those who’ve never seen a talking horse.
BLU-RAY HEAVEN
Showgirls: 15th Anniversary Sinsational Edition brings the dazzling glory to 1080p Blu-ray and DVD. Like a good bi-sexual stripper, you won’t have to choose your format. It hasn’t looked this beautiful since the theatrical release (and I was in the multiplex for the first matinee to absorb all the Paul Verhoeven’s love. The story is semi-simple as Elizabeth Berkley arrives in Las Vegas with dreams of being a showgirl. Her career path takes her to a slimy strip club run by the equally slimy Robert Davi. Ultimately a lap dance for Gina Gershon leads to an invitation to the big showroom at a major casino. But things get more cut throat and bloody than a pirate movie. Most people treat this movie as camp, but that’s because they don’t watch it right. Switch the audio to the French language track and put on the English subtitles. Now sit back and be amazed at a film about the human condition that could have won Cannes and the Best Foreign Language Oscar. There are bonus features including “Pole Dancing: Finding Your Inner Stripper,” “Lap Dance Tutorial Featuring the World-Famous Girls of Scores,” “The Greatest Movie Ever Made” – A Commentary by David Schmader,” “Showgirls Fact-Up Trivia” and “A Showgirls Diary.” Now you can finally hear Caesar sing in High Definition.
DVD SHELF
Elvis 75th Birthday Collection brings together 7 of the Elvis Presley’s movies so you can make your summer a non-stop party. The titles include Clambake, Flaming Star, Follow That Dream, Frankie and Johnny, Kid Galahad, Love Me Tender and Wild in the Country. You get the first of his big movies with Love Me Tender. He wasn’t supposed to be the star, but who could deny that he’s the reason why this film still gets shown. Does Richard Egan have the week of his death turned into national celebration? This boxset contains quite a few of Elvis’ more sincere films. He wasn’t going all mindless musical in Follow That Dream, Flaming Star and Wild In the Country. He gets to go a couple acting rounds with Charles Bronson (Death Wish) on Kid Galahad. Pay attention for Ed Asner’s supporting role in the DA’s office. Frankie and Johnny teams up the King with Donna Douglas (Beverly Hillbillies). He’s a gambler on a bad luck streak. But Elvis was never bad luck in Hollywood. The gem of the collection is Clambake. He’s a rich boy who swaps life’s with a schlub so he can pursue a career as a speed boat racer. “Hey, Hey, Hey” is the greatest song that uses a chemical name as a lyric. His sportscar and baseball jacket elevate this film to cult stardom. There once was a time when indie stations would give us Elvis week during the summer. Now you have a chance to give yourself that treat.
The Cinema Pride Collection is a gay film studies class in a boxset available exclusively from Amazon.com. The 10 DVDs include The Children’s Hour, La Cage Aux Folles, My Beautiful Laundrette, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Extra Frills Edition, The Birdcage, Bent, The Object of My Affection, Boys Don’t Cry, Kissing Jessica Stein and Imagine Me & You. The films go from the tragic to the fabulous. La Cage Aux Folles was an amazing hit back in the ’70s about an uptight politician encountering his future son-in-law’s unique family. The kid’s dad runs a drag show and his “mother” is the star. The movie would eventually be remade in America as The Birdcage which is here. You can compare the French to Robin Williams. Boys Don’t Cry let Hilary Swank overcome the stigma of being the female Karate Kid. She has a romance with Chloe Sevigny (Big Love. This wouldn’t be too bad except the creepy locals think she’s really a guy. The most outrageous of the films is Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. This is my Raymond J. Regis award pick of the month. This is one of the few films were the costumes are almost as flaming as the characters as a trio of performers go cross country in Australia. Their outfits rightfully won the Oscar.
