Let the Wrong One In

Having been burned by the last two Twilight films I have no intention of even seeing let alone reviewing the third installment Eclipse. I will take this opportunity to admit how disappointed I am in director David Slade. Having only made two films before... damn good ones I might add, it appears this promising new talent has fallen victim to the system of selling out.

Hard Candy was one of the most ingenious cat and mouse thrillers I had seen in years. It was really intense, creepy, and not too many films are quite as able to shift your loyalties the way this film did. The set up made my skin crawl the way you could sense this predator honing in on his latest victim only to have the tables turn when you realize his prey is actually a piece of bait. Even more impressive is that I am still able to highly recommend this one considering you may end up spending a great deal of the film's duration cupping your nether region in fear.

My guess is that Slade's follow up project 30 Days of Night is what got him the Twilight gig. It is a vampire film, but there is an ingenious twist. These bloodsuckers are smart enough to stay where the sun can't hurt them by feeding on the residents of a small Alaskan town in the dead of winter. The look and style of this film is very sharp, it contains quite possibly the most graphic and realistic decapitation I have ever seen in a film, and the ending is a beautiful, sad, almost poetic downer.

To be fair I can understand why Mr. Slade took the job (Hey, we all gotta get paid), but I really hope that he returns to making more challenging and gutsy films in the future. By the way whose idea was it to get Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, Kinsey) to direct the next one?

After working the midnight show and then the (surprise!) 2:30 am show the only good thing to come out of the entire evening was this. Now I will admit when I first heard about a sequel to this indie haunted house thriller I was turned off. I figured the studio would step in and alter it into a incoherent mess. After seeing this creepy tease I am back onboard, but twenty bucks says absolutely nothing happens to the baby. I wouldn't give the same odds to the dog.

Assorted Links: Listmania, Circus of Sirk, and a Thriller Restrospective

• The worst movies never made.
• Gateways to Geekery takes on filmmaker Douglas Sirk, whose movies "have been championed as subversive critiques of Eisenhower-era conformity." Sounds like heady stuff.
• The 20 [supposedly] most anticipated Sci-Fi/Fantasy films of 2011. Really just a lot of remakes, adaptations, and sequels. The only one that looks like it could potentially be good is Cowboys & Aliens, and that's only because of the cast, which includes Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Sam Rockwell.
• Vanity Fair on Michael Jackson's "Thriller". An excerpt: "Obsessive about tracking his sales figures, Jackson compared them constantly with those of Prince and Madonna." Sad.
• Surely it can't be thirty years since Airplane!?  [It can.  And don't call me Shirley.]

There's No Business Like Show Business

Over the weekend I watched a number of shows commemorating the anniversary of Michael Jackson's untimely death, including "Michael Jackson and Bubbles, the chimp," (seriously, it aired on Animal Planet) and "This Is It." I had seen the latter in the movies last summer and loved it. I am/was a huge MJ fan. Huge. I've attempted to learn almost all of his music video choreographies (as an adult). Anyways, "This Is It" is the exactly the type of movie that makes me appreciate showbiz in all its over-the-top, rhinestone-studded-pants glory. The truth is that aside from MJ's performances themselves, it was fascinating to watch the amount of work, talent, skill and tact that goes into directing such a huge production and such a huge star. It also got me thinking about what are my top ten movies about show business. Here is what I came up with:

10) 42nd Street: Remember, it can be a little cheesy, but it was 1933 and it still tells the classic showbiz story of a young, aspiring actress who is given a once in a lifetime opportunity when then star of the show that she understudied suffers an injury. Plus, really cute tap dancing numbers.

9) Yankee Doodle Dandy: James Cagney plays George M. Cohen in this biographical pic. Great acting, great music, great (true) story. The movie presents a homage to showbiz as well, by recognizing that the entertainment industry strives not just to entertain, but to send a message and help American culture get through difficult times (i.e. the depression and WWII).

8) Ed Wood: A movie honoring bad movies. The movie is sweet and respects its subjects for their quirkiness, lack of talent, and their passion for showbiz.

7) Amadeus: This is probably the darkest movie on the list. It warns that fame is fleeting, and only true art and true talent survive the test of time. In other words, it is the quality of the art, not the reaction or acceptance of the industry and contemporary public, that makes an artist immortal.

