I asked for an original genre film. Be
careful what you wish for.
I'm not sure why, but I had hopes for
this movie. I guess there are a couple reasons. Firstly, my hope for
original work is everlasting, and Jupiter proudly brandished the
claim of originality. The look of the film as per the trailers was
unique and beautiful. I'm a big fan of Channing Tatum, or at least a
certain version of him. Mostly though, I want to believe that the
Siblings Wachowski are more than a one-trick pony. Their reputation
are built upon the back of The Matrix which was a renovation of
sci-fi/action films, and equally tainted by that film's sequels.
They've done some things since the facepalmingly bad conclusion to
the Matrix Trilogy, such as the screenplay for the amazing V For
Vendetta and directing 2012's artful but never fucking ending Cloud
Atlas, but the siblings will forever be known for the adventures of
Neo and company, for better or worse. I legitimately hoped that
Jupiter would, in one way or another, be the next big thing for a
couple of talented film makers only held adrift by a 15-year old
Keanu Reeves vehicle.
I was wrong. Very wrong.
Instead of getting the original,
groundbreaking film I was promised/hoped for, I was given two hours of
recycled material on an unfamiliar background. I could have told you
how this film ended before the opening credits finished, but I
wouldn't have to because you've seen this movie before. Everyone was.
It's Space Opera 101, the same fantasy film formula that emerged from
the 1980's with Star Wars, Willow, Labyrinth and the like. Only less
interesting (because those movies are over 30 god damn years old),
failing to hide behind a pretty presentation, and has more bestiality
jokes. Seriously.
"I have more in common with a dog than with you."
"I love dogs."
"NOPE."
One thing I don't think the Wachowskis
can do, talented as they might be, is conjure a good performance out
of their actors. If ever there was an overwhelming example of this,
it's Jupiter Ascending. Mila Kunis is so bland in this, which is
tough to say because she is damn charming most f the time. There is a
spark of that in her performance, but the words she is forced to say
in this film choke the charm out of her. I felt bad for her character
right out of the gate for being named Jupiter, and that feeling
worsened as I realized she's a god damn idiot.
And then we have Eddie Redmayne,
currently nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for the Stephen Hawking
biopic, overacting his ass off. I really hope the decision makers
behind the Academy awards don't watch this movie until after the
Oscars, just to give this poor asshole a fair shake. He was SO BAD.
Just, Nic Cage in Wicker Man territory level of bad.
But my buddy Channing got me through
this movie. Not on purpose though. More often than not, it's the
version of Tatum I hate: sullen, overdramatic, unnecessarily serious.
Like Kunis, all charisma was torn from him by this horrendous
screenplay. But every once in a while, he'd have this look on his
face like he just couldn't believe he was doing what he was doing,
saying what he was saying. They must have tied his arm to his waist
to prevent him from facepalming himself to true death.
Claiming this is an original story is a
stretch, but I am more than willing to give credit where it's due.
First, I said it looked pretty, and it sure did. The many glory shots
of slow moving spaceships and elaborate alien cities might have
extended the film unnecessarily but were a welcome breath of fresh
air that weren't accompanied by the film's ridiculous script. Second,
while the story is far from original, there are many elements of the
background, the setting of the film that are attempts at originality
that I did like, absurd as they may be. For the sake of spoiling the
film, I won't go into the particulars but I would have been much
happier with this film if the setting provided accompanied a better
story. I'd much rather see more of what was going on behind the
scenes of the universe the film has built than sit through the
attention deficit plotline we were given.
It took a minute for me to realize what
this film reminded me of, and it hit me. Jupiter Ascending is Avatar.
It's a superimposition of a tired story on a shiny new look with blue
catpeople, or pointy eared dogpeople in Jupiter's case. It's a film
bad enough that it can't even be enjoyed ironically, and that kind of
bad movie breaks my heart. The storyline attempts to do too much,
moving from one place to the next in a rushed fashion, almost scared
to run long. The movie's script was irredeemable, just fucking
ridiculous, and at least one of the film's stars seemed to know it.
We know that films in this vein can be done well, even great.
Guardians of the Galaxy proved it just last year. But Jupiter
Ascending has more in common with Twilight than it does with GOTG.