Flashpoint: The Second Season of the Canadian series that follows the Strategic Response Unit. It’s their version of SWAT except without the theme song. The crack team is lead by Sgt. Parker (Just Shoot Me‘s Enrico Colatoni). He comes off as rather intense for those who only remember him from being frustrated by David Spade. “Business As Usual” has them dealing with a CEO taken hostage. Turns out the guy was part of a mortgage scam. Must there really be a survivor? “Clean Hands” has them acting as police escort for a killer being transported back to Canada. Their biggest fear is the victim’s father deciding to put an end to the case “The Perfect Family” lets a couple attempt to reunite with the baby they put up for adoption. “Perfect Storm” is their high school geeks going after bullies episode. “Last Dance” has a woman with a terminal brain disease go on a crime spree since she doesn’t have to worry about the electric chair. For a peaceful country, Canada sure has people with violent issues. Flashpoint: The Second Season has 9 episodes spread over 2 DVDs.
MLB Bloopers: Baseball’s Best Blunders collects all those great goofy moments from the diamond. If you’re the person who enjoys the pranks and pratfall clips that get abused by sportscasters, you’ll be glued to this 90 minute special. All the good stuff is here including Jose Canseco assisting a homerun ball by taking it off his noggin. There’s even animal attack moments. Plenty of players get hit in the face with shaving cream pies after victories. Baseball players just loves being jokesters since they spend way too much time on the pine or waiting around in right field.
Reds Memories: The Greatest Moments In Cincinnati Reds History covers the love affair between the Queen City and baseball. The city did have the first pro team when the Red Stockings took the field. Turns out after two seasons, they moved to Boston thus starting that city’s association with Red Sox. That’s why the two cities claim true red stocking connections. The documentary really gets cranking with the Big Red Machine era of Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. They were an all-star team on the crummy astroturf of Riverfront Stadium. The plus is Pete Rose’s interviews don’t include him coming up with a new excuse for his gambling or begging to be put in the Hall of Fame. A bonus feature is Johnny Bench’s induction speech with Ted Williams in the front row.
May 27, 2010
Cabin Fever 95: Sparklepuss
Oh no! Just when you thought it was safe to hang out at the FRED…
Cabin Fever (hosted by the twisted souls Brian Fitzpatrick and Aaron Poole) is the result of having too much time on your hands and access to your local community radio station.
Over the course of an hour, they manage to trawl the depths of good taste, plus throw some music in. How much more could you want from a podcast?… Quality? Oh… we didn’t think of that.
Enjoy! And we hope our cross Atlantic friends can understand the Irish accent 😉
Hugs and Kisses,
Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy
CABIN FEVER #95: Sparklepuss – Aaron and Brian have a quick chat about LOST, a short mention of Dio, and then a very long rant about TWILIGHT. Feel the hatred.
[CONTENT WARNING]: Explicit contents! We say every naughty word you can think of. You have been warned!
DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #95 (MP3 format)
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Trailer Park: SEX AND THE CITY 2 and LOST
Check out my new column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp
Get Him To The Greek – Movie Pass Giveaway
I am hoping this is the movie I need.
It’s almost June and I have yet to see a film that just wants to be funny. We’ve had countless blockbusters, animated films, chick flicks, but where has the comedy been? If MacGruber is any indication I know that a lot of people have stayed away from movies that only purport to be a fun romp. Here’s to wishing that the latest from Nicholas Stoller delivers on the idea that this will be the vehicle that properly channels Russell Brand’s unique comedic aesthetic.
For those living in Arizona I have a stack of passes to see Greek on Tuesday, June 1st at 7:00 p.m. at the Tempe Marketplace. If you want some just e-mail me at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and I’ll make it happen for those who act swiftly.
About the movie:
Aaron Greenberg (Hill) gets things done. The ambitious 23-year-old has exaggerated his way into a dream job just in time for a career-making assignment. His mission: Fly to London and escort a rock god to L.A.’s Greek Theatre for the first-stop on a $100-million tour. His warning: Turn your back on him at your own peril.
British rocker Aldous Snow (Brand) is both a brilliant musician and walking sex. Weary of yes men and piles of money, the former front man is searching for the meaning of life. But that doesn’t mean he can’t have a few orgies while he finds it. When he learns his true love is in California, Aldous makes it his quest to win her back”¦right before kick-starting his world domination.
