December 9, 2011

Robin Scherbatsky Is Pregnant!... No Wait, Cancel That

After noticeably beginning to lose steam last year, How I Met You Mother has been really good this year. But then, in the middle of what is probably its strongest season in years -- a season featuring the "The Blitz", "The Ducky Tie", an old video of Marshall as "Beercules", and the return of the "Slutty Pumpkin" -- the HIMYM writers nearly sabotaged the whole thing with an apparent misstep that could have ultimately meant the end of the long running CBS series.

What I'm talking about is the character of Robin (Colbie Smulders) announcing that she's pregnant. When this happened two episodes ago I had terrible visions of what lay ahead. I figured they'd keep us on the hook for weeks as we wondered whether the father was Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) or Kevin (Kal Penn.) I figured they might even throw us a retcon curve and reveal that Robin hooked up with Ted (Josh Radnor) late one night, so the baby could also be his.

Robin would then go through turmoil as she decided when and how to tell the father; Lily would be supportive and thrilled because she had someone to be pregnant with; the guys would somehow bond over this new development and the whole show would start to look an awful lot like Thirtysomething.


Fortunately none of this happened. In this week's episode, Robin declared that she wasn't pregnant after all. In fact (and we know this because the entire premise of the show is that it's one big recollection) Robin will never become pregnant because she can't have kids.

It seems the whole pregnancy thing was just a red herring. I'm not sure why the HIMYM writers went this route but the most likely answer is that they threw the show's viewers this curveball strictly for the hell of it and because they're smart enough to know the perils of sitcoms that pursue pregnancy storylines.

If television history has taught us anything, it's that when it comes to sitcoms, pregnancy represents a "Hail Mary play" for a creative team that's running short on new ideas. What happened to Rachel on Friends and Jamie on Mad About You are good examples of how adding a pregnancy (and a resulting baby) to an established show doesn't work toward its betterment. It definitely wouldn't have worked for HIMYM.

For one, pregnancy and parenting, at their core, is for grown-ups. It's serious business only made comical onscreen when the parents of the kid are unprepared or have no idea how to deal with a child (and just how many times can we watch the old cliche'd gag of someone not knowing how to hold a baby or change a diaper?)

Making our beloved Robin Scherbatsky pregnant would have killed the light-heartedness of the show. Also, a good deal of HIMYM's comedy is derived from the fact that Robin, Ted, and Barney are all single; and that they hang out together in a bar and they each have their respective romantic entanglements that often turn comically disastrous. Robin being pregnant (with Barney and Ted as possible fathers) would have ruined all that. As a mom-to-be, Robin hanging out in a bar, hooking up with assorted guys would have gone from funny to "ewwww" pretty quick.

Plus, part of the reason Robin is so endearing is because she repeatedly demonstrates that she hasn't got it all figured out yet. We identify with that and we laugh at (and at the same time, root for) her as she stumbles through relationships and career moves. Many of us have had that time in our lives when we were just like Robin -- seemingly a grown up who's got it all together but deep down we're really just confused and trying to find our way.

Sure, a pregnant Robin would have created opportunities for a few funny plotlines in future episodes, but what the writers really would have done is fundamentally and permanently altered the entire mood of the show, while simultaneously painting themselves into a corner. Because, let's face it, with a baby in tow, Robin, Ted, Barney and the rest of the gang were going to be limited in what kind of wild shenanigans they could get into. And they certainly were going to have to change... most likely for the worst.

November 25, 2011

Trailer Friday for November 25, 2011

An all new set of trailers... and hearty commentary. Enjoy.

The Sitter (December 9)



"Adventures in Babysitting meets Superbad with a smattering of Sex Drive."

"Adventures in Babysitting is right. The movie's already drawing tons of criticism around the internet for copycatting. And deservedly so -- it's the exact same movie, only with tons of f-bombs!"

"It really is disgraceful how much they stole from that movie -- reluctant babysitter, same number of kids (3), taking them into the city to an all-black nightclub, criminals chasing them... The list goes on and on."

"This seems really raunchy. What kind of parent would let their child act in a movie like this? Still, I did laugh when he whispered, 'I f**king hate you too. I'll destroy you,' to the little girl."

"Bruh, I want 'Soul Baby' to be my new nickname!"




Melancholia (Now playing)



"Melancholia is the perfect title for this film. I wanted to like that trailer but it was really depressing."

"In fairness, it's a movie about a shaky marriage set against the backdrop of a rogue planet crashing into the earth. So what's there to be happy about?"

"By the way, Kirsten Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes for this."

"That's also where the director Lars von Trier sabotaged himself by making jokes about Nazis during a press conference. It's painful to watch."

"Nazi jokes to a roomful of Frenchmen?... Dude, know your audience!"



New Year's Eve (December 9)



"Ensemble pieces like this (Valentine's Day, He's Just Not That Into You) that have the multiple storylines going on at the same time, always seem really gimmicky to me."

