Death of a Legendary Man

I have just learned that actor Paul Newman has died. He died yesterday at the age of 83 after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.

Newman acted in many memorable roles. One of his most memorable performances was pool shark Fast Eddie Felsonin the 1961 movie The Hustler. Years later he would win a competitive Oscar for his reportral of the charecter in the 1986's film The Color of Money. He also played a alcoholic former athlete in 1958's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a imprisoned confict in 1967's Cool Hand Luke, a cowboy outlaw in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a remorseful businessman in 1982's Absence of Malice, and a animated 1951 Hudson Hornet in 2006's Cars.

In addition to acting Newman was involved in several charities. His marketed food line Newman's Own, which sold salad dressings, popcorn, and other delicious foods, donated all of it's profits to charity. By 2007 the company had donated more than $175 million to different charitable organizations.

Paul Newman was a man who was a positive role model all could look up to. His fine example will be remembered always.

The Hidden Danger of Situational Comedy

Many parents try to protect their children from the imagery and situations seen in horror and action films. They feel that seeing relentless bloodshed and sadistic terror will warp a young person’s mind and drive them to pursue violent impulses later on in life. But while most parents are diligent in limiting children’s exposure to violence, they remain largely unaware of another dangerous piece of media that can warp their minds. That media is television sitcoms.

As you read this I’m sure you think what was written has to be a typo. How can sitcoms damage a young person’s mind? They’re shows designed to entertain through comedy. But a closer look into them reveals a hidden danger.

In many sitcoms a typical episode will run like this: the characters get into a troubled situation. Hilarity will ensue and by the episode’s end the problem is neatly solved and everything is more or less back to normal. While it may seem harmless for children to watch this, it can have a damaging effect. It can make children believe that life’s problems can always be solved quickly with a grand plan. If we get into a fight with someone we just need to come up with a hilarious and well meaning scheme and the fight will be over. In sitcoms problems are solved quickly and (with the exception of the grand scheme) neatly. Where in life this is far from how things are resolved.

In real life problems are very rarely quickly and simply solved. They are messy and complicated. An example is a serious fight between friends. By serious I don’t mean a disagreement on what restaurant to have dinner at. I mean an explosion of anger and words that leaves both parties hurt and shattered. A fight of this magnitude isn’t solved quickly by a quirky plan. It takes a long time of attempting to work through the issues that have come up as result of what happened. There are times where the friendship can not be salvaged. And in the event that it is it’s rarely the same again because of the line crossed from the fight. The fear of being hurt again causes the two to not trust each other as openly as they used to.

A perfect example of a resolution to a sitcom fight is in two episodes from the fifth season of the popular show “Will & Grace”. In the first episode, “The Kid Stays Out Of The Picture”, Grace decides to pursue a relationship with a doctor named Leo. Unfortunately this conflicts with her and Will’s plan to have a baby together. Once Will discovers that she wants to back out on their plan the two characters have one of the most intense fights ever seen in sitcoms. Long held resentment is brought up and each person pierces the other by throwing back their most negative character traits as if they were bullets. The episode concludes with Will throwing Grace out of their apartment and out of his life. In the second episode, “Humongous Growth”, Karen and Jack scheme to get their two friends to kiss and make up by tricking them into attending a kid’s birthday party without either knowing the other will be there. Once they find each other they continue to fight and squabble. Finally Karen essentially locks them up together by throwing their keys into a children’s ball pit. While rummaging through the pit Will and Grace talk about what happened and the issues between them. By the episodes end the two of them are friends again.

The fight in the first episode was so powerful and realistic that there needed to be a significant amount of time before it was resolved. While it’s known that they would have eventually forgiven each other (the title of the show is Will AND Grace after all) there should have been a few episodes gap before they made up. Instead it was quickly resolved in a timely manner. If youngsters see this they may think that is how it always is in life. That all of our problems in life, no matter how detrimental they are, can be solved in a quick and efficient manner. This means that impressionable youths can carry this belief into real life and thus be unable to deal with life’s problems once they arise.

In collusion I’m not saying that sitcoms should be outright banned from the family household. They offer entertainment and enjoyment. I’m saying that parents should reinforce to their children that what they are watching isn’t real life and they shouldn’t imitate what they are seeing. It may sound silly, but it could go a long way.

Untypical Roles Being First Viewing

While actors usually try not to become typecast in certain roles, many times it ends up happening. Either from there own volition or by the roles they are offered, actors will many times act in the same genre or play the same type of roles. Meg Ryan is usually cast in romantic comedies. Arnold Schwarzenegger usually plays fearless action heroes. Though after a while typecast actors will break out of their mold and play a role that audiences wouldn’t expect them to play.

An interesting experience is when the first thing someone sees a typecast actor or actress in is a role that is against their type. It changes one’s perspective of them since they never saw them in the roles they are known for. Recently I’ve realized that there are a number of actors and actresses I first saw in roles they were against their type. This article tells of a few of those instances.

AMY ADAMS

Known For: Playing upbeat and likable characters, such as a pregnant wife in Junebug and fairytale princess Giselle in Enchanted
First Seen In: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, playing the nasty cousin to resident witch Tara.

While many know this actress for playing extremely lovable characters, fans of her early work will see her playing a character that was anything but lovable. Amy Adams appeared in the season five episode “Family” of the brilliant show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the episode Tara, a skilled witch and Willow’s girlfriend, was visited by her family on the eve of her 20th birthday. They informed her that she had to return home with them because she was part demon and would eventually turn evil. By the episode’s end it was revealed that the demon tale was a lie and Tara severed ties with her family.

The episode had Adams play Tara’s Cousin Beth, a nasty and manipulating woman who had successfully been brainwashed to be subservient and devoted to her family. More then the other family members she was the one who came closest to convincing Tara to leave her life in Sunnydale. Aside from being cruel she was also a malicious manipulator, similar to how a cheerleader might pretend to “help” a less popular girl.

NATHAN FILLION

Known For: Playing flawed yet at heart heroic characters, such as the Sherriff in Slither, the protagonist’s doctor in Waitress and Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television show Firefly and subsequent movie Serenity
First Seen In: “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, playing the evil and misogynic preacher Caleb in the final season of the show.

Despite seeing this actor play quirky heroic characters, I still have a hard time shaking away the image of the first role I saw him in. In the final season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fillion played a evil priest who acted as the right hand of the Big Bad of the season. In spite of only being in five episodes he had a lasting effect, killing several minor characters and permanently disfiguring one of the main characters. What made him terrifying was the fact that he acted like a cross between a serial killer and a religious fanatic, talking about how humanity was dirty and unworthy of themselves before taking someone’s life. It’s almost like seeing pastor Fred Phelps go on a killing spree.

KURT RUSSELL

Known For: Playing gruff tough guys, such as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York, helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter’s The Thing, and Stuntman Mike in Death Proof.
First Seen In: Executive Decision, where he played a nerdy terrorist specialist.

In the film Executive Decision, a movie where a group of commandos attempt to stop a group of terrorist who have taken a 747 hostage, Kurt Russell plays a terrorist specialist who joined the commandos because of his knowledge on the main hijacker. His character was very nervous and timid throughout the movie. He was nervous about acting rashly and the commandos would often only listen to him because of the direness of the situation. Even when he eventually took a gun and joined in on the fighting it played out more like an average guy thrust in a dangerous situation then an action hero.

ALAN RICKMAN

Known For: Playing nasty and or villainess characters such as terrorist/thief Hans Gruber in Die Hard, the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series.
First Seen In: Dogma, playing the Metatron and the voice of God.