As the countdown to the concert begins, one intern must navigate a minefield of London drug smuggles, New York City brawls and Vegas lap dances to deliver his charge safe and, sort of, sound. He may have to coax, lie to, enable and party with Aldous, but Aaron will get him to the Greek.
Sex and the City 2 – Review
There is nothing at stake for any of these characters.
It’s the moment when Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) confide in one another about the trials of being a mother in Sex and the City 2 when it’s obvious this movie has absolutely no interest in being relevant. Once, this was a show that gave a voice to modern women who felt that they needed to have a program that showcased what it was really like to be a lady, post-feminism, in a world that still wanted to keep their musings to themselves.
Sex and the City, the television show, broke boundaries when it challenged the dominant male stranglehold on crass and crude depictions of sexuality. It was men who slept around, it’s was men who were always fumfering trying to find love, it was men who felt inadequate. The show was a fun examination that seemed to harness the many facets of the female psyche: the need to be glamorous, the pressure to succeed professionally, the ambitions to be socially accepted at any cost, the desire to be in control, sexually, regardless of age.
This film is amazing in that it completely fails to honor the values that made the series, and the first film for that matter, a wonderful hallmark for women everywhere to embrace as their own. They’d just as soon be better served to revisit their DVDs rather than to sit through this completely useless exercise which could be better classified as a throwaway curtain call that is obnoxiously too long, filled with monotonous and superfluous storylines that seem more interested in resurrecting characters than focusing on the ones in front of us, and is entirely ignorant of the irony that these women have now become an example of what happens when you put last year’s style up against what’s couture today. Anna Wintour, if she was being honest, would say this film has a style more suited to the tastes of those who find the fashion of Old Navy to be cutting edge.
The girls come together in this second entry for a film that shames Michael Patrick King’s earlier efforts as director/writer for SATC part 1, to say nothing of the work he did on the television show when it was on from 1998-2004. The crux, primarily, of this film is how Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Big (Chris Noth) are dealing with marriage two years in but the problems they have are so far removed from the Carrie we all knew in the series and the first film that it never occurs to anyone that hers is now a life devoid of restriction. Besides a genuinely painful, and horribly written, exchange early on in the film when a couple at a wedding talk to Carrie and Big about having children, the idea of what’s considered normal small talk is obviously lost on King, and the forced realization that these two older individuals have chosen a life without kids ought to be one of personal contentment. They should be satisfied in their decisions but King
makes it awkward for all of us when he has the couple who realize Carrie and Big don’t see parenthood as a part of their master plan recoil from admiration to abject shame. Whether King is obsessed with more important things like getting tight shots of men’s pouches donning Speedos and slo-mos of them disrobing throughout the film I couldn’t tell you but what I do know is that this story plays out like a ham fisted attempt to cash in on a franchise that no one with a big enough checkbook wants to see go away.
Rather, what we’re given really is an insult to the fans who have supported the idea that these women who are all demure and exciting in their own way are reduced to shells of their former selves, drifting though life doing nothing more than complaining about their pitiful existence. As it stands, however, these women just come off as haggard old also-rans who live lives of privilege.
Charlotte rants and bawls at one point about her tough time as a mother, never acknowledging her privileged life with a live-in nanny who whisks her kids away at the first sign of trouble. She comes off as a selfish witch who would be better served to have her money taken away for a while before being allowed to complain about her circumstances.
Samantha Jones, played by the always interesting Kim Cattrall, visits Abu Dhabi with her three girlfriends as the guest of a wealthy man but ends up trying to let her freak flag fly as high as it can go, completely disregarding custom and socially appropriate etiquette on multiple levels. Instead of harnessing that energy and making something interesting, King treats it as a chance to toss in one of the more obnoxiously half-baked storylines ever to be concocted. Hers is a character that ends up looking more pathetic and embarrassing than she does as the representative of labial empowerment. It’s also insulting to the women of that emirate who see the invading hoards of high fashion to be seen as women who are in the need of rescuing. Oddly, we’re clued in that some progressive women are challenging the norms but, later in the film, we’re forced into a moment that makes us feel like this isn’t good enough, that male domination cannot be allowed
to stand one minute longer. It wants it both ways in this film and it ends up making this mess even murkier to wade through.