"Box office poison Ashton Kutcher in the same movie with box office poison Katherine Heigl... Why didn't they throw in Nicholas Cage too? This film has no chance."

"Zac Effron, Jon Bon Jovi, Carson Daly, Seth Myers... I can't imagine any heterosexual men would want to see this."

"My focus is on the women. Halle Berry is still hot. Jessica Biel looks great too. But someone needs to tell Sofia Vergara that her spicy Latina schtick is wearing thin."

"I guarantee you, Robert DeNiro will only be in that one scene you saw at the very end."



The Hunger Games (March 23)


 "I know this movie's based on a popular novel but there's not a lot of originality here. I see elements of Orwell's novel 1984, Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery", "The Most Dangerous Game", Stephen King's "The Long Walk", and The Running Man."

"It's also very similar to The Condemned, which was distributed by the same studio -- Lionsgate."

"The release date is what concerns me. March and April are typically months where studios clear the decks for summer releases they think are going to make a lot of money. Scheduling this for March 23rd makes me think execs in the know don't believe this movie's any good."

"Stunt casting Lenny Kravitz and featuring him so prominently in the trailer should also be a warning sign."



My Week With Marilyn (Now playing)



"So I heard this is based on a supposed real-life incident that took place when Marilyn was filming The Prince and the Showgirl."

"I'm planning on seeing it. Michelle Williams is the new Jennifer Jason Leigh. Young actress who started off doing light, teen-oriented stuff. You didn't think much of her at first but she turned out to be really talented."

"Absolutely. Shutter Island, Blue Valentine... She always chooses interesting roles and she's always really good."


November 22, 2011

USC-UCLA "I Love L.A." Music Video

With college football season starting to wind down, this weekend features a full slate of games between the sports' biggest rivals -- Alabama/Auburn, Pittsburgh/West Virgina, Georgia/Georgia Tech, Ohio State/Michigan, Florida/Florida St., and one my personal favorites, USC/UCLA.

In honor of the occasion, I dug into the Pop Culture Fiend Archives and tried to find something relevant. What'd I come up with?...

Two things. An old "Beat UCLA" button I got at the USC bookstore, and this VERY old video of an ABC-TV produced promo for the game.


There was no date on the tape I culled this from but I'm pretty sure it's circa 1989. I was able to deduce this based on clues in the video -- shots of Larry Smith (USC head coach from 1987 to 1992), USC 1989 All-American defensive back Mark Carrier (#7 in the group of players you see at the very beginning), and a cameo from Richard Lewis and Jamie Lee Curtis from the ABC comedy Anything But Love, which premiered in 1989.

I have to say, no matter who you root for in this rivalry, you gotta love this video's highly apropos use of Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." Also, if anyone sees this and can identify the blonde majorette grooving in front of the UCLA band, please hit me up on email cause I've had a crush on her for 20+ years!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, this game ended in a 10-10 tie -- the seventh and final tie in the 82 year old rivalry.

Related Links:


November 11, 2011

Trailer Friday for November 11th, 2011

Hi folks, it's Trailer Friday again. Check out the in-the-moment commentary on an all new crop of movies.

Immortals (November 11)

"I missed Clash of the Titans and was kind of disappointed by Troy but still enjoyed it. This looks way better than both."

"Not enough audience for this movie. It's probably gonna do poorly at the box office. Too bad -- I love my Greek mythology movies."

"I dunno, the last big picture the director [Tarsem Singh] did was that JLo movie The Cell, which was one of the worst pieces of crap I ever saw."



Snow White and the Huntsman (Summer 2012)



"This film has a lot to live up to. The writer got an unbelievable $3 million for what was essentially a spec script. That said, the trailer looks awesome! Of the two Snow White movies, this is definitely gonna be the one to see."

"Someone needs to return that magic mirror to Home Goods. There's no way that skinny, pasty, Kristen Stewart is "fairer" than Charlize Theron. Also, it's hard to buy Stewart as an ass-kicking action hero."

"Agreed. Seriously bad casting for that lead role. Stewart always looks so mopey and bored. Like she's thinking, 'Yeah, being a movie star sucks.'"



Project X (March 2)




"Can't Hardly Wait meets Risky Business with a smattering of The Blair Witch Project."

"First of all, they need a more original title. Project X is the name of an 80's movie about astronaut monkeys... No bullshit, Matthew Broderick was in it."

"Sex-starved teens have a wild party and wreck the house while their parents are away -- how original!"

"Here's a red flag for you -- Todd Phillips [Old School, The Hangover] is listed as producer but DIDN'T write or direct."



Justice (November 18)



"Why, oh why, do they keep giving Nicholas Cage starring roles?... Box office poison he is."

"I say the exact same thing about Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, and Anna Faris. But seriously, this could be good. Roger Donaldson [No Way Out, Thirteen Days, The Bank Job] has a lot of great thrillers on his resume.'"

