I just watched a trailer for In Time starring Justin Timberlake and it set into relief for an anxiety that seems to be coursing through texts these days: A fear of living forever. Torchwood: Miracle Day is exploring it at length by giving us a world where everyone has become immortal but the body hurts and ages nonetheless. That means if you get cancer you'll have to live with the pain for centuries. The theory explored by the Torchwood gang is that BigPharma is behind the miracle. They have somehow initiated the change so that there pain relievers will become a huge money maker.
So many relevant questions are raised by Torchwood's (and I'm guessing In Time's)premise. Simple but powerful questions: How do you become a caretaker? How do you manage pain? Do the rich deserve to live longer because they have been lucky enough to either inherit or make money? At what point is life not worth living?
If I were writing a paper,I'd probably bring in our fascination with vampires, but I'll save that for another time.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Insidious
I have a high tolerance for bad horror movies so my expectations weren't all great for Insidious. In fact, after suffering through an incoherent The Rite last week, my expectations were probably lower than normal. But even if my expectations had been higher, I think I still would have been satisfied with the unholy union of the Saw and Paranormal Activity creators. The movie was creepy. There was not a trace of torture porn. The twist to the haunting wasn't nearly as cool as The Others, but it was clever. The acting was more than adequate, especially Rose Byrne. There was just enough of the satanic in it to be compelling for a lapsed Catholic. It even presented "Tip Toe through the Tulips" as a demonic ballad. How could I not like it? But, best of all, it nods to my favorite subgenre, metahorror.
If I were writing a paper on it, I would focus on the ghostbusting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who, for me, seemed to represent to the two creative forces behind the movie. They lightened the mood just enough and reminded me as a viewer how creepy it is for me to enjoy horror.
P.S. They're cancelling Men of a Certain Age? Isn't TNT supposed to save shows (i.e. Southland) not end them? It breaks my heart to know I'll never hang out in the diner with those three especially after such a perfectly balanced finale. Alas. I wonder what the campaign to get them would require?
If I were writing a paper on it, I would focus on the ghostbusting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who, for me, seemed to represent to the two creative forces behind the movie. They lightened the mood just enough and reminded me as a viewer how creepy it is for me to enjoy horror.
P.S. They're cancelling Men of a Certain Age? Isn't TNT supposed to save shows (i.e. Southland) not end them? It breaks my heart to know I'll never hang out in the diner with those three especially after such a perfectly balanced finale. Alas. I wonder what the campaign to get them would require?
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Summer TV
USA has done a marvelous job at creating a TV brand perfect for summer. For most of the year, we tend towards the dark--crime thrillers, post-apocalyptic sci fi, black comedies. Most recently I'd add rainy as well as we faithfully followed The Killing. But since dog days have finally kicked in here in the great white North, we've turned our attention to the bright, blue charm of the USA network. When I gave the boys a choice between Alphas and Burn Notice. It was Burn Notice. When I offered Torchwood, they chose White Collar. And I couldn't argue with them because I too am seduced by the uber-charming USA gentlemen.
Of course, we haven't shaken our taste for the dark. Falling Skies is watched religiously in the household as will Rescue Me. And when September comes around, we'll be viewing Miami through a lens much darker than that of Burn Notice.
Of course, we haven't shaken our taste for the dark. Falling Skies is watched religiously in the household as will Rescue Me. And when September comes around, we'll be viewing Miami through a lens much darker than that of Burn Notice.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Treme
I'm watching the season finale of Treme and savoring every minute of it. Ladonna has tapped into her rage and pulled herself out of her personal hell. Janette has been given the chance to open another restaurant in New Orleans. Wendell has found a way to fuse old-time New Orleans music with modern jazz and rebuild his father's pride and home. Even the seemingly not-so-happy endings of Antoine's band and Davis' role in his band are so beautifully crafted they give me pleasure. How could I not beam when I saw Antoine lead his high school bound in performance on a city corner during Jazz Fest?
There's so much to love about the show. . . the acting, the devotion to the music,food and people of New Orleans. But I think what I enjoy almost as much as the music is the slow burn of the show's pacing. It's as if the characters and the plot meander but always with purpose. When random acts of violence occur, they are as shocking as they ought to be. I can't wait to find out if the show captures the mood of New Orleans as effectively as it seems to.
There's so much to love about the show. . . the acting, the devotion to the music,food and people of New Orleans. But I think what I enjoy almost as much as the music is the slow burn of the show's pacing. It's as if the characters and the plot meander but always with purpose. When random acts of violence occur, they are as shocking as they ought to be. I can't wait to find out if the show captures the mood of New Orleans as effectively as it seems to.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A taste for viral plagues
Somewhere under "Preferences" in my Netflix profile is the entry: Customer enjoys watching movies about viral plagues. Given our rather dark taste in films, I can only imagine what else is on the list.
I suspect the reason for the profile update lies in my decision to view "Black Death." Contrary to the apparent suspicion of Netflix, however, I didn't choose it because of the plague theme. It was the opportunity to see a greasy-haired Sean Bean wielding a sword and wearing a chain mail. (What am I going to do next year when Game of Thrones returns without him?)