In the 1999 film Dogma Alan Rickman played the role of the Metatron, the highest level of angels and the voice of God. Naturally the role wasn’t a villainess one at all. His character was portrayed as cranky and very British but also kind hearted. He acted as a guiding force to the characters on earth, giving well meaning advice whenever he could.

After seeing him in this role I found it interesting to see him play much more menacing characters.

KRISTIN KREUK

Known For: Playing angsty and emotionally vulnerable Lana Lang in the show Smallville
First Seen In: Eurotrip, playing the cruel and slutty ex girlfriend of the movie’s main protagonist.

Since I didn’t start watching Smallville until this summer, the first time I saw this actress was in the movie Eurotrip. The character she played was the exact opposite from the role she is most well known for. In the movie her character Fiona dumps her boyfriend Scott in front of his family, callously telling him that he is spineless and that she cheated on him a lot. Later on at a graduation party the band’s lead singer sings a song about all the time’s he slept with Fiona while she dated Scott. Not only does she grind against the singer during the song but she also joins in on the singing, knowing full well her former boyfriend is in the audience watching everything.

The Passing of a Soul King

Isaac Hayes, the musician and actor who wrote the theme to the movie Shaft, has passed away. He was found unresponsive by a family member and was pronounced dead an hour later. He was 65 years old.

Hayes was a musician who specified in jazz, rap, and even disco. In 1971 Isaac Hayes wrote and performed the theme to the movie Shaft. The song became a huge hit, going to Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November of that year and winning best original song at the Academy awards in 1972. Hayes’s performance of the song at the 1972 Academy Awards ceremony would later be named No. 18 in TV Guide’s list of television’s 25 most memorable moments.

In addition to being a musician Isaac Hayes was a actor. He appeared in several films such as It Could Happen to you, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Hustle and Flow. His most famous acting role was voicing the character of Chef in the show South Park. The character, a cafeteria chef who loved the ladies and routinely gave the children of the show advice, was notable as not only one of the few African American characters on the show but also one of the very few level headed adult characters. Hayes voiced the character during the first nine seasons but quit before the start of the tenth season. While several reasons have been given for his departure, such as a stroke Hayes had in January 2006, most believe it was the episode “Trapped in the Closet” that caused Hayes’s departure. The episode poked fun at scientology, which Hayes was a member of.

Hayes is survived by his wife and children. He will be missed.

One Time the Laughter is Silenced

Sadly I have just learned that comedian Bernie Mac has died. He passed away this morning from complications brought on by pneumonia after having been admitted to a Chicago hospital due to the illness. He was 50 years old.

Bernie Mac was a successful comedian with a tell-it-like-it-is approach. Performing since he was a child, his comedy routine was featured in the 2000 documentary film The Original Kings of Comedy. Shortly after that Fox Television gave him his own sitcom, entitled The Bernie Mac Show. In the show Bernie played a guy who is suddenly giving custody of his sister’s three children while she is in rehab. The show stayed true to Bernie’s stand up act by having the character routinely break the fourth wall to personally tell the audience how he felt about the absurdity of a situation. The show was a huge success, earning a Peabody award in 2001 and nominations for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for Mac.

In addition to television Bernie Mac appeared in a number of films. Audiences will most recognize him from his role in the 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven, where he played a black jack dealer who helped with the elaborate heist. He would also appear in both of the film’s sequels. Some of his other roles were the no nonsense father in Guess Who, the new Bosley in Charlie’s Angel’s: Full Throttle, a flashy baseball player in Mr. 3000 and a sleazy car salesman in last summer’s Transformers.

Bernie Mac will be greatly missed. His passing has left a void in the comedic world that will take quite a while to be filled. Thankfully his success will still allow others to experience and enjoy his unique brand of comedy.

Don't Change History

Fans of the program “The Simpsons” are aware that continuality within the show is somewhat loose. To fit a joke or a story point town locations may change or back stories will be added or changed within different episodes. One example is the age of Mr. Burns. Different episodes have had him be as young as eighty and as old as a thousand in order to fit a joke. But in spite of this loose continuality, there are some established facts that have remained consistent. They remain true throughout different seasons and help establish a sense of consistency in the Simpsons world. Bart and Lisa have always been in grades four and two, even though there are episodes that have shown them graduating. Which makes it disheartening that two episodes of the latest season of “The Simpsons” have tried to change two of the hard and true facts of this show. This post discusses these episodes and why they have overall hurt the show instead of improved it.

The first episode is “That 90’s Show”, which originally aired January 27th, 2008. In the episode a college degree of Marge’s is found and Marge explains how she obtained it. The episode flashes back to the 90’s, where Homer and Marge are happily dating. Marge goes off to college and begins to fall for one of her professors. After a huge fight she leaves Homer and begins to date her professor. In response Homer starts a grunge band that becomes hugely successful. After months of separation the two find their way back to each other and live happily ever after.

What makes this episode disturbing is how it changed the history of Homer and Marge’s courtship. Since the second season it’s been known that Marge and Homer met in the 70’s and married in the 80’s. This had held true for all of these years. Changing this is an insult to life long fans of the show. While I understand the intent of the episode (trying to be consistent in having the character’s ages remain the same after almost twenty years) it was unwise to change this piece of history. While the episode was weak on its own merit (two many 90’s references with an overall feeble plot), the change in continuality is what mostly makes it a downer.

The second episode is “Mona Leaves-a”, which originally aired May 11th, 2008. In this episode Homer’s mother Mona returns after previously been on the run for her radical protects. Although she wants to have a relationship with her son Homer angrily rebuffs her, fearful that she’ll just leave him again. But before he can apologize Mona passes away. Homer learns that her final wish was for her ashes to be spread on Mount Springfield at a specific time and date. Homer does this and learns that this was done to prevent a nuclear missile from being launched. After a madcap rescue inside the missile housing network Homer manages to re-spread his mother’s ashes in a more quiet ceremony.

Again, this episode in and of itself is at best subpar. It features Mona Simpson much too briefly and the third act ruins the overall sentiment of the episode. But my biggest problem with the episode was the changing of Mona Simpson. In previous episodes it was established that she was a very loving and caring mother who left her family after she was identified on her one and only protest act. Here it portrayed her as very cause happy and inattentive to young Homer. The episode re cast her as a caring mother to a parent who ignored her child. This is incredibly disrespectful to the character, who in spite of her brief appearances has become a favorite of both the fans and creators of the show.

Hopefully the next season of “The Simpsons” will stop trying to change established facts about the show. Most times changes are accepted for the purpose of a story or a joke. But there are some things that should just remain as is.

For a Good Time, Make It a Cox Night

Inspired by this weekend’s opening of the movie “Stepbrothers”, a comedy about two grown men who become step brothers after their parents marry, I felt inspired to write a review about another movie staring John C. Reilly. The movie is “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”, a film that parodies just about every musical biography and general biography film ever made.

“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” tells the tale of Dewey Cox, the most famous and infamous rock star there ever was. The movie starts out in 1940’s rural Alabama, with six year old Dewey living a carefree life with his much more talented older brother. Things take a tragic turn when the boys decide to have a machete fight and Dewey accidently cuts his brother in half. This tragedy changes Dewey’s life forever, as it gives him the drive to become successful in order to honor his deceased brother. The event also drives a life long wedge between him and his Pa (Raymond J. Barry), who blames Dewey for what happened to the point that he continually proclaims “the wrong kid died” whenever he sees Dewey. Soon after the tragedy he is introduced to the blues and his love of music is born.

