Last year I did a Halloween tribute for the entire month of October. This year, I have held back my Halloween excitement a bit. But you all had to know I couldn't go through the month without giving you a few frightening recommendations. As you prepare for your Halloween festivities, consider adding one or more of the following films to your "must see" list.
Silent: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
There are many adaptations of Stevenson's novel. My recommendation is the 1920 version starring John Barrymore. If you aren't in to silent films, you probably won't find this adaptation wonderfully great. I, however, am a lover of silent films and the few horror ones rock my world. Although Director John S. Robertson does little with the story beyond a love interest for Jekyll, the wicked awesome spider scene is worth the watch. Robertson had to have superimposed one film over another to achieve the effect and it works. This film won't scare you, but it will impress upon you how creative silent film directors were in the infancy of special effects.
Classic: Rope
Okay, I'll be up front and admit that this isn't a scary film per se. Actually, it's one of my favorite of Alfred Hitchcock's thrillers. (It may have popped up in my blog before.) This 1948 film is the first pairing of Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart. Shot in only seven or eight takes - extremely unheard of, even today - the film follows a post-murder dinner part given by Learner and Loeb wanna-be's. Stewart figures out what the two have done and the story just gets more interesting by the moment. As you watch, pay special attention to the set. Hitchcock designed an apartment set where the walls and setting could be moved along with the camera. He didn't want more than a few cuts in this film which makes it not only an impressive work of cinematic technique but an intriguing thriller sure to interest those folks not much for blood and gore.
Slasher: Alien
If you haven't done so lately, it is time to revisit this 1979 slasher classic. We all know that Sigourney Weaver can kick ass. She gets the attention for this film, which is sort of a shame. (Not that she doesn't deserve that attention!) What really takes this first film in the quadrilogy to a new level - beyond just the gore and shocks - is the supporting cast. You have Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, and Ian Holm. These guys can all act and they prove it. Oh, and don't forget that the excellent Ridley Scott was at the helm. Sure, the alien jumping out of Hurt's stomach is the classic scene - spoofed at the end of Spaceballs - but there's a lot more to this film than that. The alien demonstrates some pretty good special effects and cats always make for some much-needed added suspense. But don't forget the story in which we are warned that when we butt our noses into places we don't belong and ignore the warning signs, we are bound to get horribly mutiliated. Hm, a postcolonial story for the ages.
Contemporary: Bug
Okay, okay, I haven't actually seen this film yet. In fact, it's what I'll be watching Halloween night. But I've heard good things about it. I'll keep you posted on how I liked it.
Enjoy your Beggar's Night and have some fun at Blockbuster's!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Groggy But Here
I'm feeling a bit loopy this morning thanks to good old Robitussin. I love fall but the 7-10 days when the weather jumps up and down 20-30 degrees just kills me. By this time next week I'll be fine, but this week I'll be groggy and coughing. Fun, fun, fun! But at least I have an excuse to sit back and enjoy some excellent pop culture!
Film: Right at Your Door
I had very few expectations for this 2006 film. A dirty bomb goes off in L.A. and Brad (Rory Cochrane) must seal up his house to protect himself from the toxic fumes. The kicker is that his wife, Lexi (played by tv's In Plain Sight Mary McCormack), is out in the stuff. When she comes home, he must decide whether or not to let her in; leaving her outside will surely lead to her death from the fumes. It's a 90-minute panic attack that will leave you thinking at the end. I am fascinated by the wave of post-9/11 horror films that deal with home invasion of various kinds (think Verbinski's The Ring). If you can think of any other home invasion films, let me know. In the meantime, check out this intriguing look at panic, love, and media cluelessness.
Television Recap: My Own Worst Enemy
First, let me assure you that any show with the ever-hot hottie Christian Slater is a show I am going to watch at least once. This NBC retelling of the Jekyll/Hyde story had me quite concerned. Very rarely do I actually like these adaptations. The main exception was BBC's Jekyll with Tom Nesbitt. Apparently, Enemy's creator, Jason Smilovic, took a page out of BBC's book because this show is actually rather interesting. My favorite element of the show is that Edward is the dominant personality while Henry is the created alter-ego. This is a new turn in Jekyll/Hyde retellings and one that is giving the show a nice twist. Also, the actors are a wise choice. Slater is doing a good job avoiding his Jack Nicholson performance angle, Alfre Woodard is always enjoyable, and Mike O'Malley does his own nice dual-personality take. The writing is a bit cheesy but the show overall has potential. Last night's episode set up some interesting directions so we'll see where it goes.