6) New York, New York: Scorsese directs DeNiro and Liza Minnelli in this sad story about the impact that fame and success has on a married couple. The theme is not unlike the one in Amadeus: the contrast between true talent and mediocrity and the harshness of the showbiz industry.

5) Bowfinger: Eddie Murphy steals the show in this movie. But if that was not enough, all of the characters mock all aspects of movie-making, not just the "talent" but the producers and business aspect as well.

4) Being Julia: I love Annette Bening's character in this movie. She is a successful theater actress that is completely self-absorbed and spoiled; when things stop going her way, she cries, complains, is unforgiving, and ruthless. She is totally resentful on anyone who gets slightly more attention than she does.

3) Tropic Thunder: Duh!

2) Singing In The Rain: One of my favorite movies. Great musical without being too cheesy, and really, really funny. ("Moses supposes his toeses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously!")

1) All That Jazz: It is the ultimate triple threat. It takes on death, dance, and film-making. Brilliant.

A Note on William Goldman, aka S. Morgenstern

Just finished re-watching Marathon Man, did a little research, and found out that the author (William Goldman) is the same guy who wrote The Princess Bride.  Maybe this is common knowledge, but I thought it was worth pointing out.   I mean, can you think of two more different films?!

Addendum: 'Dragon' Sets Cold Case Aflame & 'Toy' Joy

You are absolutely right Aaron. The american remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo simply will not do the original Swedish version justice. Considering this is one of the best films I have seen this year I would still be willing to see it go down swinging. David Fincher has already mastered this kind of sick and twisted investigative thriller with films like Seven and Zodiac so he is actually a solid pick to direct. I like the idea of Daniel Craig playing Mikael Blomkvist. I will even go so far to say that given a few years Kristen Stewart would make a perfect Lisbeth Salander. The only problem is that indeed the harsh nature and subject matter would be eradicated and therefore would make this retelling irrelevant and unnecessary.

I went into this film knowing very little about it aside from the fact that it was lengthy and disturbing. It certainly was both of these, but I also found it totally and completely engrossing. A forty year old missing person case that is intertwined with serial killings, nazis, family cover-ups, and other assorted sins. At times its subject matter is more than a little challenging to watch, but the retribution that is delivered towards the wrongdoers makes it worth it.

What is it about foreign mysteries like this that I find so fascinating and appealing? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that these films don't talk down to the audience. They don't simplify events, but rather enhance them. I found this film to be on the same level of excellence as other whodunits like Tell No One and Mother.

I am pleased to learn that this is the first part of a planned trilogy. I look forward to the future exploits of this odd pair of detectives. As for the remake, it appears to have the talent, but I would be willing to bet that it lacks the spine. A

Last week Pixar's Toy Story 3 did an absolutely spellbinding job of tugging both pull-strings and heartstrings. I didn't quite feel a complete review was entirely necessary considering so much praise has been heaped onto this one already. One of the greatest films ever? That's a bit of an overshoot. Worth your time and money? Without question.

Andy is heading off to college and by mistake his toys are taken out with the trash. They decide life at the local daycare center is a much better option than the city dump. The dream of what looks like a pleasant toy retirement home is soon revealed to be more like the nightmare of a prison when the toys discover that the younger tykes play a little too rough. A plan of Great Escape proportions is soon hatched.

If you were a fan of the first two installments then I probably don't need to tell you to see it because more than likely you already have. The first time that I witness Pixar stumble I will more than likely devote an epic review on the subject, but for now this is a smart and sweet little sequel that comes highly recommended. A-

Assorted Links: Costner Wipes BP's Ass, Eau de Shatner, Chan-tastic, Getting Troopers, and an (Ill-fated?) Comeback

• Amazingly, there's still an active debate about the true nature of Starship Troopers.
• Kevin Costner's work on Waterworld was not a complete waste after all.
• Do you want to smell like William Shatner?
• Alex Trebek lays down some old standards in auto-tuned Jeopardy clues. Seriously, I watched it on TV. This is not a joke.
• In [gushing] praise of Jackie Chan.
• Shamalamadingdong's next movie is going to be a supernatural Taken.  [sarcasm]Sounds like a winner to me[/sarcasm]. 

Assorted Links: An Inception Appetizer and That Thing You Put on the End of Your Pencil (in CGI)

- This is the most detailed trailer of Inception I've seen so far.  Watch at your own risk.