The movie then moves forward to the mid 1950’s, with 14 year old Dewey (played from this point on by 40 year old John C. Reilly) successfully performing at his school’s talent show. The performance convinces him to pursue his dreams and become a singer. After several months of working as a bus boy at a night club his big break comes when the band’s lead singer falls ill and Dewey fills in. This leads to a recording contract and the creation of his iconic song “Walk Hard”, which becomes a hit 35 minutes after it is recorded. Fame and success are now Dewey’s for the taking. But with it all comes the dangers and pitfalls of a rock and roll lifestyle. He is introduced to marijuana (and later cocaine, ecstasy and just about every other drug out there) by his drummer Sam (Tim Meadows) and begins to neglect his family and spiral out of control. It is during this time that he hires backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer). The two fall in love and marry, despite Dewey already being married. After both of his wives leave him and a stint in rehab Darlene returns and the two start their lives together.

The movie continues on in this vain, with Dewey continually changing his musical style, driving his loved ones away and then winning them back, and improving his life for the better. What makes it all the more humorous is that it’s treated as if it were a serious drama. While the lines being said are ridiculous, they are said with true seriousness and conviction. This brings the absurdity of what is being seen into even greater focus.

John C. Reilly is hilarious as the title character. After years of memorable supporting roles (ranging from a kind hearted fisherman in “The Perfect Storm” to Amos in the film version of the musical “Chicago”) he is finally given a staring venture. He makes the role his own and shows he can more then carry a movie. Just as good was Jenna Fischer as Darlene. Having been accustomed to previously seeing her play reserved characters in “Blades of Glory” and the television show “The Office”, I was delighted to see her take a role such against type. Her character was immensely ridiculous, with her saying extremely dirty lines as if she were a catholic schoolgirl.

Another fun feature of the movie is the cameos by rock legends. During his lifetime Dewey ends up meeting several famous musicians. What’s funny is that the parts were deliberately miscast to add to the overall humor. To emphasize this the parodied artists will continually refer to themselves as the character they are playing to remind the audience of who they are. We end up seeing Buddy Holly being played by Frankie Muniz, Elvis being portrayed by Jack White, and The Beatles represented by Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Justin Long and Jason Schwartzman. If you know these actors you’ll realize that none of them (with the possible exception of Jack White) fits the artist they’re parodying.

“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” is a hilarious satire on the bio flick genre. It makes fun of every cliché in the book, from a tragic past to an out of control sex life and drug habit. It’s a treat no movie or music lover should miss.

The Loss of a Golden One

Estelle Getty, the diminutive actress best known for playing the witty mother Sophia on “The Golden Girls”, passed away on Tuesday after a long fight with dementia. She was 84 at the time of her death.

Estelle Getty is a very unlikely success story, and proof that success can come when one least expects it. Although wanting to be an actress since an early age Getty struggled for close to 40 years to make it, often taking mediocre office jobs to support herself and her family while she tried to make it on stage. Her luck finally started to turn in 1982 when she won the role of Mrs. Beckoff in Harvey Fierstein’s play “Torch Song Trilogy”. Soon afterwards she auditioned for the role of zany Sophia on “The Golden Girls”, a show about four older women living together in Miami. Unfortunately she failed not one but two auditions on the fact that she didn’t look old enough to play a women in her 80’s (at the time Estelle was in her early 60’s). Upon her third audition for the part she had the crew’s make up artist transform her into an 80 year old and she won the role. Her character, the mother to Bea Arthur’s Dorothy who always had a witty one-liner, was an instant hit and became the breakout character of the show. Her character was so popular that she ended up playing Sophia on five separate television shows.

In addition to acting, Estelle Getty was also a stanch supporter of gay rights. She organized several fundraisers for research in treating AIDS.

Estelle Getty is survived by her two sons as well as her brother and sister. Although she is gone, she will not be forgotten. One only has to turn to the Lifetime network, which airs “The Golden Girls” no less then six times a day, to see this actress’s talent at work.

The Dark Knight: Hype that Delivers

As the end credits came up upon my viewing of The Dark Knight, something happened that I had not witnessed in a long time. That something was applause. The entire theater was clapping and yelling cries of joy. I can’t remember the last time I witnessed such a phenomenon. This phenomenon, and the fact that I was participating in it, should give an idea on just how good this movie is.

The Dark Knight is one of those few sequels that lives up to, and in many ways surpasses, its predecessor. Masterfully directed by returning director Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan, David S. Goyer, and Jonathon Nolan, The Dark Knight remains true to the comics while at the same time brings the franchise into new territory.

The movie opens roughly a year after the events of Batman Begins, with Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman) successfully bringing down the criminals within Gotham. The two men begin to work with newly appointed DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) in an effort to eradicate the mob from Gotham City. Unlike Batman, who is still regarded with mistrust and fear by the public, Dent is seen as a shining beacon of hope. He is so well revered that Bruce begins contemplating saying goodbye to Batman and allowing Harvey to become “The White Knight” Gotham needs. It is also his hope that if he does this he can finally be with childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is now involved with Dent. However everyone’s plans are thrown into chaos with the arrival of The Joker (Heath Ledger).

After a successful bank robbery, in which he kills both civilians and his own men, The Joker arrives at a meeting of the remaining mobsters and offers them a proposal; he will kill Batman in exchange for half of the mob’s entire money supply. He begins by having numerous members of the police and justice force killed and then proclaims that if Batman does not reveal his secret identity people will continue to die every day. As the film goes on it becomes clear that The Joker’s real plan is simply to create as much chaos and apathy as possible. As Bruce Wayne’s trusty butler Alfred (Michael Caine) explains, “Some men aren't looking for anything logical. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

Each actor in the movie is brilliant and brings much to their roles. Christian Bale brings a complex depth of struggle to the character as Batman questions what his limits should and can be. Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman (as Bruce Wayne’s equipment designer Lucius Fox) all act as stable forces in Batman’s fight for justice, with each actor bringing different emotions and reactions to their roles as the lines of morality are continually redrawn during the fight. Maggie Gyllenhaal adds a lot of emotion to her role and brings both strength and vulnerability to her performance. But of everyone in the cast, the two standouts would have to be Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart.

As I mentioned in my review of the film Waitress, I was determined to review Heath Ledger’s performance as if he were alive and not offer praise simply because of his death. After seeing the movie I can safely say that all the praise people have said about his work is well earned. His performance is nothing short of phenomenal. He brings such a degree of raw intensity to the role that it’s staggering. His version of The Joker is both revolutionary and extremely true to the character. He becomes so engrossed in the character that it’s very easy to forget who the actor behind the make-up is. I’ll admit that I had my doubts when I first heard he was cast as The Joker, since his name wasn’t the first that came to mind when I envisioned actors for the role. But after seeing the movie I can definably say he was the right choice for the part.

Although Heath Ledger has received much praise for his role, I thought that Aaron Eckhart’s performance was just as strong. He plays his character as similar to Batman, but in an entirely different way. Unmasked and visibly in the spotlight, he has a power over the people that Batman does not. He delivers his lines with such conviction that one begins to believe his vision in a brighter tomorrow. While playing him with passionate righteousness one also sees the rage that bubbles just under the surface. It’s the subtleness of his duel personas that bring the true realization of the character to life. His character’s journey is one of the most tragic aspects of the film. Even if you can see where his character will go, the ramifications and end results of the character’s journey is something no one could ever have seen coming.

The Dark Knight definitely lives up to the hype. Not only is it entertaining but it also challenges our views on humanity and morality. How far should those in power be allowed to go in our quest for piece? That question is one of the biggest aspects of the film, with cases made for both those who believe in suspending personal freedom for safety and those who believe in keeping civil liberties in light of terrorism. That’s not normally something one expects to find in a summer superhero blockbuster.