Book: Natural Born Charmer
Okay you chick lit folks out there, here is a recommendation from me. I picked this book up as an audio book for my last trip to PA. It is apparently part of a series of books created by Susan Elizabeth Phillips about the fictitious Chicago Stars football team. Luckily, one need not to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one. Blue Bailey - an out-of-work, down-on-her-luck artist - is picked up by Dean Robillard - the gorgeous Stars quarterback. They head to his farm in Tennessee where serious family issues abound for Dean. Normally I am not one for chick lit, but I really enjoyed this book. I think I liked the complexity of the many plots and sub-plots. Yes, the book is predictably but that's okay. Getting there is rather enjoyable. Actually, I enjoyed the sub-plot between the famous singer Jack Patriot and April Robillard (Dean's mom) more than anything else. I'm not sure how this book actually reads, but as an audio book it will provide you about ten hours of fun.
Film: Right at Your Door
I had very few expectations for this 2006 film. A dirty bomb goes off in L.A. and Brad (Rory Cochrane) must seal up his house to protect himself from the toxic fumes. The kicker is that his wife, Lexi (played by tv's In Plain Sight Mary McCormack), is out in the stuff. When she comes home, he must decide whether or not to let her in; leaving her outside will surely lead to her death from the fumes. It's a 90-minute panic attack that will leave you thinking at the end. I am fascinated by the wave of post-9/11 horror films that deal with home invasion of various kinds (think Verbinski's The Ring). If you can think of any other home invasion films, let me know. In the meantime, check out this intriguing look at panic, love, and media cluelessness.
Television Recap: My Own Worst Enemy
First, let me assure you that any show with the ever-hot hottie Christian Slater is a show I am going to watch at least once. This NBC retelling of the Jekyll/Hyde story had me quite concerned. Very rarely do I actually like these adaptations. The main exception was BBC's Jekyll with Tom Nesbitt. Apparently, Enemy's creator, Jason Smilovic, took a page out of BBC's book because this show is actually rather interesting. My favorite element of the show is that Edward is the dominant personality while Henry is the created alter-ego. This is a new turn in Jekyll/Hyde retellings and one that is giving the show a nice twist. Also, the actors are a wise choice. Slater is doing a good job avoiding his Jack Nicholson performance angle, Alfre Woodard is always enjoyable, and Mike O'Malley does his own nice dual-personality take. The writing is a bit cheesy but the show overall has potential. Last night's episode set up some interesting directions so we'll see where it goes.
Book: Natural Born Charmer
Okay you chick lit folks out there, here is a recommendation from me. I picked this book up as an audio book for my last trip to PA. It is apparently part of a series of books created by Susan Elizabeth Phillips about the fictitious Chicago Stars football team. Luckily, one need not to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one. Blue Bailey - an out-of-work, down-on-her-luck artist - is picked up by Dean Robillard - the gorgeous Stars quarterback. They head to his farm in Tennessee where serious family issues abound for Dean. Normally I am not one for chick lit, but I really enjoyed this book. I think I liked the complexity of the many plots and sub-plots. Yes, the book is predictably but that's okay. Getting there is rather enjoyable. Actually, I enjoyed the sub-plot between the famous singer Jack Patriot and April Robillard (Dean's mom) more than anything else. I'm not sure how this book actually reads, but as an audio book it will provide you about ten hours of fun.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
History Rocks!
Okay folks, I'll be out of town next weekend so this posting will have to hold you for two whole weeks. I'm sure you'll manage just fine.
Film: John Adams
This mini-series should probably be in the television category, but it felt more like a film than a mini-series to me. If you haven't already seen HBO's homage to Adams, go out and rent it. First, Adams is now my favorite founding father. Without him, Washington and Jefferson would have been minor footnotes in history. I have long admired the relationship between John and Abigail and this film just enhanced that admiration. This film is a poignant, mostly honest, and loving story of a man who refused to give in and lived life doing what he thought was right for a country he loved. Do these actions make him a great man? Yes and no. He gave up a lot of family time for his country and that caused some deep divides with his children. But the film makes me glad that our young country had such a good man at its helm. This film would not be what it is without the casting of Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney as John and Abigail. These two character actors always shine and never so much as the second presidential couple. Giamatti shows every emotion Adams went through in his 90 years. Linney excels at portraying the love and frustration Abigail must have felt for her husband. The rest of the cast is also excellent. I was especially impressed with Stephen Dillane (who is new to me although not to the profession) as Thomas Jefferson and David Morse (another awesome character actor) as General Washington. And yes, that is Sarah Stanley from Avonlea all growed up as Abigail "Nabby" Adams. And can I just say that I am most happy that I live in the age of anesthesia.