Carrie, as well, doesn’t fare well here either. Watching the working girl struggle to find ways in order to feed her need for fashion accoutrements in the series, the plateau of which was seen in the first film when she married a man who was now in the position to let her get her fix until the day she died, was one of the reasons people tuned in. Hyper analyzing her marriage two years in not only reeks of a writer desperate to find a chink in a gorgeous piece of armor but it doesn’t make for a very good story. When the worst thing that besets this celluloid power couple, and the whole movie for that matter, is an unintended kiss, only for it to be remedied with a black diamond offered up by the offended party, it smacks of stupidity and laziness.
Alas, it is Miranda who ends up coming off as the most interesting of the four but even there is an issue with her arc as a character. Her quitting of a job that was built up as a device that could have lasted the entire film within the first ¼ of the film, only to be brought up at the very end of the picture, represented the totality of her growth. Used as merely window dressing to move the plodding, lumbering plot forward, there could not have been a worse way to treat someone who always represented something special in this band of sisters.
Ultimately, no one was safe from their mishandling at the hands of King. Unable to comprehend that this comedy of multiple errors should have ended or have been edited down a half hour or even 45 minutes to make this a true 90 minute comedy King had his own plan and, unfortunately, the movie feels like a monetary cash-in, a fiscal decision, that truly wants to give the audience what they want. The problem is, a trip to Abu Dhabi, a stolen kiss from Aiden, a two year itch, problems with a nanny, these all are irrelevant to the genuinely amusing lives these women once had.
They say that money doesn’t change you, that it only enhances the person you are. If that’s the case, and judging by what was on the screen, I don’t think I knew these women at all and I don’t think I want to anymore.
Josh Holloway – Interview
For many years I have held this interview as one of the best experiences I’ve had with an actor. Way back in 2005, months after the first season came to an end and lit a fire in the hearts of many who saw this as groundbreaking television I had the chance to talk to Josh an immediately jumped at the chance to talk to the guy, never minding that I was green as could be when it came to interviewing.
Lost was a program I sometimes wavered from in the middle years, the story just growing and bloating to epic proportions, but it got me back in the last couple of years. The ending, for me, was a semi-satisfying one and a wholly satisfying one with regard to giving Jack some closure. I wanted to do something novel and I thought back to when I talked to Josh after the first season was over, when Lost fever was high, and when he was feeling the love from fans at San Diego Comic-Con, the nexus point, really, where the love flowed all too freely.
I’ll miss Lost so here’s one for the road…An interview that I still remember clearly almost 5 years later.
Josh Holloway likes to smile.
It would be completely clichéd and People Magazine of me to state that, of course, he has a lot to smile about but that’s not what struck me when I made this observation about him. What made the time I spent with Josh so memorable was the absolute sense of openness that he engendered in the twenty five minutes I spent with him discussing his own trajectory as an actor as a lead in his very first major motion picture.
With every interview I’ve done there is always a little something I’ve built up about a celebrity, for a lack of a better word. It’s either I’ve seen their work and I secretly hope the interview is a little bit of them appeasing me with the questions I ask and a little bit of that charisma that so many of the “stars” people see on stage or screen seem to exude. I think there’s a lot of fan boy in me that I have to keep in check like it’s a caged animal that needs to be restrained but there’s also the inquisitive other half of me that wants to throw out the kinds of inquires some celebs have never been asked.
