No more rooting for USA or a good underdog from another country. It will be two more years until I jump up and down cheering. (Okay, maybe not that long if I get the PSU/OSU game this fall. Go Lions!!!) Despite staying up late to watch the events, I still managed to read a book and watch non-Olympic pop culture.
Film: The Graduate
Everyone knows the iconic scenes: "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?" and the church at the end. I hadn't realized how brilliant this film actually is. Those are two minor scenes in the filmic scope of this short (1 hour 45 minutes) movie. Mike Nichols is brilliant. His framing techniques in the beginning and the montage after Ben first sleeps with Mrs. Robinson are cutting-edge. They withstand the test of time in their ingenuity and grace. These are truly beautiful moments in filmmaking. The story even holds up after all these years. What 22-year-old isn't worried after graduation? Who wouldn't want to find their soulmate? That said, Ben is a bit creepy as a stalker but he does get the girl. The big question is, does he keep her? Nichols doesn't really give us a truly happy ending. By focusing on Ben and Elaine at the back of the bus, Nichols implies a fear of the future. Quite frankly, I don't think they'd still be married today. Also, let's not forget the importance of the soundtrack to this film. I can only think of two contemporary filmmakers who make music a character in their films: Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson. I have to say, Mike Nichols did it best in 1967.
Television: Bones
I just made my way through Season 1 of this murder-a-week show. At first, I wasn't sure I'd like it. The more I watched, the more the characters drew me in. Believe it or not, Bones is a character-driven show. Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth are yin and yang. Except here's where it gets trippy. Temperance is the masculine partner and Seeley is the feminine partner. She's all logic and he's all intuition. This flip in traditional gender coding is pretty cool and unusual for mainstream tv. Good for Fox! Add in the supporting characters and you have an interesting crime-solving family. The squints even come out ahead most days. (Which, being a squint to some degree myself, may make the show all the more enjoyable.) I have to admit that I had a hard time believing David Boreanaz could do a character other than Angel, but he makes an excellent FBI agent. He's able to show more sense of humor; something that came out every once and awhile on Buffy and Angel but never developed to its full potential. Here he is right at home in the casting here. I can't wait to see what happens to the gang in Season 2.
Book: The Bloody Chamber
This 1990 release is a collection of short stories by Angela Carter. But these aren't just any short stories; these are retellings of fairy tales. Made for adult women. Did I mention that? These stories are feminist takes on what we were to learn as young women from our fairy tales. Instead of being nice, good, rule-abiding women as is to happen with Cinderella and Snow White, the women in Carter's texts are sexual, predatory, questioning, and realistic. Some come out ahead and some do not. The best story in the collection is Carter's most famous: "The Bloody Chamber," a retelling of the Bluebeard story. Second best is "The Courtship of Mr. Lyon," a beauty and the beast retelling. The rest are good but get a little over-descriptive. Carter knows more adjectives than most writers. This is a woman who was smoking something at some point in her life to write the stories she does. I've read The Magic Toyshop and, quite frankly, I don't get it. These stories are much more accessible but with some I got the same feeling. For example, what am I supposed to learn from "The Erl-King"? It went over my head. Despite a couple of misses, the collection is overall enjoyable. Just be prepared to think a bit with some stories.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Non-Professional Athletes Rock Out!
I love the Olympics. I get very excited and even start screaming at the television (like they can hear me in China).
Television: The Olympics
Still. There have been some excellent moments this Olympics, especially for women who are breaking the age barriers. A 41-year-old swimmer, Dara Torres from the US, won three medals. At 38, a Romanian won the marathon by over one minute. (Apparently that is huge in marathons.) And last night a 33-year-old German woman won the silver in the vault. Most gymnasts retire at 20. Rock on athletic chicks! I also still hate the announcers. After the men won the relay Saturday night to give Michael Phelps his last gold medal, the announcer poolside asked one of the swimmers something like, "What do you think Phelps's gold medal means and how does he feel?" Why not just ask Phelps? Why completely negate the man's contribution to the TEAM win? Announcers are dumb. Now we're on to track and field which amazes me. Those runners make it look so easy.
Film: Death at a Funeral
There is nothing better than British black humor. The 2007 film was directed by Miss Piggy (Frank Oz). A family is holding a funeral for their father/husband. A little person (played by the always brilliant Peter Dinklage) shows up to blackmail the sons by claiming that he and their father were lovers. A cousin's fiancee (Alan Tudyk from Firefly and Serenity sporting a convincing Brit accent) is accidentally given strong hallucinogens by his fiancee. Hilarity ensues when said drugs are then given to Dinklage's character in an attempt to keep him quiet. I laughed so hard at one point that Porthos actually came into the living room and stared at me. He was like, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Tears came pouring out of my eyes. All I can say is little people look funny jumping on a couch, poop humor can get to me, and a naked man on a roof is hours of entertainment.