That Rating Doesn't Seem Right?

With the creation of the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America’s film-rating system), parents could make an informed decision on what movies they felt were inappropriate for their children to see. However this was hard to do in the beginning, as the rating system was fairly broad. The PG-13 rating was created for just this reason. It was made for movies with content that was to hard for PG, but not extreme enough for R. Before the inception of the PG-13 rating, many movies were rated PG and R that didn’t deserve those ratings. Below are examples of a PG rated movie and an R rated movie that if reviewed today would have received a PG-13 rating. The first is an obscure unknown movie about a killer shark named Jaws. The latter is a low budget horror movie named The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Jaws, as most people already know, tells the story of a man eating shark that terrorizes a small east coast beaching town. After a series of attacks a trio of men go out to sea to hunt down and kill the animal. While the movie is rated PG, there are several elements and visions throughout the picture that just aren’t seen by today’s PG rated standards. Severed limbs, dismembered corpses, foul language, and animal carcasses are some of the unseemly sights that are witnessed.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a 1970’s horror movie that involves a group of young adults who are hunted down by a family of cannibals. What’s interesting is that despite the grizzly premise and exploitative title the movie doesn’t have a great deal of carnage in it. Almost all of the violence occurs either off screen or in quick cuts. In addition to minimal violence language is also pretty tame. This was no mere accident, as the director had hoped that the movie would be released with a PG rating. Despite the care taken to minimize violence the picture still ended up being rated R.

Absence of Sound=Real Life

When most people watch a movie they take the soundtrack for granted. They go into the movie assuming that most of the scenes will have music playing in the background. In many ways it’s comforting to the viewer. Watching a movie without a soundtrack can have a voyeurism quality, which can make people uncomfortable. So most times when a movie does not have a soundtrack in it it’s to intentionally create a certain mood. This certainly seemed the case in my viewing of the American remake of Funny Games.

Funny Games, which is a shot for shot remake of the Austrian movie of the same name, tells the story of two young psychos who hold a family hostage at their summer home. As the title suggests, the kidnappers force the family to perform cruel and sadistic acts. A few of the “games” that are played include making the mother strip naked to prove she has a good body and forcing her to choose the order in which she and her husband will die in.

While the film would be difficult to watch by any standards, the absence of a soundtrack adds to the overall disturbing atmosphere. With the exception of the opening and closing credits, the only time music is played in the movie is during a brief scene in which one of the kidnappers plays a song on a stereo. For the rest of the film the action plays out without any diegetic or extra-diegetic sound. This adds a heightened sense of realism to the viewing experience. It’s almost as if one is viewing a homemade videotape of torture.

As stated earlier, it is a conscious choice made when a soundtrack is excluded from a movie or a television show. Most times this is done to make the events being viewed seem more genuine and less fictitious. When viewers feel uncomfortable it probably was the feeling the filmmaker intended. They wanted the events to seem as real as possible. And this is very easily accomplished by the absence of a soundtrack.

UPDATE

I've have just learned that one of the shows i mentioned in my last post is coming to DVD. The first two seasons of Duckman will be released on Sept 16th.

Hopefully the rest of the shows mentioned will quickly follow suit.

TV Shows That Need A DVD Release

With the advancement of DVD’s television viewing has changed considerably. Now people can watch their favorite shows whenever they want, and discover new shows they may have missed when they originally aired. But despite the multitude of shows that have DVD releases, there are still many that have still not been released. Below is a list of a few shows that I personally want to see on DVD in the near future.

Gargoyles: Even though it’s technically already on DVD, I’ve put it at the top of the list because I want the entire series released. Gargoyles was an animated action adventure show that told the story of six medieval gargoyles who wake up in modern day Manhattan after a magical induced 1000 year sleep. The show dealt with several themes not normally seen in most animated shows. Some of which include betrayal, unrequited love, moral ambiguity, vengeance, genocide, and gun safety (which was dealt with more seriously and realistically then many live action shows have done). The first season, which consisted of 13 episodes, was released in it’s entirety in 2004. The second season, which consisted of 52 episodes, was split into two release dates. The first half of season 2 was released in 2005 with plans for the rest of the season to be released later. Unfortunately sales for the second season were lower then expected and all future season releases were abandoned. Which is a shame because there are legions of fans who want to own every episode of this amazing show.

Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place: A gem of a sitcom that aired in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. The main characters were three twenty something friends, two guys and a girl as the title suggests, that have known each other since college. There was Berg, a fun loving pre med student; Pete, a conflicted and frantic individual who’s unsure about where his professional and love life is going; and Sharron, a neurotic yet confident woman who’s afraid of commitment. In addition to the standard sitcom mode episodes the show occasionally experimented with different styles, such as a episode without any dialogue and one shot in a film noir style. It also borrowed a page from the Simpsons and had annual Halloween episodes which were surreal and separate from the normal show’s continuality.

Unhappily Ever After: I’ll state the obvious and admit that this show was basically a slightly tamer version of Married with Children. But I still got a kick out of watching it. It was hilarious, plan and simple. Like Married with Children it focused on a bitter man with a low paying job who couldn’t stand his wife and was frustrated with his children. While the breakout character of the show was Tiffany, the beautiful and extremely smart daughter, my favorite character would have to be Mr. Floppy, a tell it like it is stuffed bunny brought to life through the protagonist’s schizophrenia.

Daria: While it was a spin off of Beavis and Butthead, Daria had a style and sense of humor vastly different then its predecessor. The show focused on a girl named Daria, an exceptionally intelligent high schooler with a biting wit and cynical anti conformist personality. Along with abundant references to the negative aspects of high school the show also took numerous jabs at suburban life and pop culture, all done in a very intelligent way. One reason I suspect this show has had trouble being released on DVD is music licensing. When it originally aired the show was saturated with the latest pop songs, no doubt an influence of airing on MTV. The use of so many various songs from different artists has created countless licensing issues making the release of original unedited episodes extraordinary difficult.

Duckman: This is probably the strangest of the shows on this list. It follows a crass anthropomorphism duck who works as a private eye with his more talented pig partner. It focused on the strange and bizarre, with a distinctive style that people either loved or hated.

Spin City: Another gem from the 90’s that focused on the behind the scene runnings of politics. The show starred Michael J. Fox as the deputy mayor of New York City who often had to put a positive spin on an arised problem. Other memorable performers were Barry Boswick as the dim witted mayor, Richard Kind of "Mad About You" as the cowardly press secretary and Michael Boatman as the head of minority affairs. The show was funny in it’s ability to show how what we hear in politics isn’t always what is true in politics.

And that completes my list.

The Loss of a Comedic Legend

Sadly, my latest entry is also about the passing of a legend. This entry is on the passing of comedian George Carlin. George Carlin, who has entertained fans with his often controversial stand up routines, passed away on Sunday June 22 at the age of 71.

George Carlin’s humor often focused on his views on what he felt was idiotic about humanity. This ranged from people’s obsessions with celebrates and child raising to more controversial topics such as his views on religion and politics. His humor also greatly challenged censorship and what we deem as inappropriate. One of his most famous examples of challenging censorship was with his routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television”, which lead to him being arrested in 1972 for violating obscenity laws after he performed the routine at Milwaukee’s Summerfest.

In addition to being a comedian, Carlin was also an actor. Most of his roles were comedic ones that played to his strengths, such as Rufus in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Cardinal Glick in Dogma. One exception however was his part in the film Jersey Girl, in where he played the father of the film’s protagonist. The role required him to be a serious three dimensional character rather then simply a caricature. He rose to the challenge and his role was one of the highlights of the movie.