"Seems very predictable. Did anyone NOT think the favor the guy was gonna ask for was for Cage to kill someone?"



A Thousand Words (Coming soon)



"Broad, high-concept comedies like this (Liar, Liar comes to mind) often work. Wish I'd thought of that premise."

"High-concept... or gimmicky? It worked for Liar, Liar, not so much for Yes Man. It's all in the execution."

"I agree it's a great premise but judging from that trailer, they're not doing enough with it. I was expecting to laugh out loud watching that preview and it just didn't happen."

"This movie would work better with a stronger supporting cast. Someone like Chris Tucker as the best friend and Halle Berry instead of Kerry Washington as the girlfriend."




Related Posts:

October 28, 2011

Hey Everyone, It's Trailer Friday!

Every other Friday (or so) I get together with the crew to view a bunch of the latest movie trailers. So check out what we watched and enjoy the commentary:


A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas [red band trailer]


"Yes! Harold's girlfriend [Paula Garces] is back, wearing lingerie and talking dirty!"

"Geez, Kal Penn is looking kinda old... and pudgy."

"This movie actually looks like it could be okay. Babies doing drugs is always good for a laugh."



Tower Heist 


"Tea Leoni's Hollywood career is like a Wack-a-Mole game. Every so often she pops up completely unexpectedly, then disappears again."

"It's been 25 years but Eddie Murphy's still got it. It's like as soon as you see his face, you smile."

"Is anybody else looking at Matthew Broderick and thinking, 'Wow, Ferris Beuller really let himself go."?



Piranha 3DD



"Was that Doc Brown from Back to the Future?"

"Cool -- Ving Rhames has guns for legs just like Rose McGowan in Planet Terror."

"Ten bucks says this movie never makes it theaters and goes straight to DVD."

"Campy, low-budget crap... But hey, can we watch that 'Double the D's' part again?"



The Mighty Macs


"The producers of this movie are targeting a very specific demo -- Catholic, women's college basketball fans."

"Isn't Marley Shelton supposed to be in this movie -- cause I don't think I saw her in that trailer."

"That 70s Show meets Hoosiers with a smattering of Sister Act."



In Time



"Interesting -- this is from the same writer who did Gattaca."

"Love the premise. Very Logan's Run-ny-ish."

"This could be a great movie. I seriously hope that puss Justin Timberlake doesn't ruin it."

"They had me the second Olivia Wilde's face hit the screen."


Related Posts:
Trailer Friday for November 11th, 2011
Trailer Friday for November 25th, 2011

October 21, 2011

Signature Songs: The Bangles


Starting a new series today called "Signature Songs". In it, I'm going to be talking about the songs that are the best examples of the work of individual recording artists. For example, the signature song for Madonna would be "Like a Virgin". Why?... Because in addition to being a major hit, it includes many of the musical elements Madonna is best known for.

Making a determination like this requires a lot of generalization, because over the course of her  career, Madonna recorded songs in many different styles. For example, consider "Hung Up", which features an ABBA "Voulez-Vous" sample and is very "techno-ey"; "Take a Bow" is a sad ballad replete with violins and other classical instruments; and "Physical Attraction" is classic, "synth-ey" 80's dance-pop.

But the reason "Like a Virgin" is Madonna's signature song is because it's the best representation of  "classic" Madonna. In other words, if you were forced to time capsule, that is, choose one song to save for future generations to understand what type of artist Madonna was and what type of music she made, the best choice would be "Like a Virgin". This has less to do with how big a hit "Like a Virgin" was than it does the fact that "Like a Virgin" includes a large combination of ingredients from classic Madonna's musical style. "Like a Virgin", for example, includes a lot of synthesizers -- as did most of Madonna's early hits ("Everybody", "Borderline", "Lucky Star", "Angel", "Dress You Up", "Into the Groove".) Additionally, like many Madonna songs, "Like a Virgin" is danceable, and to top it off, it's also overtly sexual, both in title and lyrics -- and we know that Madonna certainly put her sexuality at the forefront of much of her music and her life.

Again, I'm generalizing somewhat and I understand that whether it's a solo act, a group or a band, an artist's music typically evolves over time. Almost invariably, they begin to explore different genres and musical styles, draw inspiration from new sources, collaborate with other artists, and otherwise begin to make music that's entirely (sometimes radically) different from what they're most well known for and/or created earlier in their careers.

Notice I said, "almost invariably." There are in fact some music artists who don't evolve very much and continue to churn out the same type of music. Their sound never (or barely) changes and they remain pretty much the same from the start of their careers to the finish.


Punk-oriented bands like The Ramones and Green Day come to mind. Certain "heartland" rockers like Springsteen and John Mellencamp also seem to be making pretty much the same type of music they did when they were first starting out. For example, recent Springsteen tunes like "Radio Nowhere" off 2007's Magic and "The Last Carnival" from 2009's Working On a Dream, would fit in perfectly next to cuts like "Badlands" and "Prove it All Night" from Bruce's 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. (And judging by the two photos above, it looks like Bruce's wardrobe hasn't changed much either!)