Book: The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club
Valerie lent be Laurie Notaro's first collection of short stories and I loved them. I didn't laugh out loud quite as much as I did with Autobiography of a Fat Bride but the stories were still excellent. I especially liked "A Morsel from the Garden of Eden" and the pairing of "Waking Angela Up" and "Angela's Revenge." I don't know how Notaro has lived as long as she has - by all accounts she should be dead from severe alcohol poisoning - but I hope she lives a lot longer and keeps writing. As a woman, I can relate with almost every scenario she presents. Truth be told, I really hope I am an Idiot Girl instead of a Smart Girl because the Idiot Girls seem to have tons more fun.
Television: The Olympics
Still. There have been some excellent moments this Olympics, especially for women who are breaking the age barriers. A 41-year-old swimmer, Dara Torres from the US, won three medals. At 38, a Romanian won the marathon by over one minute. (Apparently that is huge in marathons.) And last night a 33-year-old German woman won the silver in the vault. Most gymnasts retire at 20. Rock on athletic chicks! I also still hate the announcers. After the men won the relay Saturday night to give Michael Phelps his last gold medal, the announcer poolside asked one of the swimmers something like, "What do you think Phelps's gold medal means and how does he feel?" Why not just ask Phelps? Why completely negate the man's contribution to the TEAM win? Announcers are dumb. Now we're on to track and field which amazes me. Those runners make it look so easy.
Film: Death at a Funeral
There is nothing better than British black humor. The 2007 film was directed by Miss Piggy (Frank Oz). A family is holding a funeral for their father/husband. A little person (played by the always brilliant Peter Dinklage) shows up to blackmail the sons by claiming that he and their father were lovers. A cousin's fiancee (Alan Tudyk from Firefly and Serenity sporting a convincing Brit accent) is accidentally given strong hallucinogens by his fiancee. Hilarity ensues when said drugs are then given to Dinklage's character in an attempt to keep him quiet. I laughed so hard at one point that Porthos actually came into the living room and stared at me. He was like, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Tears came pouring out of my eyes. All I can say is little people look funny jumping on a couch, poop humor can get to me, and a naked man on a roof is hours of entertainment.
Book: The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club
Valerie lent be Laurie Notaro's first collection of short stories and I loved them. I didn't laugh out loud quite as much as I did with Autobiography of a Fat Bride but the stories were still excellent. I especially liked "A Morsel from the Garden of Eden" and the pairing of "Waking Angela Up" and "Angela's Revenge." I don't know how Notaro has lived as long as she has - by all accounts she should be dead from severe alcohol poisoning - but I hope she lives a lot longer and keeps writing. As a woman, I can relate with almost every scenario she presents. Truth be told, I really hope I am an Idiot Girl instead of a Smart Girl because the Idiot Girls seem to have tons more fun.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
I Want to Believe
I had a few moments to spare and tomorrow looks like it might end up rather busy so I figured I'd post my weekly blog a day early.
Television: The Olympics
DUH!!! The Olympics are the only sports I'll actually sit down and watch. I prefer the Winter Olympics but the Summer ones rock as well. (That said, I may be one of the few women in the world who doesn't really care about either ice skating or gymnastics, but I'll watch 'em anyway.) The opening ceremonies last night were amazing! China really outdid itself. My favs were the drums and the little kids, but the choice for the kids to hand the flag off to the military folks was an interesting one. My big complaint, however, is for whomever was in charge of NBC's broadcast. All those stupid aerial shots were seriously annoying me. I get that there's a big LCD parchment screen on the ground; I wanted to see what the people were doing on that screen. Also, Matt Lauer totally annoys the crap out of me. But then, I'm not someone who needs mindless prattle over my Olympics. Overall I was very pleased. Now on to beach volleyball and swimming! (And anything else that's on either NBC or USA.)
Film: X-Files
I went to see my old friends Mulder and Scully last week. If you haven't gone to see it yet, it is very much like a non-alien, non-conspiracy episode, which is a very nice change from the last couple of seasons of the show. The big reason you'll want to go see it is to find out whether or not Mulder and Scully are a couple. I'm not giving anything away. It wasn't a movie I really needed to pay $6 to see (although I enjoyed it). If you're a fan of the show, you'll enjoy the nostalgia factor and the ending (stay through the credits). I'm not telling you to run out and pay money to see, but definitely put the film on your Netflix list.