George Carlin’s comedy paved the way for future comedians to perform controversial material in their routines. It also had a hand in laxing what content can and can’t be broadcast, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on one’s viewpoint. His passing is a great loss to the world of comedy and he will surely be missed.

Stan Winston: A Old School Scholar in a New School Industry

On Sunday June 15th the film industry lost one of its most renowned special effects wizards: Stan Winston. Stan Winston was a special effects genius with an ability to make the creatures he created into legitimate characters. While his name might not be a household name, his creations certainly are. Some of his most well known creations are the alien queen in Aliens, the razor fingers worn by Johnny Depp’s character in Edward Scissorhands, the trophy collecting alien in Predator, the robot endoskeleton and additional robotic effects in Terminator, the monstrous animal hybrid in The Relic, the iconic red and yellow medal suit in this summer’s Iron Man, and the Tyrannosaurus Rex in Jurassic Park.

Mr. Winston came to Hollywood in 1969 to begin a career as an actor. After failing to achieve success he took an apprenticeship at Walt Disney Studio’s make-up department. His skills were fully realized in 1974 with his work on the TV movie The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, in which he transformed then 40 year old actress Cicely Tyson into the 110 year old title character.

What set Stan Winston apart from many of today’s effects creators was his consistent use of particle effects. Even with the advance of computer imagery he continued to employ make up, animatronics and robotics to bring his visions to life. This brought an extra level of realism not only to his creations, but also to the performance of those acting alongside his creations.

Sadly there hasn’t been a great deal of coverage on the passing of this revolutionary effects man. I only heard about it after reading a tiny blurb in the local paper. Hopefully Hollywood will pay proper tribute to the passing of this effects mastermind. And at the very least fans can take comfort in the knowledge that his work will be experienced and remembered by future generations.

External Factors for a Dismal Performance

When a movie doesn’t do well at the box office, it doesn’t necessarily mean it did badly because it was a bad movie. Multiple factors can contribute to a less then stellar performance. The movie could have been released at the wrong time of the year. It could have either not been promoted enough or promoted in a way that misleads audiences as to what the actual tone of the movie is. Still another factor could be having to compete with another movie released at the same time.

A perfect example of a movie bombing at the box office because of outside reasons is the dark comedy Very Bad Things. It was released during the 98 holiday season and started Christian Slater, Jon Favreau, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Stern, Jeremy Piven, and Leland Orser. The movie follows timid Kyle (Favreau) as he prepares to marry his shrewish bride Laura (Diaz). Laura is an extremely demanding woman who seems to care more about having the perfect wedding then the guy she’s actually marrying. To escape from his demanding fiancé Kyle goes to Las Vegas for a bachelor party with his four closest friends. First there’s Moore (Orser), a quiet mechanic Kyle has known since grade school. Then there is Adam (Stern), a very uptight and moral individual, and his brother Michael (Piven), who’s less moral and not as tightly wound. Rounding out the circle of friends is Boyd (Slater), the unofficial leader and least moral member of the group. What follows is a drug filled romp that culminates with a stripper giving them a wild show. Unfortunately things take an ugly turn when Michael accidently kills her while they are having sex. Things go from bad to worse when a security guard finds the body and Boyd kills him to keep their secret. With no other option the group take the bodies into the desert to be buried and swear to keep what happened a secret. As they return to their lives paranoia sets in and the body count continues to grow. By the end of the movie the remaining characters have been scared for life, in more ways then one.

This hilarious movie is as dark as it is funny, with multiple moments that bring as many cringes as they do laughs. Probably the best example of this is when the group is burying the bodies in the desert. During the middle of it Adam says that according to Jewish law the bodies must be buried united or else the souls will not find peace. This proves to be problematic as they dismembered the bodies before they set off. What follows is a perverse jigsaw puzzle with everyone trying to match up body parts to the correct bodies.

While this movie is certainly not for everyone, I don’t believe it didn’t do well in theaters because it was bad. Rather it did badly because of external factors. For one thing it was released during the holiday season. Most movies released during this time are either family films, sentimental films, or epic adventures. A comedy about people trying to cover up a murder doesn’t really fall under any of the mentioned genres. A bigger problem then the release date was the promotion. The trailer and TV spots tried to make the movie to be much more lighthearted then it really was. This meant that people who would have wanted to see a sick comedy didn’t see it because they thought it lacked the bite it really had. The promotion also tried to play off of the notoriety of Cameron Diaz, who had just stared in There’s Something About Mary a few months before the release of Very Bad Things. In previews she seems to be more of a put upon wife to be, where in the movie she is a heartless bitch who cares only about herself. When her fiancé finally confesses what happened she tells him she doesn’t care and that the wedding is happening no matter what. Those who saw the movie thinking they’d see a bubbly light hearted Cameron Diaz were in for a rude awakening. It is my belief that these factors were the reason for the movie’s abysmal performance in theaters.

Luckily with the rise of home video, and now DVD, movies that did badly in theaters can find a new life with home viewing. And Very Bad Things is one of those movies. It has become a cult classic, with people loving the sickness of the plot. If not for home viewing, this movie would have always been thought of as terrible based on how it did in theaters. So before one writes off a movie because of its theatrical performance, see it first.

When Viewers Can't Discover a Show

Today as I was reading the paper I came across an article in the television section. It was about the cancelation of the show “Men in Trees”. While learning of the show’s departure didn’t move me, I was struck by one piece of information. According to the article the show aired in six different time slots and disappeared for long lengths of time to make room for other shows during its two season run. After reading this I have come to believe that “Men in Trees” probably would have drawn better ratings if more of an effort had been made to allow it to find an audience.

Unfortunately nowadays if a show isn’t an immediately huge success it is either canceled or moved around so much that people don’t know when it is on. What makes this unfortunate is many times shows need time to be discovered. Two of the best examples of this are with “Cheers” and “Seinfeld”. When “Cheers” first premiered it was far from a success. It came in 74th in the ratings of that year, out of 74 shows. But by cleverly placing it in between already popular shows during its second season “Cheers” was able to thrive and become a juggernaut for NBC. A similar story is with the start of “Seinfeld”. When its pilot aired the ratings were so poor that it was almost a year before a scarce number of additional episodes (4) were aired. In spite of poor viewership NBC executives had faith in the series. In addition to getting a second season the show was aired in a single consistent time slot. This allowed people to discover the show and tell others about it. The rest, as they say, is history.

Am I saying that with time “Men in Trees” would have become as successful as “Seinfeld” and “Cheers” were? Probably not. But I do wholeheartedly believe the show would have been more successful if it had truly been given a chance to find an audience. I only hope that more shows are given the chance “Seinfeld” and “Cheers” received instead of the sink or swim attitude that now dominates the airwaves.

Favoritism With LOST Mysteries

Since Lost’s debut in 2004 numerous mysteries have been layered into the show. As the show has continued more and more mysteries have been introduced. Some have been explained, such as what caused the plane to crash onto the island. But most of the mysteries of this intriguing show have yet to be solved.

My concern with so many mysteries being on the show is that when the show does end, not all of them will be solved. Just as I have charecters that I like more then others, I also have specific mysteries that I want to see solved. Below are a few of the ones I hope will be resolved before the series ends.