The only hope I have now is that this shit heap doesn't make enough
money to justify a sequel. I will continue to hope for more original
genre films, because this just wasn't one. Not even close.
It's Oscar season! A time where movie
goers are finally told by people we assume are smarter and better
than us what films were actually 'good' from the past year. If you're
someone like myself, you either haven't heard of many of the titles
nominated, don't live in a place important enough to see the
nominated films in a theatrical release, and/or are just pissed that
The Lego Movie didn't get nominated for Best Animated Film or
whatever. As a film buff/movie geek, I feel a responsibility to make
an effort to see the films nominated for the oh so prestigious
Academy Awards. Sometimes, my opinion differs greatly from that of
the Academy (there's no way 'movie about boy growing up' is better
than 'talking raccoon with tree sidekick') but thankfully this is not
the case with American Sniper.
Over the past decade or so, the world
has been treated to several films and television shows addressing the
real world trouble that was the 'war on terror'. Being a fairly
oblivious person, I only really know the Coles Notes of the whole
thing but I get the gist of it. As it always goes, real life tragedy
makes for compelling storytelling, and nothing's won acclaim in film
notoriety like films on the war. The Hurt Locker put Jeremy Renner on
the map as a mainstream star, and won a bunch of awards including
Best Picture and Best Director in Kathryn Bigelow. Her follow up to
that was Zero Dark Thirty, a film telling the true story behind the
hunting and killing of Osama Bin Laden and was nominated for a good
number of Oscars itself. Those are only the most notable examples, of which there are many, and American Sniper looks to be the next film of its kind to gain such high standing. Good, the film deserves it.
The film is based on the true story of Chris Kyle, an American veteran who holds the impressive title of most lethal sniper in 'Mericuh's history. At first, I was hesitant to see the film, as I have gone into films such as this one expecting something along the lines of Hurt Locker or Platoon and being thoroughly disappointed in one way or another. This film was anything but a disappointment. American Sniper is well enough put together that it tells a compelling and empathic story of a normal guy with a natural talent and a self-imposed responsibility to use that talent, while still able to feature some gripping and tense action sequences. And in a world where the last Transformers film was damn near three hours long, to be able to do what American Sniper did in just around two hours is truly remarkable. Kudos to Clint 'Get Off My Lawn' Eastwood for bringing his A-game.
Speaking of A-game, let's talk about Bradley Cooper for a second here. This guy is incredible. Easily one of the most versatile actors we have going right now. He's gone from the asshole in Wedding Crashers to Rocket 'By God' Raccoon, and has been picking up Oscar Noms on the way. This is the third straight year he's been nominated for an Oscar for acting, and if he loses this one not only will I be surprised, but he will be reaching DiCaprio-level status of Oscar denial. The Academy loves a good drastic body change, and Coop pulled off some bulking up for the role of Kyle.
And his everything grew three sizes that day...
What I don't understand about this film is the kind of attention it's getting these days. American Sniper has been plagued with political controversy over the past few weeks, mostly overlooking the movie altogether and jumping into the issue of whether Chris Kyle is a hero or a monster for his actions. It's become very ugly, as these things often do thanks to Twitter and the like. Here's what I think: when I say that this is based on a true story, it should come with an asterisk because in fact it's based on Kyle's autobiography because no film in this world is original anymore. Of course the film is going to paint Kyle in a certain light, and whether it's 100% true or not should be a moot point because a more accurate and detailed look at his experiences and life would 1) be a shitty, hard to follow story; and 2) be long as fuck. As a quiet but opinionated person, I can appreciate either side's approach to the man whose life is reflected in this film, but not liking a man or his actions should not impact an opinion of a film which is at best an adapted truth. It's like how I feel about Tom Cruise: yes, he's batshit insane IRL but does that mean I'm not going to see Edge of Tomorrow a bunch of times? NOPE. At the end of the day, it's a fucking movie, people. And a good one.
One of my New Years resolutions is to
see more movies and write about them. I'm starting out strong, but
already behind. It doesn't help that the first movie of the new year
that I sit down to see is what I can only hope is the last of a
franchise unable to live up to its first entry.