My goal, my only goal, with Josh was to not ask a damn thing about Lost, Season 2. I didn’t want to know anything about the show that he wasn’t going to volunteer. I didn’t care to ask anything about the meanings of his back story and what it meant to all that’s happened to him on the show, I didn’t give a rat’s ass about where he thinks his relationship with Kate’s going and I really didn’t want to know whether he and Sayid were going to have it out again this year. After listening to dozens of Entertainment Tonight, Extra and all sorts of other tabloids and radio interviewers speculate and fish for answers whenever they managed to corner one of the stars of Lost, one excruciating interview was one I heard with Naveen Andrews and even though Naveen’s role on the show and real life resume is one of the most interesting all the radio host could ask about was how he ended up with Barbara Hershey and what secrets he could let the world in on, I just realized how sad it was that the actors on this show were part of one of the biggest successes to hit the free air and all anyone could do was talk about the most meaningless thing they could think of.
So, if you’re looking to know what’s coming in season 2 of Lost, whether or not Sawyer is going to get it on with Freckles, what the hell is up with the polar bear and what seems to be his predilection for the George Michael 2-Day stubble look he’s rocking on his face week after week, you can stop reading right now and skip to next week where other celebs shamelessly gladly pimped their wares with me. This isn’t an act of pomposity on my part, I assure you. I think the dalliances of any Hollywood actor as I hear how their lives are so much better than mine are completely engrossing. I watch Cribs, I read Entertainment Weekly, I steal a peek at the National Enquirer; I’m shallow, I admit that. But what I didn’t want my short amount of time with Josh to be was everything that I eschewed about the press surrounding the show and I wanted to give you, the audience, a good look at the person behind one of the best played bad boys this side of the Pacific.
I wanted to actually talk to Josh. Have a real conversation with him. Find out more about where he’s come from, where he’s planning on going. I just hoped he wouldn’t have an attitude. It was a short list of hopes and aims, sure, but when I first stepped onto the brightly lit sundeck on a warm July afternoon in San Diego I was greeted with what I can only describe as a force that I can’t begin to genuinely describe because of its oddity. As soon as I was formally introduced Josh seemed genuinely pleased to meet me as I got a look at a smile I would be seeing a lot in the time I would be spending with him. Like a complete gentleman he, himself, introduced me to his wife who also seemed to be happy to meet me, a feat not too many strange women have ever accorded to me in a non-inebriated state. She was lovely. The two of them not only didn’t seem to mind when I asked to take their picture together but they seemed, as they stood next to each other, like a couple who honestly seemed happy to be with one another. If there ever was a Bizzaro world episode on Lost where Sawyer had to meet his doppelganger, I think I know who should play him.
All superlatives aside, there isn’t much more I can say about the man who has the left the greatest impression on me as an interviewer; even more than getting to talk to Stan Lee, even better than asking Natalie Portman a couple of questions face-to-face, Josh just seemed grateful for everything he’s been given. When you’re talking with him you just want to think that of all those people who you see struggling to make it in Hollywood you’re happy that someone like him is one of those who did. Josh likes to laugh, no question about it. His stories of struggling to give his career one last shot of everything he has are the kinds of things you’d want to listen to while having a beer with the guy at a party. He’s just plain interesting and engrossing as a subject while being one of the nicest strangers you ever could hope to meet.
Class act doesn’t begin to describe him. It embodies him.
CHRISTOPHER STIPP: So, how was it to walk on that stage and seeing all those people?
JOSH HOLLOWAY: That was exciting. That’s the reward of doing as well as we have. I’ve never done a convention. No one ever wanted me at one; it’s a little different. I find panels, though, to be a lot of fun.
I hope that I am answering the questions intelligently enough but I like the comedy of it. I like a panel for the banter with the fans. I love the energy. I’m having a blast.
CHRISTOPHER STIPP: The Comic-Con crowds with their questions can sometimes be a little different. I am thinking of the person who asked you in the panel discussion about whether you like to swim in the nude.
(Josh laughs)
Did they warn you that “You know, there are probably going to be questions”¦”
HOLLOWAY: No, but I figured, and it’s so funny, because that’s been going around for a while. Just because when we first arrived in Hawaii everyone was like, “Look at our office! This is ridiculous.” Everyone was, and it wasn’t everyone, just the brave ones, it was that Hawaii inspired us and it was just like, “Let’s go swimming naked!” I haven’t skinny dipped in years and it felt good.