The Four Toed Statue: Although on the surface minor, the four toe statue has intrigued me since its first (and so far only) appearance and remains the mystery I personally want to see most solved. In the episode “Live Together, Die Alone” Sayid, Sun, and Jin sail around the island to the other’s supposed camp. During the journey they encounter a large marble foot standing atop a rock in the surf, which appears to be the remains of a giant stature. Sayid remarks that he doesn’t know what disturbs him more, the fact that the rest of the statue is missing or that the foot has only four toes. What’s fascinating about the foot is that this is the first time we get an inkling about the inhabitants of the island during ancient times. The fact the there are four toes instead of five could mean that the original island inhabitant are older then regular humans, implying that humans might have later grown a fifth toe. There also is the observation that the foot was once part of a statue. One has to wonder who the subject of the statue was and how it came to be destroyed. Hopefully the four toed foot is explored before the series end.

The Origin Of The Others: So far the only Others we have really gotten to know are Ben and Juliet, and both of them were outsiders brought into The Other’s community. We still know nothing about them and where they came from. Are they decedents of the original island inhabitants or people who discovered and came to the island? Their origin might also answer the question of their aging. So far the only example we have seen of The Others not aging is with the character Richard Alpert. He has been shown in a number of flashbacks, going back as early as the 50s, and he always looks the same as he does now. While originally this could have been explained by saying that no one on the island ages this theory has been disputed by Ben. He grew up on the island and has aged normally. So it seems that agelessness might only apply to those who are descended from the original island inhabitants.

People Being Unable To Procreate: This is a mystery I want to see solved not so much for the answer to the mystery itself, but for when it started happening. Meaning if the island indeed has people who originated from the island, then when and how did procreation halt? Did the inhabitants do something to anger the island and this is their punishment?

Libby: Of the charecters that have died on the show, her lose might be the worst one. It is particularly because her character was set up with a great mystery and then killed before it was solved. In the episode “Dave” we learn that Libby once spend time in a mental hospital, the same hospital Hurley resided in. So far we have no explanation as to why she was there. Or if both she and Hurley knew each other when they were hospitalized and neither remember it for some reason. I really hope we get her complete back story before the series ends.


These are some of the mysteries I hope will be answered before the series end. With any luck, my wish will be granted.

Waitress: A Flawed Yet Delightful Romp

Reviewing the work of someone who is deceased can be a difficult task. One might feel it is permissible to be overcritical of their work because they are no longer here to defend it. On the other hand the reviewer could be afraid to point out the flaws in the work since the artist is dead. Personally, I feel the best way to honor a deceased artist is to review their work as if they were alive. That way it is reviewed fairly and objectively. This is the attitude I will be taking when I write my review of The Dark Knight later this summer. It is also the same approach I’m applying to my review of the film Waitress.

Waitress is a movie about escaping one’s problems and finding out what kind of person you are at heart. It stars Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Jeremy Sisto and Andy Griffith and was written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly. The plot follows a young southern waitress named Jenna (Russell) who has big problems. She’s stuck in an unhappy marriage to an abusive husband (Sisto) who controls her to the point where he won’t let her have a car so he knows that she can’t go far. She dreams of using her exceptional pie making skills to open her own restaurant and leave her husband forever. But her plans come to a screeching halt when she finds out she is pregnant. She dreads having the child, for she feels it will tie her forever to her husband. It is soon after she discovers her pregnancy that the regular town doctor is replaced by a new doctor named Jim (Fillion). Although she is put off by his nervousness the two end up having a passionate affair. Eventually her husband finds out about the baby and becomes even more dominating over her. As the months go by Jenna begins to see that motherhood isn’t the soul killing stigma she originally thought it would be. The film ends with her baby being born and Jenna being able to change her life for the better.

Before I point out what I didn’t like about the movie I’ll talk about what I did like. The film seemed to say our initial perceptions of people are often wrong. While first impressions habitually stick, they often dissolve once the person is better known. When Jenna first meets Jim she doesn’t like him and exclaims that he makes her uncomfortable. But as she gets to know him she finds he acts as a stimulant in her life. After they begin their affair he becomes a close friend in addition to being a lover. Perception shattering is additionally shown with the character of Old Joe, played by Andy Griffith. Old Joe is the owner of the diner Jenna works at and is generally a crabby old man. But in spite of his demanding nature he holds Jenna in high regard and tries to give her advice so she will not live her life unhappily.

However, I did have some real problems with other aspects of the film. The biggest problem I had was with Jenna’s husband. He had ABSOLUTLY no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He was a bastard from beginning to end, so much so that I found it impossible to understand how anyone would ever date him, much less marry him. In most abusive relationships the abuser will show tenderness after they abuse their spouse. Here he would hit her and then badger her some more. The whole time I kept waiting to see some reason why she would have first fallen for him. But it never came. He was so complete in his abuse and selfishness that he almost seemed a caricature. For me the most over the top moment is when she tells him she is pregnant and he makes her promise that she will not love the baby more then she loves him. For me to believe she would have married him I needed to see a reason she would have fallen for him, either during their time together or at the very least by having a flashback to their dating days.

I also felt that the end was very clichéd. I won’t spoil exactly how she her life at the end of the movie is changed, but it is painfully obvious how it will happen not long into the movie. It was unfortunate it ended up that way because many of the other kinds of clichés one would expect from this type of movie do not occur.

In spite of the problems, I wouldn’t write off Waitress as a failure. It had quirky dialogue and direction and the romantic leads grow on the viewer. I think with time Adrienne Shelly would have become a fine contributor to film, which makes her untimely passing all the more dreadful. Instead of being a promising up and comer, a senseless act of violence had made her another what-could-have-been Hollywood tragedy.

Lost Finale: A Exciting End to a Intriguing Season (Part 2)

And now for part 2 of my review of the season finale of season four of LOST.

After the rescue of Ben we have the second flashforward of the episode. This one features Hurley at the mental hospital, where he gets a surprise visitor: Walt (Malcolm David Kelley). Walt, after voicing his disappointment that no one visited him after they got back, explains that he has been contacted by Jeremy Bentham and asks Hurley why everyone is lying about the crash. In response Hurley tells Walt that they are lying to protect everyone that was left behind.

Before I continue I feel I have to mention Malcolm David Kelley’s growth spurt. If not for seeing his name on the guest credits I never would have thought it was the same actor. While he merely looked like a taller version of himself in his season three appearance, now he looks like a completely different person. It’s even easier to see why the writers were forced to write the character out of the show. But now that it’s been established that the flashforwards cover a timeframe of three years and counting, it’s feasible to bring the character back.

We are then returned to the present, where Faraday (Jeremy Davies) returns from ferrying the first group to the freighter and prepares to take another group. Before he goes his teammates Miles (Ken Leung) and Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) inform him that they are staying on the island. During these brief moments we learn a bit more about Charlotte. Apparently she has been to the island before and might even have been born on it, giving viewers yet another series of questions to be answered. If she was born on the island then is she An Other or part of the Dharma Initiative? Would her birth have occurred before or after pregnant women started dying on the island? If she wasn’t born on the island then how did she end up there the first time? Why and how would she have left? These are just a few questions about the character I’m hoping will be answered next season.

Meanwhile, Locke and Ben make it down to the hidden chamber of the Orchid station. Locke watches an orientation video on the purpose of the station, which Ben humorously simplifies with the phrase “time traveling bunnies”. Just then Keamy, who survived being shot by having on a bullet proof vest, arrives at the station. He explains that he’s wearing a remote trigger that will set off the bomb on the freighter if his heart stops and reminds Ben that the last time he underestimated him Ben’s daughter was killed. This causes the normally emotionally collected Ben to finally lose control and attack Keamy, where he stabs him repeatedly in the neck until he dies. When Locke explains that Ben just killed everyone who was on the freighter Ben’s only answer is “So?” It’s another example on how truly ruthless and uncaring Ben can be. Only this time it is raw emotion rather then purpose that drives his actions

While this is going on Jack, Sayid, Sawyer, Kate and Hurley all meet up at the helicopter and begin the journey to the freighter. Halfway there they realize they are losing fuel as a result of the earlier fight with the mercenaries and will only make it to the ship if they lose weight. So Sawyer, after first whispering something to Kate (which upon magnification of the audio reveals that he tells her about his daughter Clementine and asks Kate to find her), leaps into the ocean and swims back to shore. This act further shows that Sawyer is truly a good man at heart who was hardened by horrible life circumstances, instead of the selfish bastard persona he tried so hard to have people believe when the series began.