The presumption is that heartland rock and punk rock are extremely well-defined sub-genres that are closely married to very specific attributes, attitudes and ideals. When the music an artist produces is so "rooted" this way, it's understandable how their output might only minimally change, even over a long haul.

Punk rock is also deeply rooted in very strong and specific ideals. It's stripped-down, fast-paced, angry, and anti-establishment. So as soon as a punk rocker begins making music that moves away from these core themes and attributes, that artist immediately loses their "punk identity" and starts to become something completely different. (They also run the risk of completely alienating their fan base and the core audience they worked so hard to gain.) This may help explain why the sound of bands like The Ramones and Social Distortion barely changed over their 20+ year careers.


Okay, that was quite a digression. I was talking about "signature songs" and the artist I'm going to begin with is the Bangles. Their signature song is "If She Knew What She Wants".

No, not "Manic Monday", the Bangles first major hit and their most enduring song. And not "Eternal Flame", the band's only #1 record. "If She Knew What She Wants" gets the nod because the Bangles were formed largely based on founding members Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Debbie Peterson's shared love of the Beatles, the Byrds, and sixties psychedelia. "If She Knew What She Wants" represents the perfect blend of these three influences. Not only does it borrow the "jangly" Rickenbacker guitars exemplified in the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" and the Byrds' "Turn! Turn! Turn! and "Mr. Tambourine Man", but it also adds a ton of terrific harmonies, reminiscent of not only the Beatles, but the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas as well. Also, if you listen closely, you'll find "If She Knew What She Wants" is structurally similar to the Beatles' "Nowhere Man" (which also features Rickenbacker guitars by the way.)

I dug through the Pop Culture Fiend Archives and found this clip  of the Bangles performing "If She Knew What She Wants" on Late Nite with David Letterman (circa 1987, I believe.)


I've heard the group sing this song many times (including live) and this is arguably their best performance. From Susanna's distinct croon, to their clothes (check out Vicki's 60s-style go-go boots and hairdo) to their impromptu dance moves, this was the Bangles at their peak. The only question is, as an all-girl band that almost certainly had to go through a lot to be taken seriously, why are they not playing their own instruments?...

Oh well, in any case, enjoy!


October 12, 2011

Proof That Even Really Bad Comedies Usually Have At Least One Good Laugh: Coup De Ville Edition

The "Louie, Louie" scene.

Coup de Ville is a road comedy about three brothers -- a military man (Daniel Stern), a nebbish square (Arye Gross), and a cocky delinquent (Patrick Dempsey) -- forced to drive from Detroit to Miami to deliver their mom's Cadillac. There's very little that's memorable about this film... except this one scene. In it, the three brothers enter a RAGING debate regarding the true lyrics of the famous 1963 Kingsmen hit, "Louie, Louie". The argument centers on the largely unintelligible lyrics and whether the tune is a "dance song", a "hump song", or a "sea chanty".

As a whole, Coup de Ville is largely unfunny. But everything about this one scene is perfect -- particularly the dialog, the pacing, and the acting. Dempsey's crude analysis and explanation of the lyrics is nicely juxtaposed with that of Gross, and Stern is awesome as the oldest brother, who initially ignores his siblings, but then eventually gets sucked into the debate. You gotta especially love the part where he says, "Oh Bobby, shut up, you don't know what you're talking about." He's just so bullying and dismissive -- just the way older brothers are in real life. Also comically realistic is how everything escalates and these guys get so worked up over something so trivial -- very Seinfeld-esque.

Related Posts:
Proof That Even Really Bad Comedies Usually Have At Least One Good Laugh: Dude, Where's My Car Edition
Proof That Even Really Bad Comedies Usually Have At Least One Good Laugh: Skin Deep Edition


October 4, 2011

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 2

Be sure to check out Part 1 of this series!

15. Memphis Belle
1990
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones
Written by Monte Merrick
Starring: Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, Billy Zane, D.B. Sweeney, John Lithgow, David Straithairn, Sean Astin, Harry Connick, Jr.


Excellent ensemble piece based in part on the true story of the crew of the "Memphis Belle", the first bomber in the 8th Air Corps to successfully complete 25 missions during WWII.

A vicariously thrilling tale of courage and comaraderie punctuated by some fine performances by some charismatic young actors, including Billy Zane, D.B. Sweeney, Eric Stoltz, Harry Connick, Jr. Matthew Modine as staid pilot Dennis Dearborn, and Tate Donovan as his glory hungry co-pilot Luke. The film so accurately captures the look of the period and the story is so engaging, you'll be on the edge of your seat for over an hour hoping the young crew can defy the odds and make it from their base in England to their German target and back.