CHRISTOPHER STIPP: In Ohau?
HOLLOWAY: Yeah, and it’s just amazing. My wife and I just bought a house there and so we’re really loving”¦melting into the Hawaiian culture and hope to be there a few more years.
I mean, it’s paradise; it’s the best place in the world to be working and just existing. You only work so much and you’ve got to live in the place. It’s better, than say, Siberia. There are much worse places you could be working.
CHRISTOPHER STIPP: Now, your movie WHISPER. Give me a quick synopsis. It’s your first real lead, right?
HOLLOWAY: Yes, yes, which is really nerve wracking, actually.
I’ve just gotten Sawyer, and I am developing that, and to take the step, to take a role and to do a movie is exciting and nerve wracking. The movie, WHISPER, basically is about a group of people who are really down on their luck, not being given a chance anymore, by society because of past records. The old story is that when you’re a convict you can’t get a job, no one will give you a second chance. So, what these people decide to do, essentially, is kidnap this kid for ransom. Aaaand, it goes badly. We get a lot more than we bargained for with this kid.
But what excited me about this role was that my character doesn’t want to do it. He’s trying to start a new life because he’s fallen in love and he wants to provide for his woman and start a new life, a good life, with this woman. Everything that motivates him is love when what he’s doing is horribly wrong and I liked the dichotomy of that. And the fact that the kid is supposed to be the innocent one and, when it flips, there is a beautiful transition there. That’s what excited me and made me say, “Wow, innocence is evil and evil is innocence.”
CHRISTOPHER STIPP: I’m curious to know about your first day on the set of WHIPSER. I just think back to every first job I’ve had, regardless of what it was I was doing, and I remember how it emotionally felt to just try and get a footing, a handle on things. How was it for you?
HOLLOWAY: It was a whirlwind.
Because of scheduling, of course, they were pushing the movie, pushing the movie, they already started filming the movie, so I wrapped Lost and the very next day I am on set so there was no break in moving from one character to this one.
And it takes you a minute before you hit your stride. So, that first day is nerve wracking and, also, I am kind of used to having a family in Hawaii. I mean we’ve all become a family over the season. The comfort level of going to work and experiencing that”¦and then the first day of the movie is like you have to introduce yourself to all these new people and then having to feel the pressure of it being on that level, a movie. It’s awesome but you have to be ready and everyone is expecting. And I’m thinking to myself, “Oookay, I’ve got to deliver.” So, it’s the usual pre-game jitters but once the game starts, you’ve got no room for that. It all goes away.
It’s just what we put ourselves through before the game that’s torture.
And it was such an honor to work with Michael Rooker as he’s been in so many things: DAYS OF THUNDER, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER and I have been watching him for years so it’s definitely an honor to have worked with him. And Stewart Hendler, a first time director, that was actually a nice bond because him and I were both awe struck by it all but then the balance to that was Dean Cundey, a masterful filmmaker. He did the original FOG, he did the original HALLOWEEN, THE THING, he was the orgininal DP on all of those. And of course he went on to win the Academy Award for APOLLO 13 but he wanted to come back and get his hands dirty and do a classic thriller/horror kind of movie and that’s what I loved about it and what he loves about it. It’s very simple. Not a lot of tricks. It’s kind of like your old school horror movie which is great.
CHRISTOPHER STIPP: And those kinds of films are making a resurgence”¦
HOLLOWAY: Yes, they are.
I was glad to be making one that wasn’t gimmick, gimmick, gimmick, you know what I mean? This one really works on the original principals of horror movies and the unknown, and all that kind of stuff, a little bit of demonic stuff brought in there, a little DAMIEN kind of thing.
It’s good, It’s simple and it’s spooky.
CS: One of things I wanted to do before meeting you was to get an idea, professionally speaking, of the roles you did before landing Sawyer on Lost. One of the first things I saw was that you were billed as “Good Looking Guy” in an episode of Angel.
(Laughs for good reason)
HOLLOWAY: That’s right!