Book: Wild Seed
I finally got around to reading my first Octavia Butler novel and it was amazing. I promised MG I wouldn't give anything away so don't worry, there are no spoilers here. The short, short summary is that a 4,000-year-old being, Doro, partakes in genetic experiments by breeding people with superhuman and telekinetic abilities. Eventually, he stumbles on the 300-year-old Anyanwu, a healer and shapeshifter. Together, they impact the world in a truly unique way, as well as each other. There are some seriously angering moments when you just want to throttle Doro. You'll feel sorry for Anyanwu at several points in the novel. Plus, it's difficult to respect Isaac but even more difficult to dislike him. Butler is a truly gifted and unique storyteller. I plan on savoring all of her books because, as some of you know, she has died before her time. My next Butler novel is Fledgling and if it's half as brilliant as Wild Seed, it will be a wondrous experience.
Television: The Olympics
DUH!!! The Olympics are the only sports I'll actually sit down and watch. I prefer the Winter Olympics but the Summer ones rock as well. (That said, I may be one of the few women in the world who doesn't really care about either ice skating or gymnastics, but I'll watch 'em anyway.) The opening ceremonies last night were amazing! China really outdid itself. My favs were the drums and the little kids, but the choice for the kids to hand the flag off to the military folks was an interesting one. My big complaint, however, is for whomever was in charge of NBC's broadcast. All those stupid aerial shots were seriously annoying me. I get that there's a big LCD parchment screen on the ground; I wanted to see what the people were doing on that screen. Also, Matt Lauer totally annoys the crap out of me. But then, I'm not someone who needs mindless prattle over my Olympics. Overall I was very pleased. Now on to beach volleyball and swimming! (And anything else that's on either NBC or USA.)
Film: X-Files
I went to see my old friends Mulder and Scully last week. If you haven't gone to see it yet, it is very much like a non-alien, non-conspiracy episode, which is a very nice change from the last couple of seasons of the show. The big reason you'll want to go see it is to find out whether or not Mulder and Scully are a couple. I'm not giving anything away. It wasn't a movie I really needed to pay $6 to see (although I enjoyed it). If you're a fan of the show, you'll enjoy the nostalgia factor and the ending (stay through the credits). I'm not telling you to run out and pay money to see, but definitely put the film on your Netflix list.
Book: Wild Seed
I finally got around to reading my first Octavia Butler novel and it was amazing. I promised MG I wouldn't give anything away so don't worry, there are no spoilers here. The short, short summary is that a 4,000-year-old being, Doro, partakes in genetic experiments by breeding people with superhuman and telekinetic abilities. Eventually, he stumbles on the 300-year-old Anyanwu, a healer and shapeshifter. Together, they impact the world in a truly unique way, as well as each other. There are some seriously angering moments when you just want to throttle Doro. You'll feel sorry for Anyanwu at several points in the novel. Plus, it's difficult to respect Isaac but even more difficult to dislike him. Butler is a truly gifted and unique storyteller. I plan on savoring all of her books because, as some of you know, she has died before her time. My next Butler novel is Fledgling and if it's half as brilliant as Wild Seed, it will be a wondrous experience.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
I'm Ba-ack
Welcome back to the Excellent Pop Culture blog! Did you miss me?? Okay, probably not. But I'm back anyway. This week I am celebrating the glorious-ness of summer blockbusters with two excellent summer flicks and one amazing preview.
The Dark Knight
From the very first moments of this film you know you're in for a treat. It may be lengthy - which almost kept me from seeing it in the theater - but you don't realize it because the time just flies. Where to begin? How about Christopher Nolan. This guy made indies before he hit the mainstream. (Hello, Memento anyone?) He brings a craft to Batman that hasn't been there since Tim Burton was at the helm in the 1980s. Then, Nolan is smart enough to cast real actors in the lead roles. You're watching an ensemble cast where everyone has at least one Oscar nomination! (Okay, Aaron Eckhart doesn't. And I can't remember if Maggie Gyllenhaal has one yet or not, but she will before too long.) Then he gives them an excellent story. What more could you want? It's high-action and the special effects are awesome but these things never overpower the actual story. Folks, even though Nolan's first Batman film was considered the "origin story," The Dark Knight is the real origin of Batman. The worst part about this film is knowing that Heath Ledger will never again embody the villainy and psychosis of the Joker. He is one bad villain and neither Nolan nor Ledger flinch at the depravity and sociopathic tendencies of the character. All-in-all, this film is worth a trip to the theater. And you might want to splurge for popcorn (but maybe not soda) since you'll be there awhile.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Guillermo del Toro is one of my favorite directors for a reason. I loved the camp of Hellboy and couldn't wait to see what del Toro did for a sequel. Instead of camp, this time he gives viewers camp with a message. Plus, he's got those fantastic special effects creatures that we've come to know and love from him. I don't know what del Toro was smoking in his youth, but it worked. There isn't a lot of need for thought or analysis here. Just go and have a good time watching Ron Perlman have fun. The scene where he and Abe Sapien sing Barry Manillow is priceless and hysterical. After Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth, I can't wait to see what del Toro does to Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit.