Killer Sequence: Ironically, the film’s most powerful moment occurs not in the air with the young heroes, but back on the ground when John Lithgow, as an army colonel working on publicizing the success of the Belle crew, reads through a collection of letters from the loved ones of soldiers killed in battle.




14. Shakespeare in Love
1998
Directed by John Madden
Written by Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard
Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, Rupert Everett, Judi Dench




A very clever premise sets this film in motion as it provides a fictional account of a young William Shakespeare in the process of penning Romeo and Juliet (or as it was supposedly originally titled, Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter.) With Joseph Fiennes (Ralph’s little brother) as the young bard and Paltrow (who won an Academy Award for her flawless performance as his treasured Viola) the film expertly plays connect the dots and “What if it happened this way?” with the circumstances surrounding the original production of what is arguably Shakespeare's most well-known play.

Paltrow’s character, with its’ “woman dressed as a man playing a woman” theme, is slightly reminiscent of Julie Andrews’ in Victor/Victoria but otherwise, Norman and Stoppard’s Oscar winning screenplay is uniquely original and sprinkled with clever literary references and in-jokes that add a rich subtext to the film. Some very funny supporting performances from Rush, Wilkinson, Firth, and a scene stealing Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth I make the film even more of a must-see.

Killer Sequence: The film's climax sees Viola sail for Virginia with her husband. But as Shakespeare begins to write Twelfth Night, he imagines her shipwrecked and their love enduring for all time.


13. Groundhog Day
1993
Directed by Harold Ramis
Written by Danny Rubin, Harold Ramis
Starring: Bill Murray, Andie McDowell



Refreshingly inventive comedy from one of the funniest and most underrated filmmakers working in the comedy genre, Harold Ramis (Caddyshack, Analyze This, National Lampoon’s Vacation). Murray plays Phil Connors, a cynical and condescendingly obnoxious weatherman forced to relive the same day over and over until he gets it right. In a series of hilarious sequences, Phil at first fears, then exploits, laments and finally makes the most of his situation. One of the most original comedies in years, featuring a subtly brilliant comedic performance by the always superb Murray.

Killer Sequence: Phil uses his unique predicament to rob an armored car and seduce a sexy diner patron.


12. Braveheart
1995
Directed by Mel Gibson
Written by Randall Wallace
Starring: Mel Gibson, Patrick McGoohan, Sophie Marceau

Scottish hero William Wallace is profiled in this sweeping Mel Gibson epic. In only his second directorial effort, Gibson manages to delicately balance the frenzied chaos of the riveting battle scenes with more quietly dramatic moments like those featuring Patrick McGoohan and Sophie Marceau as King Edward the Longshanks and Princess Isabelle, respectively. McGoohan delivers an Oscar-caliber performance as does Gibson, who wound up with two of the golden statues (Best Director and Best Picture.) Brilliantly photographed by John Toll (Legends of the Fall, Almost Famous) this film rivals David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia as the best of it’s genre -- the historical action/drama.

Killer Sequence: Any of the seemingly logistically impossible battle scenes, particularly the one after Wallace appears in blue warpaint and delivers an inspiring speech to his troops.




11. The Godfather Part III
1990
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Written by Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo
Starring: Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Joe Mantegna, Talia Shire, Eli Wallach, Diane Keaton, George Hamilton, Sofia Coppola



This was the unfairly maligned third installment in the Coppola trilogy based on Mario Puzo’s best seller about the rise of an Italian crime family. Coppola was justifiably criticized for casting his inexperienced daughter Sofia in the pivotal role of Mary Corleone (a part that was to be portrayed by Winona Ryder until she dropped out of the project.) But Sofia’s amateurish performance aside, Godfather III is a superior film that would be much more highly regarded if it weren’t for the fact that its’ two prequels are considered two of the best movies in cinema history.

In a film that was nominated for Best Picture (G3 haters always seem to forget that) Coppola tells the tale of a now repentant Michael Corleone and his attempts to extricate himself and his family from the mafia ties created by he and his father. Coppola cleverly weaves his story around actual historical events, placing Michael at the center of the rise of the Atlantic City casinos and the political/corporate upheaval of the Vatican during the early 1980's. Andy Garcia is charismatic as Michael’s loyal but ambitious nephew, Vincent, who wants to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, and there are fine supporting performances by Joe Mantegna as Michael’s slimy nemesis Joey Zaza, and the overlooked Richard Bright as Al Neri.

Despite production problems that severely impacted his ability to deliver a worthy sequel (Robert Duvall’s character, Tom Hagen, had to be killed off and Diane Keaton’s role as Kay was severely reduced -- reportedly because both wanted more money) Coppola succeeded in making a film that stands on its own but is also true to its predecessors in both theme, characterization and visual style. A totally engrossing movie and one that provides closure on the story of the Corleones, the mafia family to which all others (both real and fictional) are now compared.