I can gush over Taken all day, so I'll
keep it short by saying that the film was an unexpected hit and, in
my opinion, a perfect action movie. Short in length, simple plot,
heavy on the violence and threat thereof. It also gave new life to
the career of a man I've always been a fan of but never clicked with
the mainstream. Taken is inarguably one of the best action films in
recent memory, and possibly one of the best ever. But as with any
other moderately successful film these days, it just had to have a
sequel.
Taken 2 was a shadow of its
predecessor, neutering both the main character and the franchise
itself as quickly as possible. The change in director was evident and
not for the better. What should have been an easy path into a
franchise became a sad extension of the first film, much like Quantum
of Solace was to Casino Royale. I was willing to forgive Taken 2 if
the third installment gave me what I wanted out of the second.
Needless to say, Taken 3 failed spectacularly.
In my mind, the logical path that the
Taken franchise was simple: Liam Neeson's work in the first film
earns him a spot back on his old team, also established in the first
film. They then go off on hijinks involving rescuing highly valued
captives from shady individuals with broken wine bottles, threatening
phone conversations and general badassery. Instead, Taken 3 becomes a
far too convoluted whodunnit mystery a la The Fugitive with not so
much action as there is a whole bunch of people on cellphones.
The plot we are given is as such: Old
man Liam is framed for a murder and must go on the lam using his very
particular set of skills to both evade capture and uncover who set
him up and why. Even this synopsis sounds simple, but there is layer
upon layer of unnecessary subplot that makes the film seem hours
longer than it was. Also would have been fine, had there been as much
action as the previous films. There wasn't, and the action we do get
is over-edited and choppy. Extremely hard to watch. And with at least
30 minutes without the only reason to see the film (Neeson) onscreen,
it's easy to forget why you're even there.
The big problem I have with this movie
is simply that it falls into SO MANY TROPES, and everyone's the worse
for it. First off, when I said Neeson had to 'evade capture', what I
meant was that he beat the everliving crap out of every cop that
crossed his path. Now, this has been a bit of a problem for me in
every 'the hero's been framed' action film I've ever seen (which is
an approximate fuck ton). So, you're innocent. That's great and all,
but laying smacks down on every cop in line of sight might not be the
best way to make your case. Now, even if your innocence for the
murder is proven, you're going to jail forever on a billion counts of
resisting arrest and assaulting officers. And that's after you get
many batons and tazers shoved up unpleasant places.
And hey, while we're at that, you might
not have to run so fast if you didn't make yourself seem so god damn
guilty. Neeson makes every innocent-man-finds-crime-scene mistake you
can. He fondles the murder weapon, he disturbs the body, he tries to
talk the cops out of taking him in, and wraps it all up with a bunch
of THROAT PUNCHING. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a man with a very
particular set of skills which, I imagine, involved him being even
the slightest bit covert. If anyone should have an understanding as
to what's going on, it's him. Setting stuff like this up was his job,
and the past two films were spent establishing that it was a job he
was pretty god damn stellar at. But here he is, doing a fine job of
being an asshole to the people trying to find a killer. You're losing
your touch, Liam.
I know that this review has been living
on the negative side of the film, but there's good reason. At the end
of the day, a film franchise that was once razor sharp has completely
lost its edge. Everything that I liked about Taken 3 was a direct
callback from the first film (ie. Liam hiding under a body to
surprise oncoming bad guy). I truly hope that either this is the true
death of the franchise, or that new life is somehow breathed into it.
Trust me, if you're looking for an action film on par with
Taken...well, just rewatch Taken. It's still great.
Like most years, it had it's ups and
downs but was better than the shit heap that was 2013 by leaps and
bounds, so I'll take it. For me, though, one of the bigger
disappointments was in the overall releases in film over the year.
Just not a lot to talk about. There was an unlikely Marvel movie that
had a talking tree, a talking raccoon, and a likeable Dave Bautista
that obliterated the box office. That, and a bunch of sad sequels and
reboots. And so, I threw myself into TV and Mass Effect, both of
which are awesome. You can see this lack of interest in my posting
here, as I barely put out one post a month. Sorry to my 20-ish loyal
readers, but good news: 2015 is going to be so much better on this
front.