- They're finally making a movie about trolls, now that they've been out-of-vogue for 20 years.

- Someone on this blog has got to review Toy Story 3, which is apparently the 8th best movie of all time.  I mean, this movie isn't going to review itself, and I'm sure not going to see it any time soon.     

Assorted Links: Kubrick and Scorsese (on and versus each other), Deadpan Dogs, and Hanging Chads

-FACE OFF: Stanley Kubrick versus Martin Scorsese, or, if you'd prefer something less adversarial, Kubrick and Scorsese on each other.


-Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards finds at least five different ways to celebrate hot chicks.  Meanwhile, Marisa Miller is just there to hand out an award to Shaun White. (This is almost as misguided as Katy Perry being named No. 1 on "Maxim's Hot 100" list).  Don't get me started.  Don't even get me started!

-The IMMORTAL DOG is the best idea ever (this week).

Assorted Links: Blue Porn, Soap for Dudes, and the Infallibility of Pixar, the Pope, and Chuck Norris.

• Avatar porn parody appears . . . finally! 
• Specialty soaps that men will go nuts for: Fight Club and Han Solo in Carbonite.  
• The Pope thinks you should watch The Blues Brothers, probably because he wants you to believe that nuns can actually hover.  It won't be long before they decide to canonize Father Guido Sarducci.  
• Was Up a rip-off?  You decide.  
• TOP SECRET: The original ending of LOST. 
• And more about that mysteriously prolific newspaper that appears in every movie and TV show.  

Get Him to the Greek (or just rehab)

Another sort of sequel I saw this weekend was Get Him to the Greek. Russell Brand returns as Aldous Snow, the lead singer of Infant Sorrow, who has fallen off the wagon after being sober for seven years and has a disappointing album called "African Child." Jonah Hill works at the record label and is assigned to deliver Aldous from London to LA in time for his "comeback" show at the Greek (a cool outdoor theater in LA).

The movie largely disappoints because it becomes a series of situations in which Brand acts "wacky" with a British accent and Hill acts surprised or defeated by the situation. Nothing new. Their chemistry was much more entertaining in Forgetting Sarah Marshall because Hill's aspiring singer/bizarre fan character actually managed to creep out Brand. There is a hilarious reference to Sarah Marshall in the movie, but I won't spoil it because it is one of the few worthwhile scenes.

P. Diddy is actually the break-out star of the movie. Not because of his acting, but because of his character - which is based on him. After the midway point in the movie, I could not help but perk up whenever his character appeared on screen because it meant there would actually be some comedy. Otherwise, the movie actually explores some pretty dark subjects in the context of explaining Aldous' fall off the wagon (his relationship with his father, other family, thoughts of suicide). Even if the movie had managed to make these things funny, which it fails to do, they were not necessary to "explain" that character. The guy is a rock star, we don't need to explain and mitigate why he is self-absorbed and reckless, he just is.

Overall, for me, it felt like a very long and disappointing trip to the Greek for me.

Happy Father's Day Top Five Films

In honor of Father's Day, here are my top five movies for dad appreciation:

5. Any of the Griswold movies - In National Lampoon's Family Vacations, wherever they may be taking place, Clark Griswold exemplifies the dad who perfectly mixes puppy-like stupidity and well-meaning enthusiasm.

4. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade / Maverick - Dad always looks out for you, even if you are fighting over the same women or after the same booty (wait, er...).  

3. Mrs. Doubtfire - What does a dad have to do to see his kids once in awhile?  I mean, sheesh!

2. Parenthood - Ron Howard's film, which has recently been turned into a mediocre NBC sitcom, covers every kind of dad, from overly concerned (Steve Martin) to overly demanding (Jason Robards), from less than caring (Tom Hulce) to overly attentive (Rick Moranis), and of course, just clueless (Keanu).

1. Field of Dreams - I hate baseball and yet I love this movie.  How can you not tear up, especially at the money shot at the end, where Costner asks his dad to have a catch.  [triple sob!]

Honorable mention:  Though it was never made into a feature film, both Arrested Development and its film within a film, Homeless Dad, would definitely make it on this list.  "I just want my kids back!"