Television Recap: Pushing Daisies
This quirky, witty show ended up being my favorite from last season. I anxiously awaited its return. I am happy to say that the quirkiness and wittiness of the show remain. It's fast-paced and fun to watch. The narrator is still a lovely story-telling element without being overbearing. The look of the show is just lovely. The color and mix between the style of the 1950s and today works to the show's advantage. Kristen Chenoweth is perhaps my favorite of the ensemble cast, but that is not to say that the remainder of the cast isn't excellent. In fact, I think it is the ensemble element that gives this show my thumbs up.
Book: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Lisa See's book about two friends in 18th-century China may be one of the most moving stories I've read in awhile. The book begins right before Snow Flower and Lily become "old sames" at the tender age of seven. (Meaning they are best, best, best friends forever.) It follows the girls through their foot binding, engagements, marriages, children, tragedies, and sitting still times. Readers know right from the first pages that something will happen between Snow Flower and Lily, but they cannot imagine what. When the break-up comes, it is sad and unexpected despite the earlier warnings. Nothing may be so sad about this book as the effects of foot binding. From Lily's toes as they break to her three-day-long trek through the mountains, readers will feel every pain in her foot as she does. The only thing that is sadder is the place of women in Chinese society in that era. The desperation Lily and Snow Flower feel when they cannot get pregnant and the worries that they have waiting for the birth of a son will make you glad we live in an era where a woman's worth is not measured by the size of her feet or the fertility of her womb. If you want to read a historically-correct tale of what it was like to be a young girl in China, this is the story to read.
Film: John Adams
This mini-series should probably be in the television category, but it felt more like a film than a mini-series to me. If you haven't already seen HBO's homage to Adams, go out and rent it. First, Adams is now my favorite founding father. Without him, Washington and Jefferson would have been minor footnotes in history. I have long admired the relationship between John and Abigail and this film just enhanced that admiration. This film is a poignant, mostly honest, and loving story of a man who refused to give in and lived life doing what he thought was right for a country he loved. Do these actions make him a great man? Yes and no. He gave up a lot of family time for his country and that caused some deep divides with his children. But the film makes me glad that our young country had such a good man at its helm. This film would not be what it is without the casting of Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney as John and Abigail. These two character actors always shine and never so much as the second presidential couple. Giamatti shows every emotion Adams went through in his 90 years. Linney excels at portraying the love and frustration Abigail must have felt for her husband. The rest of the cast is also excellent. I was especially impressed with Stephen Dillane (who is new to me although not to the profession) as Thomas Jefferson and David Morse (another awesome character actor) as General Washington. And yes, that is Sarah Stanley from Avonlea all growed up as Abigail "Nabby" Adams. And can I just say that I am most happy that I live in the age of anesthesia.
Television Recap: Pushing Daisies
This quirky, witty show ended up being my favorite from last season. I anxiously awaited its return. I am happy to say that the quirkiness and wittiness of the show remain. It's fast-paced and fun to watch. The narrator is still a lovely story-telling element without being overbearing. The look of the show is just lovely. The color and mix between the style of the 1950s and today works to the show's advantage. Kristen Chenoweth is perhaps my favorite of the ensemble cast, but that is not to say that the remainder of the cast isn't excellent. In fact, I think it is the ensemble element that gives this show my thumbs up.
Book: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Lisa See's book about two friends in 18th-century China may be one of the most moving stories I've read in awhile. The book begins right before Snow Flower and Lily become "old sames" at the tender age of seven. (Meaning they are best, best, best friends forever.) It follows the girls through their foot binding, engagements, marriages, children, tragedies, and sitting still times. Readers know right from the first pages that something will happen between Snow Flower and Lily, but they cannot imagine what. When the break-up comes, it is sad and unexpected despite the earlier warnings. Nothing may be so sad about this book as the effects of foot binding. From Lily's toes as they break to her three-day-long trek through the mountains, readers will feel every pain in her foot as she does. The only thing that is sadder is the place of women in Chinese society in that era. The desperation Lily and Snow Flower feel when they cannot get pregnant and the worries that they have waiting for the birth of a son will make you glad we live in an era where a woman's worth is not measured by the size of her feet or the fertility of her womb. If you want to read a historically-correct tale of what it was like to be a young girl in China, this is the story to read.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