Killer Sequence: Every Coppola film has at least half a dozen, but nothing was more gut wrenching than witnessing Mary’s assassination (and Michael’s anguish) on the steps of the opera house.


Related Posts:
The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 4


September 27, 2011

Will the Ultra-Cool The Playboy Club Find Its Audience?


The new fall TV season is here and I'm watching a bunch of new shows like Whitney, Two Broke Girls, How To Be A Gentleman, Pan Am, and probably my favorite debuting series, NBC's The Playboy Club.

In a nutshell, it's Mad Men, meets American Dreams with a smattering of The House Bunny.

Like Mad Men, The Playboy Club features an ensemble cast, and is set in the early sixties in a workplace where all of the male characters are unapologetically misogynistic. The lead character, Nick Dalton (Eddie Cibrian) channels the cool, suave persona of Don Draper and like Draper, has a mysterious and shady past.

The American Dreams comparison refers to the plotlines of that show (which also took place during the 1960s) being set against the backdrop of real life events. American Dreams, for those who don't remember the overlooked but critically acclaimed series, traced the lives of a Philadelphia family as they experienced the tumultuous culture shifts of the 1960's. The JFK assassination, 1964 Philadelphia riots, Vietnam War, and American Bandstand TV show (produced in Philadelphia at the time) were just a few of the many real-life events incorporated into show episodes.

The Playboy Club is set to travel this same historically accurate route, teasing storylines that include the infamous Chicago mob, the Civil Rights Movement, and even the Mattachine Society, one of the country's earliest pro-homosexual organizations.


And there's a lot more going on in The Playboy Club, like the ongoing murder/coverup/investigation of a mafia kingpin, and (also like American Dreams) spot-on recreations of actual musical performances. The premiere episode featured Ike and Tina Turner performing at both The Playboy Club and at Hugh Hefner's Chicago Playboy Mansion. There's also a healthy dose of workplace romance and lots of sexual tension between Cibrian and Laura Benanti who plays Carol, the club's resident den mother (hence, the "House Bunny" comparison.)

But if the primary reason you think you might be interested in this show is for the titillation factor, then you won't be disappointed. There are plenty of sexy, rabbit-eared, cotton-tailed bunnies flitting around. (Hey, you know you've got a sexy show when Jenna Dewan is only the third most attractive female cast member.) The clear standout, however, is the gorgeous Amber Heard as Maureen.


I first noticed Heard in 2008's Never Back Down and since then, she has taken on a series of curious roles in a number of offbeat films (Pineapple Express, Zombieland, The Joneses) presumably waiting for that breakthrough role that will make her a household name. Maybe the upcoming The Rum Diary, in which she co-stars with Johnny Depp, will serve that purpose. But on the other hand, maybe television is where she'll wind up -- at least for awhile.

In any case, there's an awful lot to like about The Playboy Club but you have to wonder if it will last. As a period piece with a large cast, it's an expensive show and will need to garner good ratings in order to survive. How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men have helped CBS own Mondays for years, making it more difficult for The Playboy Club to draw the viewers it needs to stay afloat. The debut scored a disappointing 1.6 rating (in the key demographic of 18-49 year olds) and yesterday's episode did slightly worse. Clearly, the show is being hurt by WWE Raw and (on the east coast) Monday Night Football, which combine to siphon off a huge share of male viewers.

Too bad, because The Playboy Club is a quality show. Guess I'll enjoy it for as long as I can.

September 23, 2011

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 1

Came across an article on Rolling Stone's website titled "The Worst Songs of the 90s" and it triggered two thoughts:

First, the list is full of songs that were MONSTER hits, including "Achy Breaky Heart", "Ice Ice Baby" and "My Heart Will Go On". Regardless of how you feel about Billy Ray Cyrus, Vanilla Ice or Celine Dion, it's important to remember that these songs (and the others on the list) weren't popular for nothing. Radio stations were playing them, people were buying them, and folks all over the country were jamming to them whenever they were played at clubs or at parties. So I guess what this list tells us is that for a 10 year span twenty years ago, the majority of us were complete idiots. Either that, or just maybe, when we look back at our musical (and other pop culture) choices, we sometimes turn into hyper-critical revisionists. (But that's a blog post for another time.)

The other thing this article tells me is that maybe 80's nostalgia is finally winding down and is being displaced by 90's nostalgia.

So with that in mind, let's jump on board with a list of:

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s:


20. Higher Learning
1995
Written and Directed by John Singleton
Starring: Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson, Michael Rappaport, Ice Cube, Tyra Banks

Director John Singleton’s follow-up to his fine but overly praised Boyz N The Hood is far more ambitious and more technically sound than his previous work, as the tensions created by racial conflict mount and eventually wreak havoc on the campus of a large California university. Singleton’s interesting camera work, the broader scope of his story, and the performances he elicits from his ensemble cast (particularly within the storyline depicting how a freshman misfit falls in with a band of skinheads) are all evidence of his growth as a filmmaker. An extremely engaging and realistic examination of race relations among college students and the ingredients that can sometimes lead to conflict.