New Years' Resolutions are a thing, and
one of mine is to be more reliable with my bloggity-blogs. And this
is the first step of that mile. The following is a collection of
reasons I'm looking forward to the year to come. I hope to bring some
gems to light to some, while being painfully obvious about others.
There are also some notable films not on the list (cough*Jurassic
World*cough), simply because I'm not convinced they'll be any good.
I'm ever willing to be surprised though. So yeah, these are some
films coming out in the next year that I look forward to, with a
short reason behind each because an opinion is only worth the 'why'
behind it. Drink it in, folks, and get used to it. I'm back.
February 6: Jupiter Ascending
Why?: This is a hopeful return to form
for the Siblings Wachowski from their work on The Matrix, as it is
their first original screenplay since then. It is also a rare
original genre film in a world flooded with adaptations and sequels.
It looks like a healthy blend of Sci-fi and Fantasy a la Star Wars,
and I'm totally on the Channing Tatum bandwagon. Even if he's playing
a blond, jacked-up elf.
February 13: Kingsman: The Secret
Service
Why?: Director Matthew Vaughn opted out
of guaranteed money with X-Men: DOFP to do this movie. There's got to
be a reason for it. He's also responsible for my favourite X-film
(First Class) as well as Kick-Ass and the incredibly underrated
Stardust. The British spy film looks like the Bond film that the
world has been missing since 007 lost his sense of humour, and Colin
Firth is a damned genius.
March 6: Chappie
Why?: The Neill Blomkamp/Sharlto Copley
combo hasn't failed me yet. District 9 is still one of the best genre
films of the past decade, and Elysium was proof to me that Blomkamp
wasn't the one hit wonder that so many others have proven to be.
Where Chappie differs is in the film's apparent light-heartedness.
The synopsis is essentially Wall-E as a live action film, but also
with violence. Sold.
May 1: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Why?: Do I even have to write anything
here? Avengers seemed like an impossible thing to pull off, and then
it happened. It can't not happen again, especially now with so much
behind it. The only problem is keeping expectations reasonable
Avengers 2, and not just assuming it will be much lots better than
its predecessor. But seriously, I'd be happy with maintaining the
status quo and not have a “Revenge of the Fallen” situation on
our hands.
May 15: Mad Max: Fury Road
Why?: The sheer look of it. Watching
the trailer on youtube does not do it justice. This film looks god
damn insane. Tom Hardy doesn't hurt, either. I'm usually very
critical of sequels/reboots coming out so long after the last
installment, as Beyond Thunderdome came out 30 years and several Mel
Gibson breakdowns ago. But I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to give
a shit while watching this movie.
June 19: Inside Out
Why?: It's Pixar, man! My blind faith
in the Disney/Pixar collaborations has faded over the past few years
since Brave came out, and I'm hoping that this adorable sounding film
about the personifications of a child's emotions brings me back.
Also, it stars Amy Poehler as 'Joy' and Lewis By God Black as
'Anger'. Best casting ever.
July 17: Ant-Man
Why?: Guardians of the Galaxy proved
that a ridiculous concept for a comic book can be turned into a
great, if not worth while and lucrative film. Ant-Man will be the
lay-up to Guardians in this category, because it too is a goofy
concept that only works in comics. Until it doesn't only work in
comics.
October 16: Crimson Peak
Why?: Guillermo Del Toro is a genius
with the supernatural/horror genre, and Crimson Peak is right in that
wheel house. Pacific Rim was not the smash hit I think it deserved to
be, but Del Toro's reputation in the genre world speaks for itself.
Now that he's done helping out with the Hobbit films, I'm hoping to
see more Pan's Labyrinth-like stuff, and Crimson Peak is a step in
that direction.
November 6: Spectre
Why?: I didn't love Skyfall, but do
like the Craig regime of Bond films. As stated earlier, I think the
franchise has ditched the funny for the sake of the violence, and
it's made me wishy-washy on my opinions of the films but they are
still so fun to watch. Casino Royale is easily my favourite Bond
film, and with Christophe Waltz in as the big bad my hopes are high
for a similar parkour-laced action flick.