After another belief flashforward, in which Sayid breaks into the mental hospital holding Hurley and convinces him to leave, the helicopter lands on the freighter and Jack and Sayid scramble to repair and refuel it. At the same time Michael, who has been keeping the bomb from going off by freezing it with a rapidly shrinking supply of liquid nitrogen, tells Desmond and Jin to leave him and warn the others on the ship that the bomb is about to go off. Desmond leaves but Jin stays to help. Eventually Michael convinces him to go by reminding him that he’s a father now and his kid has to come first.

It is during the panic and commotion of the frantic situation that Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Sun, Aaron, and Desmond make it onto the helicopter as it takes off. As it rises into the sky Jin makes it to the deck. But the copter is unable to set back down and rescue Jin. The survivors can only watch in horror as the bomb goes off and destroys the freighter, killing Michael, Jin, and everyone else who was on board.

I was saddened by Jin’s death. Over the series he really redeemed himself for his past actions and became the good man he was when he first met Sun. And his reward is to die for tying to save the lives of those he cared about. I personally have my own theory for why the character was killed off, which I will reveal in a different entry.

We then have another brief flashfoward, in which Sun confronts the mysterious Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) and offers her services in his mission. Afterwards we are brought back to Ben and Locke. Ben tells Locke that he will now be leading The Others as anyone who moves the island will be unable to return to it. Ben makes his way down a tunnel to a chamber with a giant ice covered wheel inside. He bitterly exclaims to Jacob that he is doing his wish and then turns the wheel. A metallic hum is heard as a white light engulfs the island and just like that the island disappears.

With nowhere now to land the helicopter crashes into the ocean and everyone inside manages to get into an inflatable raft. They float into the night until they are spotted by a boat. But it’s not just any boat. It belongs to Penny (Sonya Walger), Desmond’s love and Charles Widmore’s daughter. Everyone comes aboard and Desmond is finally reunited with his long lost love in the second most romantic moment in the series (my vote for most romantic moment is when Jin and Sun are reunited in the second season). The boat is at sea for a week before it reaches its destination and The Oceanic Six leave to be rescued. Before they leave they agree to say they are the only ones who survived the original crash in order to spare everyone who was left behind.

The episode then goes to its final flashforward and final scene, in which our broken hero Jack breaks into the funeral home we saw last season and opens Jeremy Bentham’s coffin. He is then confronted by Ben, who asks Jack what Jeremy Bentham talked to Jack about before his death. Jack explains that he was told that terrible things happened on the island after they left and that it was Jack’s fault for leaving. Ben knows that Jack has been trying to unsuccessfully return to the island and tells him that the island won’t let him return unless everyone comes back. Ben says that he can help get the other five to go back. But when he says everyone has to go back me also means Jeremy Bentham. That’s when the identity of the deceased Jeremy Bentham is revealed. The final shot of the season is John Locke lying dead in the coffin.

During last season’s finale I guessed that the person in the coffin was either Locke or Ben. My reason was neither was a friend to Jack, since Jack’s response when the funeral director asked if Jack was a friend or family member of the deceased was “neither”, and that I felt the person was deeply connected to the island. So it turns out my theory was right on the nose.

I’ll also mention that two different endings were shot to try and keep the true ending a secret. The first showed Sawyer in the coffin. The second one had Desmond in the coffin.

Of course now there are a million more questions that have to be answered as a result of the finale. While I know the show is a mystery show I sometimes think there are too many mysteries going on at once. Because even when one is revealed the answer usually leads to twelve additional mysteries that have to be answered. It can cause some viewers to possibly forget important things that have been yet to be answered because they are concentrating on other aspects. I also fear that because there are so many unanswered questions not all of them will be answered by the series end. Hopefully the ones I most want to be revealed will be answered before the ultimate end.
And that concludes by review and summery of the fourth season finale of Lost. Now I just have to count the days until the fifth season begins.

Lost Finale: A Exciting End to a Intriguing Season (Part 1)

As I tuned in last Thursday to watch the finale of Lost my expectations were high. After being less then impressed with the season finales of The Office and Ugly Betty I knew I couldn’t take another disappointing finale. Luckily the last two parts of the three part finale “There’s No Place Like Home” were anything but disappointing. The fourth season of Lost ended with several bangs and one of the biggest reveals yet.

Before I review the finale, which I warn now is riddled with spoilers, I feel it is necessary to briefly recap what happened in the closing moments of part one. By the end of the episode Jack (Matthew Fox) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) resolved that they had to rescue Hurley (Jorge Garcia) from the mercenaries that were now hunting him, Locke (Terry O’Quinn) and Ben (Michael Emerson). Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), after arriving on the freighter with Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Aaron, discovers alongside Michael (Harold Perrineau) and Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) that the freighter is wired with a large amount of C4 explosives. Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sayid (Naveen Andrews) were captured by The Others during their attempt to rescue Jack and Sawyer. And Ben, after leaving instructions to Locke on how to get to the true Orchid Station, turns himself over to mercenary leader Martin Keamy (Kevin Durand).

The finale began with the final scene of last season, in with a drug addicted Jack pleads to Kate that they have to return to the island during the series first flashforward. Only this time it continues from where it left off and much more information is revealed. We learn that three years have passed since the Oceanic Six (Jack, Kate, Sayid, Sun, Hurley and Aaron) were rescued from the island. And that during that time both Kate and Jack have been approached by a man named Jeremy Bentham, who we learn is the mysterious man in the coffin, who wants them to return to the island. Kate angrily tells Jack that she can’t believe he would listen to him and that it is an insult to ask her to go back after everything they went through before she leaves Jack to wallow in despair. After seeing Jack so assertive and sure of himself on the island it is still a revelation to see him a completely broken individual. While the events in the episode “Something Nice Back Home”, in which Jack is visited by the ghost of his father and Kate leaves him after he angrily reveals to Aaron that he and Kate aren’t related, are indicated as being what makes Jack broken I personally think there is more to this transformation that will be revealed during the next season.

The action then switches back to the island, where the mercenaries and Ben arrive at the helicopter just as Kate appears to warn them that The Others are chasing her. This proves to be a ruse as she was really meant to distraction them before The Others attacked. What follows is an impressive display of guerilla combat as The Others use the cover of the jungle to take out the more experienced mercenaries. The battle ends, after an exciting hand to hand fight between Sayid and Keamy, with Keamy being shot and Ben successfully rescued by his people. Afterwards The Others reveal that Kate and Sayid agreed to rescue Ben if they would be allowed to leave the island. When Ben hears this he has no objections and very simply exclaims that they can go. Knowing Ben I’m sure he has a reason for allowing them to leave, as he has proven that he always has a very distinct reason for his actions.

This concludes part one of my review of the Lost season finale. Tune in tomorrow for part 2.

The Movie Trailer: A Dying DVD Feature

Since the DVD came on the market, the features included with the films have become more numerous and advanced. While originally special features barely consisted of little more then the movie trailer and brief actor profiles, now most DVD’s come complete with hours of features that detail many different aspects of the movie. A movie lover can see exactly what it took to make the movie come alive, from costume design to the creation of special effects. But despite there now being more features available to view, one feature is slowly being fazed out: the movie trailer.