Watchmen
No, the film didn't sneak into theaters behind your back. It's not due out until March 2009. But I did see the preview before The Dark Knight. At first, I thought it was just another silly superhero film with an interesting soundtrack. And then Rorschach appeared. At that point I grabbed my sister and said, "Oh my god it's the Watchmen!!!" I think I finally shut my mouth about 10 seconds after the preview was over. I suspect she was thankful for the dark theater so no one could see me completely overreact to a stupid preview. I have been really doubting the ability of anyone, especially the guy who gave us the testosterone-filled 300, to do Alan Moore's greatest graphic novel justice. After this preview, I am no longer quite a nay-sayer. If the film is anything like its preview, it's going to be excellent. It will definitely be more V than League (speaking of which, the third League graphic novel comes out soon). Let's just hope that Zack Snyder gets it right and that the preview is not the best parts spliced together. If you haven't seen the preview, you can watch it at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/trailers-screenplay-vi4108058905.
The Dark Knight
From the very first moments of this film you know you're in for a treat. It may be lengthy - which almost kept me from seeing it in the theater - but you don't realize it because the time just flies. Where to begin? How about Christopher Nolan. This guy made indies before he hit the mainstream. (Hello, Memento anyone?) He brings a craft to Batman that hasn't been there since Tim Burton was at the helm in the 1980s. Then, Nolan is smart enough to cast real actors in the lead roles. You're watching an ensemble cast where everyone has at least one Oscar nomination! (Okay, Aaron Eckhart doesn't. And I can't remember if Maggie Gyllenhaal has one yet or not, but she will before too long.) Then he gives them an excellent story. What more could you want? It's high-action and the special effects are awesome but these things never overpower the actual story. Folks, even though Nolan's first Batman film was considered the "origin story," The Dark Knight is the real origin of Batman. The worst part about this film is knowing that Heath Ledger will never again embody the villainy and psychosis of the Joker. He is one bad villain and neither Nolan nor Ledger flinch at the depravity and sociopathic tendencies of the character. All-in-all, this film is worth a trip to the theater. And you might want to splurge for popcorn (but maybe not soda) since you'll be there awhile.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Guillermo del Toro is one of my favorite directors for a reason. I loved the camp of Hellboy and couldn't wait to see what del Toro did for a sequel. Instead of camp, this time he gives viewers camp with a message. Plus, he's got those fantastic special effects creatures that we've come to know and love from him. I don't know what del Toro was smoking in his youth, but it worked. There isn't a lot of need for thought or analysis here. Just go and have a good time watching Ron Perlman have fun. The scene where he and Abe Sapien sing Barry Manillow is priceless and hysterical. After Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth, I can't wait to see what del Toro does to Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit.
Watchmen
No, the film didn't sneak into theaters behind your back. It's not due out until March 2009. But I did see the preview before The Dark Knight. At first, I thought it was just another silly superhero film with an interesting soundtrack. And then Rorschach appeared. At that point I grabbed my sister and said, "Oh my god it's the Watchmen!!!" I think I finally shut my mouth about 10 seconds after the preview was over. I suspect she was thankful for the dark theater so no one could see me completely overreact to a stupid preview. I have been really doubting the ability of anyone, especially the guy who gave us the testosterone-filled 300, to do Alan Moore's greatest graphic novel justice. After this preview, I am no longer quite a nay-sayer. If the film is anything like its preview, it's going to be excellent. It will definitely be more V than League (speaking of which, the third League graphic novel comes out soon). Let's just hope that Zack Snyder gets it right and that the preview is not the best parts spliced together. If you haven't seen the preview, you can watch it at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/trailers-screenplay-vi4108058905.
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