The Special Relationship

I am not a fan of the modern political drama/thriller genre. The West Wing makes me fall asleep faster and more soundly than cough medicine. Syriana was a really long non-sequitur. Charlie Wilson's War was just plain boring. Granted, I am not excited by politics in general, but my real problem with the genre is that it tends to be preachy and takes itself way too seriously, even though it really is fiction. Yes, the stories may have been based on real events and people, but so was The Exorcism of Emily Rose, you know?

Anyway, I digress. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed The Special Relationship. This movie is the sequel to The Queen, and tells the story of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton's relationship while they were both in power during the 1990s. Most of the original scenes in the movie are set up initially by archival news footage of different historical events: fighting in Northern Ireland, the Lewinski scandal, the war in Kosovo, the 2000 election. The movie then presents fictionalized accounts of Blair (played again by Michael Sheen) and Clinton (Dennis Quaid) going about the business of politics by negotiating and providing each other with support when it is to their individual advantage. As with The Queen, the acting is very good all around, especially Hope Davis, who plays Hillary Clinton.

The movie does not boil down to an oversimplified political message, but instead attempts to color the possible answers to the question: why did Blair align himself so strongly with the Bush administration, even though it was ultimately at his own peril? The question is really a political one and not an ideological one. According to the movie, the answer lies in the historical precursor that was the Clinton administration, and treats the audience with respect by allowing them to draw their own conclusion.

Jonah Hex: Mild Mild Mess

After screening this extremely limp western I didn't feel like posting a review so much, but rather a Wanted: Dead or Alive poster. I want to know who is responsible for turning what could have been a sleazy and wickedly fun guilty pleasure into a train wreck that forces you to look away with its awfulness. After lassoing up the usual suspects it is actually a little difficult to see where the blame lies considering the talent involved.

The plot revolves around a confederate soldier who is forced to watch his family being burned alive, and then is disfigured by the evil Quentin Turnbull. He comes so close to death that he is now able to briefly resurrect the dead, if only to use that power to obtain information about his nemesis. Turnbull steals a WMD and Hex goes after him. Every word I have just used in this paragraph counts for one minute of actual film, including that statement.

So, who is to blame? It is not the cast. I know for a fact that Josh Brolin is a damn good actor. In fact, he was my favorite actor of 2007 (Grindhouse, American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah, and No Country for Old Men). He knocked it out of the park in every one of them. He seemed to be a perfect choice to play this deformed revenge seeking desperado. Say what you will about Megan Fox, but I may be one of the few people on this planet that doesn't despise her. Aside from looking like she has been nearly cut in half by that corset, she earns her eye candy paycheck here as a sultry and sweaty prostitute. Even if you don't care for Ms. Fox, her entire ten minute screen time is barley noticeable. I think the only reason her scene in the third reel exists is to remind viewers she is even in this movie. The villain, John Malkovich could play the world's first terrorist in his sleep and here he does. Count the number of times he gives that menacing look while he slowly turns around.

Am I really going to be so cruel as to toss the blame onto the shoulders of Director Jimmy Hayward? No. I am going to cut this guy a break seeing as how it is his first live action movie. His only other directing gig oddly enough was the animated Horton Hears a Who!

You might assume the blame would lie with writers Neveldine/Taylor. After all this is the team responsible for such over-the-top adrenaline vehicles like Crank 1 & 2, and Gamer. Dumb films to be sure, but I personally found them far too fun to be totally discarded. These guys are junkies of the extreme, and Jonah Hex hardly qualifies as that. Although you get the sense that this film could have been, tried to be, or more accurately once was.

Which leads me to my theory. I believe that the people most responsible for this atrocity are: Kent Beyda, Dan Hanley, and Fernando Villena. Never heard of them? Neither had I. This is the team of editors that worked on this film along with several other faceless (not to mention spineless) executives over at Warner Brothers. I guarantee that they took a dark and nasty 100 minute film full of bloody grotesque violence, steamy sex scenes, and good old fashioned swearin', and turned it into this bland, lifeless, and incoherent 80 minute mess that somehow crawled its way into a theatrical release.