Just as the name implies, the movie is set in England during the plague years, but it is definitely not written from the same script as Monty Python used. Darker than dark, it follows the Bishop's envoy who is intent on ridding a village of its satanic protector. When Luc asked if there would really be any monsters in the movie, I assured him that terrified people were monstrous enough and I was right.
Although the movie was dark, by the end you couldn't help but feel optimistic about the fate of humankind. Sure there is plenty of violence and despair. People still commit unspeakable acts. But in the majority of countries, we certainly aren't burning healers as witches, watching half our family die and hearing "Bring out your dead."
I suspect the reason for the profile update lies in my decision to view "Black Death." Contrary to the apparent suspicion of Netflix, however, I didn't choose it because of the plague theme. It was the opportunity to see a greasy-haired Sean Bean wielding a sword and wearing a chain mail. (What am I going to do next year when Game of Thrones returns without him?)
Just as the name implies, the movie is set in England during the plague years, but it is definitely not written from the same script as Monty Python used. Darker than dark, it follows the Bishop's envoy who is intent on ridding a village of its satanic protector. When Luc asked if there would really be any monsters in the movie, I assured him that terrified people were monstrous enough and I was right.
Although the movie was dark, by the end you couldn't help but feel optimistic about the fate of humankind. Sure there is plenty of violence and despair. People still commit unspeakable acts. But in the majority of countries, we certainly aren't burning healers as witches, watching half our family die and hearing "Bring out your dead."
Monday, July 4, 2011
Mad Men or X Men?
I guess what it takes for me to enjoy an X Men movie is the superimposition of Mad Men over it. Set during the Cuban Missile Crisis with January Jones playing yet another gorgeous ice queen (dressed like Betty in Rome), I couldn't help but seen Jon Hamm/Don Draper in Michael Fassbender's depiction of an angst-ridden Eric/Magneto.
Even without the Mad Men resemblance, I still would have loved the movie. With it's groovy 60s setting, wonderful characters, great acting, fun references to history, and clever foreshadowing of the X-Men mythology, it's an origin story that outshines any of the earlier movies.
Like Thor (another comic book movie that I enjoyed this summer), X Men: First Class focuses on the relationship between two brothers who choose to channel their anger and talents in different ways. Thanks to the work of Fassbender and McAvoy, you leave feeling as if you understand their rivalry. I also left the movie wanting to pick up the comic books just because I wanted to know what happened next in spite of the fact that I know the comic book would offer me nothing like the movie and I do know what happens next. That's certainly never happened before.
I guess I'll just have to settle for Mad Men in the spring.
Even without the Mad Men resemblance, I still would have loved the movie. With it's groovy 60s setting, wonderful characters, great acting, fun references to history, and clever foreshadowing of the X-Men mythology, it's an origin story that outshines any of the earlier movies.
Like Thor (another comic book movie that I enjoyed this summer), X Men: First Class focuses on the relationship between two brothers who choose to channel their anger and talents in different ways. Thanks to the work of Fassbender and McAvoy, you leave feeling as if you understand their rivalry. I also left the movie wanting to pick up the comic books just because I wanted to know what happened next in spite of the fact that I know the comic book would offer me nothing like the movie and I do know what happens next. That's certainly never happened before.
I guess I'll just have to settle for Mad Men in the spring.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Guilty Pleasure?
Chris and I both watch trash TV, but our taste is very different. While he can watch Dolph Lundgren dolled up as a post-apocalyptic warrior in the same straight-to-dvd flick for the 40th time, I'll actually DVR soap operas. And typically I don't feel a need to justify my choices. I just don't feel guilty over my TV pleasures. But I've got to say that I'm finding it hard to justify my DVR'ing of the Real Housewives of NYC these days. Although I found most housewives in other zip codes to awful to watch, I've been able to watch NYC because the women seemed to lead fairly interesting lives. Yeah, watching them promote themselves is annoying, but I could at least understand why they were trying to brand themselves. But things have just gotten ugly this season.
Not only have the women lost any self-awareness, but the show's editors seem to enjoy casting them in as negative as light as possible. Each show my jaw just drops when I hear Kelly babbling inanities under the pretense of offering advice or listen to LuAnn hold forth on appropriate behavior. I shake my head when Alex stumbles into yet another socially awkward situation or Sonya reveals way too much without panties.
Why am I still watching? Especially since I don't have anyone to gossip about them with anymore? Is it schadenfreude? Am I tapping into a fascination for train wrecks? When all is said and done, I'm probably still watching it because they're in NYC after all and everything just seems a little more glamorous when wearing Manolo Blahniks.
Not only have the women lost any self-awareness, but the show's editors seem to enjoy casting them in as negative as light as possible. Each show my jaw just drops when I hear Kelly babbling inanities under the pretense of offering advice or listen to LuAnn hold forth on appropriate behavior. I shake my head when Alex stumbles into yet another socially awkward situation or Sonya reveals way too much without panties.
Why am I still watching? Especially since I don't have anyone to gossip about them with anymore? Is it schadenfreude? Am I tapping into a fascination for train wrecks? When all is said and done, I'm probably still watching it because they're in NYC after all and everything just seems a little more glamorous when wearing Manolo Blahniks.
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