My very first job was Good Looking Guy. That’s what they said as the description, I just thought it was funny. My next job I think I got was Bartender. It took me a while to get a name on my trailer.
So, you do what you do. I did seven indies. True indies with no money, guerella shooting. I did some television spots for Angel, Walker, Texas Ranger, CSI, a couple more.
But, those movies, doing those independents on that level, was such a great experience and growing time for me as an actor because the nature of it being a true indie, everyone’s disorganized, you’ve got 18 days to get this thing in the can, and it’s only so much money but you’re busting it, getting it done. But, in that, you’re allowed a great deal of creative freedom. Because people are like runnin’ and gunnin’ as they’re saying, “This isn’t making sense. Can you make it work?” Yeah, I can make that work. You’re able to work with the writers and you create as you go. It also taught me to think on my feet. It’s made me available for any twists that may come and that’s what really made it such a good experience. I also did a diverse type of characters. I did a comedy, two comedies. In one I played this bodybuilder who was this complete innocent guy that was being hit on by a homosexual man the whole time and he was just so happy just to have a friend and there was a lot that went on there. Then, I played the opposite of that where I played the Obi-Wan of sex, if you will. That was a lot of fun. I moved on to a western, a crazy, psycho guy, so I got to do a lot of stretching as an actor which I think has helped me a lot because I love character work.
I don’t just don’t get up and say, “I’ll just go be me.” I try and put me in every character and just blow that aspect up but I just don’t play an idea.
CS: I think that comes through because the character of Sawyer, to anyone who comes upon him, they know exactly what he means and where he’s coming from, the intensity of it all. It’s a character that’s been infused with a history.
HOLLOWAY: Yes!
And that’s what I love about this craft. For me, a lot of the things that I see in character work is an idea. You can tell when someone is playing an idea or if they’re emboding it and it’s so important to find that aspect within you, that’s truly you, and blow it up. That’s what makes it real.
(Josh turns his head quickly as his wife tries to sneak through his jeans to steal a cigarette. He starts to ask her what she needs before she puts a finger to her lips and points down to my recorder. Josh laughs anyway as the faux noises of passionate love embed themselves into my digital device; it is funny. She absconds with what she wants from Josh.)
CS: How long have you been married?
HOLLOWAY: Since October 1st.
CS: Congratulations.
HOLLOWAY: Thank you so much. 1 year. We’ve almost been together 7 now.
CS: Really?
HOLLOWAY: Long time.
She has seen me at my worst.
CS: I was just going to say that I heard something about real estate.
HOLLOWAY: Oh yes.
CS: Were you getting to the point where you were thinking about giving it all up?
HOLLOWAY: Again. I think that was the 3rd time the town broke me. But in 8 ½ years of busting it and constant rejection and getting close and never quite getting to work, to do the work you’ve been trained to do that’s in you. It just burns you up. And, yeah, right before I booked Lost I had just got my real estate license, I was making my exit again, and I had t have the conversation with my wife who was then my girlfriend, I hadn’t yet proposed, I just didn’t have anything I could bring. I couldn’t support her. It’s part of being a man I guess. My feeling was, “If I can’t provide anything then what am I doing?”
And that was it. I needed to move on in my life. Just for my soul I had to do something. So I went into real estate. I got my license, I got Lost and promptly filed it away.
(Laughs the kind of laugh only people who really do know what it’s like to no longer be indentured to a 9 to 5 existence.)
CS: Did you realize how big this job was going to be when you saw that J.J. Abrams was attached to it?
HOLLOWAY: Just because I had been beaten as bad as I did for 8 ½ years I knew, statistically, and knowing my past, I knew I was going to have to go the Clooney path which was that I was going to have to do 16 pilots before one goes. So I was just happy to get the first level for what I thought was going to be a really long road. I was praying, of course, that it would work but, statistically, they were telling me it was going to be one of the most expensive shows ever, and that’s when I was like”¦
CS: Were you thinking, “I can’t believe this is happening?”