December 18: Star Wars Episode VII: The
Force Awakens
I don't even know how to talk about how good this movie is.
I guess I'll start with coming clean about a bias I have when it comes to Christopher Nolan. It's a sure bet that I will love anything the man does, because I trust him implicitly. Yes, it does have a lot to do with the fact that he is responsible for arguably the greatest interpretation of my favourite character of pop culture. But, taking my love for all things Dark Knight out of the equation, Nolan's work is pretty consistently spot-on. Memento. The Prestige. Inception. Insomnia. All of his work is darkly beautiful and intensely cerebral. Interstellar keeps the trend going but changes the pace, for better or worse.
Because of how the film tells this story, the synopsis will have to be brief. Basically, Earth is on its way out, and Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) (Gods, that name is a nightmare to spell) is the pilot of a mission to find the human race some new digs. Sounds simple, yes? Nope. Like I said, Nolan's works tend to be thinkers. Pieces are put into play throughout the film that causes the audience to constantly question the path that the film is taking. The what's and the why's of the film are everchanging until the very end, and even then some is left to interpretation. In many ways it is like Inception, only Interstellar is in for the long con.
Interstellar may follow the same patterns as Nolan's previous works, but throws in something I didn't even realize wasn't there before: emotion. This film is as heartwrenchingly tragic as it is complex, which, in my eyes, is a huge step for Nolan; for all my praise I've always felt his films to be, I dunno...cold, I guess. His films have always focused on the puzzle being solved to take a hard look at those solving it. Interstellar puts the players under a microscope and not only has the audience empathizing with the characters, but has that emotion play a huge part in the telling of the story.
A lot of credit for this emotional element of the film goes to the actors. Everyone knows that Mr. 3xAlright is on a hot streak lately with taking home the Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club (well deserved, btw), and while I don't think that he'll be taking another one home for this I do think his portrayal of Cooper as a family man whose duty to the human race tears him from his children is more than adequate and at times heartbreaking. Anne Hathaway's performance of Brand, a scientist along for the ride with Cooper, is also very effective as sharing the duties with him without his emotional attachment. The pairing drives much of the film as they are very much opposite sides of the same coin; on the same side but with nearly opposing motivations. Nolan film mainstay Michael Caine brings his usual gravitas to the film as Prof. Brand, Hathaway's father and designer of the mission. The performances he gives in Nolan's films makes you forget you're watching a sci-fi movie about finding a new world, or a man dressing up as a bat, for example.
With what filmmakers have to work with these days, there's no excuse for a film to not look great when it has a budget. So when I say that Interstellar is fucking gorgeous, I want you to understand my full meaning. If Gravity hadn't come out last year, this film would have been the best looking piece of cinema I've seen in a good long while. That being said, I'm very happy I didn't see it in IMAX or anything. Gravity nearly killed me. Speaking of which, I could see how one might compare Interstellar with the hit space drama of last year, but don't be fooled: while Gravity was breathtaking and beautiful and fucking terrifying, the synopsis of that film is essentially 'Miss Congeniality has a VERY BAD DAY'. Interstellar not only has a plot, but it's a complex plot with multiple layers and lots going on. Gravity was pretty. Interstellar is smart and pretty. Basically, Interstellar is my fiancee. Gravity is my fiancee when she's sleeping: nice to look at, not a lot going on, and if something bad happens, you may die.
The major gripe I've heard about this film from the media is that the science isn't real, or is at least incorrect. To which I say GOOOOOOOOOOOO FUCK YOURSELF. It's a goddamn movie, people. No one is saying that when the time comes to fuck the lemons and bail that this movie is telling us how to do so. This is the first time, that I'm aware of, that the science of a SCIENCE FICTION film has been held up to such a standard, and it's bullshit because if this was done by someone else, no one would say shit. Roland Emmerich blows up the White House every other year with aliens or natural disasters or whatever, no one cares. Mark Ruffalo blows up to become a living green mountain of rage, people shrug and be like 'comic books, am I right?' How is Michael Bay still alive with these people so angry about mishandled science in a film? In an interview, even Nolan himself calls them out for it, saying that for whatever reason his films are held at a higher standard, despite the fact that all of his films feature plot hooks that are very much impossible and considered the same 'movie magic' that allows us to believe that Tony Stark actually has Iron Man armor, or that Jon Favreau actually has had sex with both Scarlett Johansson and Sofia Vergara (check out Chef, it's pretty good). Also, if Neil DeGrasse Tyson is cool with the film (see here) then I don't know what else there is to say.