Do you remember in the mid nineties when a slew of dark sub-par comic book movies somehow got green lit? Let me give you a few examples: Tank Girl, Judge Dredd, Spawn. I wish I could say that Jonah Hex falls into this group, but truth be told it is a notch below them. It isn't even accidently or unintentionally fun. I know I will be told to wait about month and the super deluxe UNRATED edition of this film will be released on DVD. But to see all of the stuff I originally wanted to see will mean having to re-watch the rest of the film. That is a chore I never want to have to do again. D

Top Ten: Summer in the Cinema

The first official day of summer might still be a week away, but in the world of Hollywood it has been summer for over a month now. That inspired me to offer up my own list of favorite films that don't just take place in the season between spring and fall, but in which the humidity and/or atmosphere are almost a character themselves. As perfect as choices like The Parent Trap, The Sandlot, and Rear Window are, I struggled but remained determined to come up with ten films that appeared on no one else's lists. Considering I had to cheat a few times it was no easy feat. Be sure to hydrate and apply some sunscreen before reading ahead:

10. The Twilight Zone - The Midnight Sun: So technically not a movie, but a plot involving the sun moving closer to the earth's orbit just couldn't be ignored. The heat drives the residents of an apartment building to insanity and desperation. The twist ending is yet another perfect example of this show's never ending irony.

9. (500) Days of Summer: What!? Not only did I adore this film, but that title alone deserves a spot on this list.

8. Die Hard with a Vengeance: No skyscraper, no airport, no Christmas Eve. No problem. McClane spends a muggy NYC day jumping through hoops for psycho Jeremy Irons as perfectly illustrated in The Lovin' Spoonful's opening track.

7. It Runs in the Family a.k.a My Summer Story: Did you know that there is a sequel to A Christmas Story? Even more surprising is that it is actually pretty good. A summer with the Parkers contains gravy boats, spinning top battles, and lots of fishing. As a bonus we finally get to see the hillbilly next door neighbors the Bumpasses.

6. Wet Hot American Summer: Everyone else went to camp with Jason Voorhees or Tripper. I will go with David Wain and cast of The State in this hilarious 80's parody.

5. Little Children: Because nothing says summer like a little infidelity and a smokin' red bathing suit. Just be sure to keep the local pedophile away from the public swimming pool.

4. Insomnia: Summer in a sleepy little Alaskin town where no one can seem to get any sleep at all. Not the cop who may have accidently killed his partner, nor the author who may have accidently killed a young girl. Perhaps the sun never setting has something to do with it.

3. Predator: We begin finding our men. We found them sometimes without their skins... and sometimes much, much worse. Only in the hottest years this happens. And this year, it grows hot.

2. Point Break: The cinematic equivalent of Mountain Dew (translation: Extreme!). A group of thieves dressed like former leaders of the free world rob banks in order to finance their endless summer full of surfing and skydiving.

1. Body Heat: For all of the plotting, boning, and blowing shit up that William Hurt and Kathleen Turner do in this sultry noir thriller do you know what it is they do best? Sweat.

For more summer movie lists, click here. 

The Wow in Chihuahua

Unlike some of the nicer areas in Chicago, the billboards in my neighborhood advertise "cerveza Budweiser," Cacique: The Official Sponsor of Mexico's World Cup team, DJ Montano, Univision, and for a few weeks in 2008 -- Beverly Hills Chihuahua. That is how long I had secretly wanted to see this movie. I finally saw it on cable over this past Memorial Day weekend and realized I have nothing to be ashamed about. BHC has something for everyone: non-animated, talking dogs (not just chihuahuas), action scenes, special effects, exotic locations, a catchy soundtrack, and, well, really cute talking dogs. (So cute, in fact, that the movie has a public service announcement at the end warning the audience not to go out and adopt a chihuahua without being committed to being a dog owner in the long term.)

The story is about a chihuahua from Beverly Hills named Chloe. She wears a Harry Winston collar, Chanel No. 5 perfume, and lounges by the pool in a modest, two piece bikini. During a party weekend in Mexico (where she is wearing her signature booties and matching sundress), she gets snatched and sold to a Mexican dog fighting ring. Luckily, she manages to escape and then has to find her way home with the help of a german shepard named "Delgado." (Don't worry, the only love story is among chihuahuas only).

Chloe is voiced by Drew Barrymore. In the interest of full disclosure: I am not a fan of Drew Barrymore as an actress, but think she has a really good voice for a chihuahua from Beverly Hills. I know this is going to get me in trouble, but Chloe has the same acting chops as Drew. I found myself wishing all Drew Barrymore movies could be re-made with Chloe instead (except maybe E.T.).