Killer Sequence: The disturbing climax featuring an on-campus mass shooting is (sadly) all too familiar these days.



19. Happy Gilmour
1996
Directed by Dennis Dugan
Written by Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler
Starring: Adam Sandler, Carl Weathers, Christopher MacDonald, Julie Bowen

Adam Sandler plays the title character, a golf phenom whose sensibilities and demeanor are more suited to the hockey rink than the PGA Tour. Reminiscent of Caddyshack (not only in subject matter but also theme and characterizations) this film has a broader appeal than Sandler’s quirkier, earlier effort, Billy Madison. A home video classic and the picture that kicked Sandler’s movie career into high gear.

Killer Sequence: Hard to top that fight scene with The Price is Right’s Bob Barker.



18. Friday
1995
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Written by Ice Cube, D.J. Pooh
Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, John Witherspoon, Anna Maria Horsford, Nia Long

Twenty-five year old director F. Gary Gray (The Negotiator, The Italian Job) capitalized on the growing popularity of urban, inner city dramas (Boyz N The Hood, Menace to Society, Juice) by showing us a fun side of life in the hood. Ice Cube, as Craig, proves that he can do more than just scowl into the camera but the breakout star here is Chris Tucker as Craig’s drug peddling friend Smokey, who expertly jives, whines and connives his way through a film that traces a lazy Friday afternoon in the lives of two slackers. Tucker creates one of the funniest and most memorable film characters of the decade and Friday's success on home video led to two sequels.

Killer Sequence: Craig settles the score and shows what it really means to be a man in his final confrontation with the neighborhood bully Deebo.



17. Armageddon
1998
Directed by Michael Bay
Written by Jonathan Hensleigh, Robert Roy Pool
Starring: Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton

Director Michael Bay (of the Transformers movies) proved that he is master of the action genre with this sci-fi thrill-ride. It’s a familiar storyline: Gaggle of oil drilling miscreants fly into outer space, crash land on an asteroid that’s hurdling towards earth, and somehow manage to blow it up and save the world... (Okay, so the story’s not so familiar...)

This was the second of two runaway asteroid movies in less than a year (Deep Impact was the other) but producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Carribbean, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Top Gun) and star Bruce Willis know their way around an action movie like no one else. Throw in some killer special effects and a little comic relief courtesy of Steve Buscemi and this movie scores big time as thrilling, edge of your seat, pass the popcorn entertainment.

Killer Sequence: The opening CGI scenes of midtown Manhattan being decimated by a meteor storm.



16. Schindler's List
1993
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Thomas Keneally, Steve Zaillian (Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally)
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley

Steven Spielberg has perhaps enjoyed more success than any other filmmaker in history. In the 90's, his films grossed over $1.2 billion at US box offices. Though many of his pictures have also been critically acclaimed (Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple, Empire of the SunSchindler's List is still considered Spielberg's masterpiece. Disturbing, heartrending and uplifting all at once, the film tells the then little-known story of Czech business magnate Oscar Schindler, and how the morally bankrupt war profiteer finds his heart and saves his soul by orchestrating the escape of hundreds of his Jewish workers from the clutches of Third Reich. It’s impossible not to be moved by this film or the performance of a commanding Liam Neeson in the title role. Filmed mostly in black and white, the movie has an almost documentary type feel, particularly during those scenes depicting the atrocities committed by the Nazis. This film solidified Spielberg as not only one the world’s most popular and successful directors, but also one of its’ most important and enduring.

Killer Sequence: The once callous Schindler breaks down in front of his workers, openly and inconsolably weeping as he tells them, “I didn't do enough.”


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The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 2
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September 15, 2011

What's Old is New Again: Contagion vs. Outbreak


The new film Contagion looks like a pretty darn good thriller.

But doesn't it look EXACTLY like the movie Outbreak from back in 1995?

For starters, as you can plainly see, the colors used in the two movie posters are almost identical. They're so close in fact, that it makes me wonder whether this was some kind of conscious choice made by Contagion's marketing and publicity team.

Next, check out this description of Outbreak found on Rotten Tomatoes:
A handful of scientists struggle to prevent the destruction of a small town -- and possibly the entire country. In the mid-1960s, a deadly virus is discovered in Zaire that wipes out an entire village in 24 hours. Government researchers are brought in to investigate, but the military opts to destroy the village rather than risk further infection. Thirty years later, Sam Daniels, an expert on contagious diseases, is called in when the virus re-emerges.
Now here's the description of Contagion:
Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself.
And besides the obvious story similarities, consider this:
  • Each movie was helmed by a highly acclaimed director. Wolfgang Peterson (Das Boot, Troy, In the Line of Fire) directed Outbreak, while Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Sex, Lies and Videotape, The Girlfriend Experience) handled Contagion.
  • Both films feature very strong ensemble casts. Outbreak stars Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, Rene Russo, Kevin Spacey and Cuba Gooding Jr. Contagion has Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, and Marion Cotillard
  • At the time of their release, both casts brought strong Oscar credentials to the screen. Hoffman had already won two (Kramer vs Kramer and Rain Man), Freeman one (Driving Miss Daisy), and Spacey and Gooding Jr. would go on to win (for American Beauty and Jerry Maguire, respectively) by the end of the decade.