HOLLOWAY: The one thing that goes through your head is, “Oh my God, I better kick it. I better be on the level with this one or they’ll kill me quickly.” And that was a bit intimidating at first, working with actors that I had been watching through the years like Harold, who did ROMEO AND JULIET, Naveen who was in the ENGLISH PATIENT and Dom who was in the LORD OF THE RINGS movies, and Matt Fox who was in his series forever, and I was like, “Oh boy.”
CS: Was the experience like thinking, “These guys have so much experience”¦”
HOLLOWAY: Yes and the knowledge that, “You’re damn right I’m ready and I can certainly be on the level.”
But of course you’re worried about it until you actually get in the game.
That’s what amazing, too, is that we’ve become such a family of friends and that rarely happens with a cast. Even with a small cast that’s rare but a large cast? For us to get along so well”¦I want, as much as I want to be on the show, I want to be able and continue these relationships with these wonderful people, my new friends. That’s been a huge gift.
And we get together on Wednesdays, whoever’s flashback episode it is, we go to their house and, whether they like it or not, it’s their responsibility to host the party. So, every Wednesday we get to touch base because a lot of the time we don’t get to film together. We’re all off shooting different parts. So, every Wednesday we pull it back together, we have some laughs and get inspired by each other and inspire each other.
CS: You never hear these kinds of things.
HOLLOWAY: No, you don’t.
CS: To go with the ABC angle, Desperate Housewives have been doing so well but on the US magazines of the world it’s all about who’s fighting with who, who’s asking for more money”¦
HOLLOWAY: Yeah, which is the norm, from what I’ve been told and that this is extremely rare. And I’m like, “Really? This is awesome.” And what’s difficult is that you get so close and Ian Somerhalder is no longer there and he’s a very good friend and it’s, “Argh!” I was getting into our fishing together.
CS: And on the subject of finding work, what really got you through the day when you were looking for that one job or that one break which would’ve helped you out? Everyone says it’s believing in yourself, it’s perseverance, but self-help garbage aside, what really carried you through your days?
HOLLOWAY: I couldn’t stop my dreams.
I couldn’t stop my daydreams or night dreams or my dreams of what I want out of life. I don’t know, I didn’t know what I wanted out of life. I didn’t know what I wanted to be, I wanted to be everything. Acting would provide that. I could taste what it would be like to be a secret agent, I could taste what it would be like to be a contractor, a lawyer, whatever, this or that. That really”¦I didn’t want to let that go because I wanted to experience what movies and the like would allow you to experience. And it’s still”¦it’s what got me up in the morning. It takes everything you have, emotionally and physically, just to keep going. You’re constantly nervous or excited, really happy or really sad, and it’s just a constant plethora of emotions that you’re faced with in this job.
I mean, I’m a cancer, I’m emotional and that’s what kept me in: the magic. You hit those moments and you have that magic happen it’s freeing. And when I was about to leave I’d hit the magic again. And it would reel me back in. But I can’t. It’s so all-encompassing for me. And that’s what inspires me in life; I want to inspire and be inspired.
CS: 23 episodes. That’s tough enough on a writer but what you have to go through to get it all in as an actor?
It’s difficult to get it all in and filmed in 8 days. They write such amazing little movies each time. To get it all in that amount of time we’re moving at a ballistic pace and thank God we have the kind of actors we do as we’re handed scripts and pretty much told, “Here you go. You have five minutes. Good luck.” And they all do it. And they knock it out of the park. Begrudgingly, because it’s so nerve wracking, but you do it and that’s been amazing. That we’ve been able to keep up the pace but keep the bar up.
And you know”¦I’m looking forward to doing more scenes with people I didn’t get to do many scenes with during the first season. I didn’t get many scenes with Emily. One scene with Jorge; can’t wait to do more scenes with Jorge. I love the casting because you get to work with so many actors that are awesome and each one is a different flavor and adds a different dimension to your character. How you deal with them and what they bring out of you and what you bring out of them.
FREDagator: 2010-05-27
Ever wonder what your grandmother is doing in that retirement home? She’s doing this…
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