The A-Team: Change of Plans

I went into The A-Team expecting to hate it... I didn't. Summer movies from cheesy television shows that went unseen by me usually spell disaster. However, make no mistake that this film is a roll your eyes, laugh out loud in disbelief, shut your brain off, and have a good time thrill ride that the words 'Summer' and 'Movie' were created for. Here are a few random notes that are worth mentioning:

• The plot involves stolen currency plates and wrongfully accusing our heroes of-- you know what I am just gonna stop right there. If you have come to this movie in search of a coherent plot you are in the wrong place. Implausible missions, explosions, and one-liners. That is what you have got in store.

• Sharlto Copley. Mark my words this guy is going to be huge. When your group consists of the brains, the looks, and the muscle it is almost a foregone conclusion that the wild card is going to steal the show. He already nailed a dramatic and terrified performance in last summer's District 9. His performance here is just crazy fun.

• The word 'fool' is said 13 times. (That's right, I counted)

• Although Jason Patric already perfectly played the role of a smart ass and slimy villain earlier this year in The Losers, Patrick Wilson somehow manages to give him a run for his money.

• Unfortunately points are lost here because a phone call STILL is unable to be traced in less that thirty seconds.

• Anyone else find it as odd as I do that director Joe Carnahan walked away from Mission Impossible III only to turn around and make what is essentially the exact same movie minus the seriousness?

Considering that three different movies with similar plots will be released this year, I am actually both surprised and pleased to announce that so far they are two for two. Let's see if August's The Expendables can finish it up with a bang. B

Assorted Links: Keanu's Melancholy, A Frosty Babe, and Crossing the Rubicon

• Why is Keanu Reeves so sad?
• Check out The Guardian's "The Film That Changed My Life" feature.  
• Rosamund Pike rumored to play Emma Frost (a.k.a., for us in the know, The White Queen) in the next X-Men movie.  That's a casting decision I can get behind (literally.  High five?)
• The next Lost?  AMC's Rubicon.
• A-Team remake director Joe Carnahan considers Preacher movie.  
• And finally, a montage-tastic gift for fans of action movies:

The Secrets In Their Eyes

OK, so it is not Beverly Hills Chihuahua, but for my first post I decided to focus on my most recent trip to the movies. This Argentinian movie won the 2010 Oscar for best foreign film and delivers a highly engrossing story. At its core, the movie is a murder mystery set in cool-looking Buenos Aires. It is not a sophisticated or elegant crime thriller, like A Perfect Murder or The Third Man; instead the murder itself is gruesome and senseless, but without being "odd," which creates a greater sense of sympathy and suspense.

The story is told from the point of view of Benjamin - a highly likable, retired court investigator. Years after the crime was committed, he is still haunted by it. He attempts to distract himself in retirement by trying to write a novel, but instead becomes consumed by his memories of the investigation, which include not just leads, but all types of personal memories about that time period in his life, including his personal relationships with co-workers, his boss, his friends and witnesses. Those were the events that truly colored his memory, not just the crime.

Fundamentally, the story is about Benjamin and not the victim or bad guy. This theme is what distinguishes it from more traditional detective mysteries, like Psycho or Seven or The Jackal, where the focus is on the police following leads and stopping the bad guy. The movie is so effective in this respect that I did not find myself questioning most of the plot, because it was Benjamin's memories that propelled the story, and not plain logic or the need for suspense.

Overall, I think this is a great movie. It is suspenseful, intriguing, and highly engaging. Totally made me forget I was at the movies until the last few minutes. Yes - the movie is subtitled, but it is worth it.

Hilarious Discovery: Mitchell & Webb!

Ever since I was first tickled by Adult Swim's British mockumentary-of-a-mockudrama, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace Hospital, I've been trying to expose myself to more and more obscure British television comedies (read: not The Office or Monty Python). My initial searches led me to some gems, like the dark comedy Shameless (which briefly starred the now-famous James McAvoy) and of course, the amazing Coupling, known to Americans as the sexier and smarter version of Friends that ingeniously toys with narration, grosses you out, and pulls on your heartstrings effortlessly.