    Contagion
    matches that with Winslet, Paltrow, and Cotillard all having taken home the golden statuette. (Fishburne and Law were both nominated but lost.) Damon did earn an Oscar for Good Will Hunting, but won it for screenwriting.
Finally, take a look at the Contagion and Outbreak trailers. Pay particularly close attention to the common plot points and also the scenes with Sutherland, Hoffman and Law as they present the data and projection for how quickly the virus will spread. The clips and the dialog are awfully close.



August 29, 2011

The Beatles at Candlestick




Today marks the 45th anniversary of the Beatles' final concert performance -- Candlestick Park, San Francisco, August 29th, 1966. The band did of course famously perform on the roof of Apple Studios in London in 1969, but that wasn't so much an authentic concert as a short, staged jam session -- sort of a final public performance for the band (and goodbye to the fans) as the group was in the process of disintegrating.

The Candlestick show was the final engagement on a 14-stop tour that criss-crossed the US and Canada. The short set list includes a nice mix of early Beatles tracks ("Rock and Roll Music", "I Wanna Be Your Man") along with cuts from the 1966 album Rubber Soul ("Nowhere Man", "If I Needed Someone".)

There's a great article with more details about the concert here and if you'd like to download all the tracks, just click this link. A word of warning though -- although this is one of the Beatles most popular bootlegs, the audio quality is pretty terrible; it's almost painful to listen to. If you'd like a better quality concert, try this one from 1964, recorded at Convention Hall in Philadelphia.

August 25, 2011

Shout Out to: "The Payback"

Heard James Brown's "The Payback" earlier today. I can remember that song from when I was a very little kid (my older sister had the single) but now every time I hear it, I think of this scene from Dead Presidents. It's one of the best and most appropriate uses of a song for a movie soundtrack ever.

Dead Presidents' main character, Anthony (Larenz Tate) is a kid growing up in New York City in the early 70's. He's in a bar shooting pool for money against a young wannabe hoodlum, Cowboy (Terrence Howard.) Anthony wins the game and asks to get paid. Cowboy proceeds to cuss Anthony out, throw him down on the pool table and cut his face with a knife.

Later, Anthony joins the Marines and is shipped into combat in Vietnam -- where he gets tough in a hurry. Anthony then gets out of the service and returns to the same bar, where he runs into Cowboy again. They start shooting pool again... and then we hear that funky guitar intro to James Brown's classic and you just know something bad is gonna happen...



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August 22, 2011

"Shot Through the Heart and You're To Blame"... Remembering the Singles from Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet


Last week marked the 25th anniversary of the release of Bon Jovi's classic Slippery When Wet. The success of this album (eight weeks at number one) and its four hit singles "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Living On A Prayer", "Wanted Dead Or Alive", and "Never Say Goodbye" elevated Bon Jovi from "just another hair band" status to bona fide rock superstars. Here's a quick look back:

"You Give Love a Bad Name"

"You Give Love a Bad Name", the album's first single, was released in July of 1986 and began a steady climb to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100, ultimately reaching that peak position in November. The song's crunching guitar intro and catchy chorus help make it the ultimate "get psyched" song. But you don't have to believe me, just ask Barney from How I Met Your Mother.



"Living On a Prayer"

The second single, "Living On A Prayer", was also a top hit -- four weeks at #1 in 1987 . Today, LOAP is a karaoke and Guitar Hero favorite, and it also holds the impressive distinction of being ranked #1 on VH1's list of the the 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's.


"Wanted Dead or Alive"

"Wanted Dead or Alive", Slippery When Wet's third single, peaked at #7 in early 1987. A few years later, Emilio Estevez asked Jon Bon Jovi for permission to use the song for the movie Young Guns II. Jon declined but did write and record a brand new song for the film's soundtrack, "Blaze of Glory", which hit #1 in September of 1990.



"Never Say Goodbye"

"Never Say Goodbye", the final single off Slippery When Wet, was released in August 1987, nearly a year to the date after the album was originally released. Though not quite as successful as the first three singles, the song's nostalgic, sentimental lyrics hold extra meaning for the band's older fans.

But We're Still Way Younger Than Mr. Furley, Right?


Here's a super-depressing thought for all of us who used to watch and enjoy Three's Company...
We are now much closer to Mr. Roper's age then Jack Tripper's.