A movie trailer is a specifically designed preview shown in theaters before the movie begins. While older trailers usually consisted of long drawn out scenes, today’s trailers have become very condensed and fast paced. A trailer usually consists of three parts. First there is the beginning, which lays out the ground work of the story. Then there is the middle, which drives the story further and usually consists of a plot revelation or reveal. Finally there is the climax, which is designed to make the end of the trailer as emotionally gripping as possible. Usually the climax of a trailer consists of several emotional images set to a piece of music. Movie trailers are only allowed to be a maximum of two and a half minutes long, although studios are allowed to release one trailer that exceeds the allotted length per year. While trailers aren’t rated per say, they are classed into two groups: green band trailers and red band trailers. A green band trailer is a trailer that can be viewed by anyone and does not have scenes that would be inappropriate for a minor to see. Therefore a minor can watch a trailer for an R rated movie even if they can not watch the movie itself. A red band trailer is a trailer that contains images that might be inappropriate for minors to see; which includes graphic violence, foul language, nudity, sex, and drug use. These trailers can only be shown before a movie that is rated R or NC-17.

As mentioned before, trailers used to be one of the only extra features included on DVDs. But in the last few years trailers have been included less on DVDs. While they have numerous features detailing the making of the movie they don’t include the trailer, which is usually what gets people to want to see a particular movie. What is even more unusual is that many times a DVD will contain trailers for other movies, but not the trailer for the movie being viewed.

Personally, I love movie trailers. To me they are individual stories, similar to the movie being advertised but at the same time distinctly different. They can be emotionally gripping and make my heart feel like it will leap out of my chest. Or they can be hilarious and make me feel happy all day long. Many times the trailer for a movie is in fact better then the movie itself is. One example that comes to mind is Jurassic Park 3. When I first heard a third Jurassic Park movie was being made I vowed I would never see it. Then I saw the trailer. It was both thrilling and action packed, and seemed to set up an interesting story. It was good enough for me to go against my better judgment and see the movie. As I left the theater I deeply regretted having wasted $10 and an hour and a half of my life. But I still have to commend the cutters of that trailer. They managed to get me to see the movie in spite of my previous feelings.

Movie trailers are an art form, one that is harder to do then people would think. A trailer cutter not only has to let the audience know what the movie is about, but they also have to make sure they don’t give away to much information or else people will already know everything and not want to see the movie. To make sure the trailer is shown at an appropriate time before the movie is released cutters use footage from dailies, which is the raw unedited footage shot during the making of a movie. It is obviously much harder for a trailer to be made from raw footage then from edited and perfectly synced up material. But that is exactly how they are made. Cutters also have to decide how the trailer will fit into the marketing campaign of the film and be able to obtain the right music that would best suit the trailer. They work extraordinarily hard to bring their proper vision to life, and should be rewarded by having their work be easily viewed by all.

I will say that it isn’t impossible to continually view movie trailers today. One only has to go on the web to find numerous sites that feature trailers. But in spite of this on-line option I still miss popping in a disk and being able to watch a trailer right before a movie. I only hope that this trend will stop and trailers will begin to reappear on DVD menus. As much as I love a ton of special features, I would trade them all in if it meant I would have the one feature that mattered the most to me.

Ugly Betty: a dissapointing end to the season

Last Thursday I watched the season finale of the second season of Ugly Betty. While I usually enjoy most episodes of this quirky show, I found I was less then impressed with the last episode of the season. As I sat down to watch I thought of the many questions I hoped would be answered. Would Betty (America Ferrera) finally decide if she wanted to be in a relationship with Henry (Chris Gorham), the lovable accountant who moved to Tucson to care for his recently born son, or Gio (Freddy Rodriguez), a deli shop owner who is more thoughtful and caring then he initially lets on? Would Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) finally succeed in taking the coveted MODE editor-in-chief position away from Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius)? Would Amanda (Becki Newton) find a new lead in the search for her birth father? These were just a few of the things I hoped would be answered. By the end of the episode only one of these questions was answered, and it wasn’t even the most obvious of the three.

The episode began with Betty being informed that she has to take more risks in her life, in order to grow both professionally and personally. She resolves to stop always taking the safe route and to be more risky, which comes in handy when she is forced to make a potentially life changing decision. But more on that plot point later.

Although Betty is still the focus of the series, this episode features Daniel almost more so then it does Betty. After the events of the previous episode, in which Wilhelmina not only returned to MODE but also managed to get newly appointed CEO of Meade Publications Alexis Meade (Rebecca Romijn) to go against the family and give her back the title of creative director, Daniel struggles to prevent Wilhelmina from taking over his job. Just when things can not become any more complicated another bomb shell is revealed in the form of a son. A small French boy, who is also named Daniel, clams that he is a result of a liaison Daniel Sr. had with his recently deceased mother several years ago. At first Daniel thinks it’s a trick and refuses to acknowledge Daniel Jr. until concrete proof comes back. This proves to be his undoing as Wilhelmina uses the news to her advantage by leaking the story to the press and making Daniel out to be a degenerate parent. This couldn’t have come at a worse time, as MODE has just signed a client by claiming that their magazine loves children. Of course Wilhelmina swoops in and saves the account she herself threatened to lose. She then uses the incident to convince Alexis that Daniel isn’t the best candidate for the editor-in-chief position and before one can blink Daniel is out and Wilhelmina is the new editor-in-chief of MODE magazine.

This turn of events is another reason I’m not particularly fond of Alexis. To me she is way to cruel to her younger brother, especially since he continually has shown that he wants to put the past behind them and have the two work together as equals. Despite Daniel’s persistence in trying to form a true sibling bond, Alexis continues to betray her brother. One moment that left a particularly bad taste in my mouth was when Alexis tells Daniel he is taking a leave of absence after the son story is leaked. Daniel points out an incident that occurred earlier in the season, in which a major client told Daniel to fire his transsexual sister or else they would not do business with MODE. Although fully aware of the ramifications of his actions, he stood by his sister and turned the client away. When Daniel brings this up Alexis throws it back in his face, saying that she is “learning from his mistakes.” It’s upsetting that she would turn against her brother when he was willing to risk everything for her. Now Daniel is out of MODE and as a result Betty’s job is possibly in danger.

Which brings me back to Betty and the life changing choice she has to make. Although still pining for Henry, Betty can no longer hide the fact that she is developing feelings for Gio. This becomes more complicated when Gio asks her to spend a month in Rome with him. Then before she can even begin to think of an answer Henry returns with a ring, asking Betty to marry him and move to Tucson. Betty spends the episode asking everyone for advice and continually she is told that this is a decision she has to make on her own. And by the episode’s end she has made it. She packs a suitcase, steps out onto her front stoop, and the screen goes black. The question viewers most wanted to see answered is left without a known answer. The only thing worse then having to wait three months for the answer is that I’m 99% certain the mystery of the answer will be a major marketing ploy to promote the 3rd season. I predict that by the middle of July TV ads will air with the following slogan: “Last season Betty had to choose who she would end up with: Henry or Gio. This September, find out who she chose. The season premier of Ugly Betty, only on ABC.”

Thus ends my summery and feelings on the second season finale of Ugly Betty. I only hope that this week’s finale of Lost is much better, because I won’t be able to take another disappointing season finale.

Opening Statement

Thus begins my new career in blogging. This blog will reflect my love of all things, or almost all things, entertainment. Mostly it will be about aspects related to movies and television, although there are times it will also branch off into books, music and theatre also.

And that is it for now. Tune in tomorrow for a longer and far more interesting entry.