Recently, the A.V. Club's Gateway to Geekery introduced me to Peep Show, an unconventional sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb as a pair of mismatched roommates in the mold of the Odd Couple.  I say unconventional, though, because it's filmed differently than any sitcom I've ever seen: Every camera shot is taken from the point-of-view ("POV") of one of the characters on the show, and when you're in the POV of one of the main two characters (Mitchell or Webb), you also hear their inner monologue.  The effect is strange at first and takes some getting used to (Bree says she gets "seasick" watching it).  The boat, if you will, never stops moving (Think Being John Malkovich as directed by Paul Greengrass).   And on top of that, the show doesn't shy away from obscenity and profanity.  The end result is a brutally honest look into the conscious experiences of two very disturbed young men. And that happens to be a hell of a lot of fun.

A little investigation into Peep Show led me to That Mitchell and Webb Look ("TMaWL"), a skit comedy show starring the same two guys! TMaWL is essentially the Mr. Show of Great Britain, and Mitchell and Webb deliver the same brand of fearlessness and absurdity as Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. Even despite constant snookery jokes and the mocking of unfamiliar celebrities, the show had me rolling in the aisles for three straight hours. In fact, not only did it introduce me to the sadly underused term, "touching cloth," but it also exposed me to my new favorite fake gameshow, Numberwang (and my new favorite number, "shinty-six"), and my new favorite heroic hobo protagonist, Sir Digby Chicken Caesar (you read that right):

Ok, maybe they're the Tim & Eric of Great Britain.  But let's not split hairs.  We can all agree this is a great find.  Am I right?

Unfortunately, only the the first seasons of both Peep Show and TMaWL are available in the States!   I wish I had known about these shows before I went to Great Britain, so I could have bought the full DVD sets there.  I guess now I have an excuse to go back.

Justified: A Grand Finale

I just finished watching the season finale of Justified, a show on FX that I gave up on way too soon, but then rejoined just in time for a great ending.


Initially, the show mixed a loose serial story arc (centered around a recurring Elmore Leonard character) with episodic one-time police capers, in the style of early Dexter or Burn Notice.  But towards the middle of the season, the show stopped being about "the case of the day" and started being about positioning the characters: Raylan, the fast-handed lawman; Boyd, the crafty criminal-turned-prophet; and Bo, the old time convict seeking to reclaim his small-town criminal organization.  A smart turn indeed, as the finale dished out satisfying redemption and just deserts.  Well done. 

Introducing a New Mystery Contributor

Welcome to our new contributor, Jessica, hereafter only to be known as "Simple Jack".  But unlike her namesake, she's neither full-on retarded nor a chronic stutterer.  I'd like to be more complimentary than that, but since I'm not sure how anonymous she wants to be, I'll reveal only a few tiny clues to her real identity:

• We used to work together, a long time ago in a galaxy, far, far away.
• She doesn't know any of the other regular contributors personally except for me and Bree.  
• English isn't her first tongue. 
• It's likely she'll bring a different perspective to this blog. For example, her first post is probably going to be about Beverly Hills Chihuaha.
• She's spent quality time with Barry Obama.  
• She does a great Cartman impression.  

Good luck, Simple Jack. Feel free to elaborate on my vague descriptions if you wish. :)  

On Splice

I don't know, Allen. I thought this movie sucked. I love films that venture into Cronenberg territory, and respect the horror films Del Toro has shepherded, but this one struck out on all levels. I thought it was plodding, and the relationship boring. I wasn't convinced by the lab set-up, where conveniently no one was around for long stretches of time, and once they put Dren in the barn, forget about it - the film became not only poorly written but laughable.

The much-anticipated scene between Brody and Dren would have been effectively creepy if it had not been surrounded by this movie, and the later scene between Polley and Dren was much the same. They are marketing this as a monster film, with Dren attacking everyone, and chases through the woods, but this comprises less than ten minutes of the film, and comes toward the end of a boring and amateurish production.

Dren herself is a fascinating special effect, and left me wondering what the actress who played her looks like in real life. The creature is the best, and sadly the only, redeeming feature of the film, and it would be best to just look at her pictures on IMDb, and skip the movie.

I understand why the movie was made. Gene-splicing is a topical subject worth exploring in science-fiction, especially as it comes closer and closer to happening in real life. But Splice is not a compelling enough portrayal of the many what-ifs that come with such a touchy and messy topic.

Link of Note: Common Props?

According to these examples, all TV characters read the same newspaper.  Eerie, right?  No, not really.  They're probably just trying to avoid violating intellectual property laws.