OK, I'm done kissing this movie's ass and am ready to scold it a bit here. This shit is long, folks. A little short of 3 hours from top to bottom, and it feels like it before the end. It's helpful knowing that before going in, but there are a couple of emotionally exhausting scenes where you hope the film will wrap up soon after and it doesn't. Few films have tired me out emotionally like Interstellar (a compliment) but the length of the film didn't allow me to catch my breath, leading me to my other major complaint. This movie was so far over my head that even if I wanted to spoil the shit out of it to you guys, I really don't think I could. And I don't feel like I'm alone here either. Interstellar doesn't have the mass appeal that Inception does, and certainly not as much as the Dark Knight films. In many ways, Interstellar is Nolan's best work. But I'd struggle to call it my favourite film of his, even disregarding The Dark Knight. There's also a secondary problem involving the sound mixing of the film, which Nolan copped to. His goal was to use speech as a sound effect amidst the chaos of the film during the more tense scenes, leading to the realism of the film. He wanted the audience to experience the moment how the characters were, all loud noises without being able to hear each other effectively. It's true, and effective, but incredibly distracting at times. Knowing it was on purpose makes it better, but not by much. It's a good thing the music is pretty.
I've been really inconsistent this year with my reviews. Most of it is my fault. With being a grown-up, having a fucked up schedule and not a lot of readers to attend to, my motivation has been lacking. Another reason is that this year has been wholly unremarkable for film. But that makes Interstellar that much more remarkable to me. It is a true masterpiece of art, beauty, intelligence and emotion, and evidence that a filmmaker can noticeably evolve. I don't know if Nolan will win any awards for this, but Interstellar helps cement my belief that he is one of the greatest working directors in the world today, maybe ever.
The Mass Effect trilogy has taken over my life, and I feel horrible about it.
In an effort to break my newly developed obsession with all the elevator riding and hooking up with not-real women that make Mass Effect worth playing, I dragged Mandi out to a film that she had already seen, based on a book that she had already read in Gone Girl. She was happy to go though, just to see my reaction to the film. She was not disappointed.
I've been looking forward to this film for a while for two main reasons. One, I'm an Affleck enthusiast. I'm a huge advocate for him being Batman, I've enjoyed all his directorial efforts, and I even liked him in Daredevil. So clearly I'll watch him in anything. The second, and bigger, reason is that I believe that David Fincher is one of the greatest film makers of his generation. I really don't think he's made a bad film yet, and that's not something I can say about most directors. The only other director off the top of my head is Christopher Nolan, but I can admit to being super biased on that one. Fincher's work is both high-quality and consistent. Always visually stimulating, stylistic, and raw, while also appealing to mass audiences. His partnership with Trent Reznor has made for some great film scores, and I don't usually notice or care much about music in film. Everyone loves Fight Club, Seven is one of my all time favorite films ever, and I sincerely thing Alien 3 is underrated considering it was his first film ever. Fincher is one of the greats in Hollywood right now, and Gone Girl helps cement that fact.
Putting it simply, this film is a twisty mindfuck of a great story about horrible people. It plays with the idea that the presentation of oneself does not always truly reflect who they are, and the person underneath can be so much worse than 'normal'. The story, in its simplest form so as to not spoil anything, surrounds a husband (Affleck) leading the search for his missing wife (Rosamund Pike) but as the search continues details arise that suggest ol' Batfleck himself is the villain of the piece. The progression of the film encourages viewers to make assumptions and predictions just so the next revelation can flip them on their heads. It's a quality that I really loved in the film, but also led to an important realization that I feel is necessary to share: every character in this film is a bad person.
There is no traditional protagonist, and any time when I felt myself empathizing with a character I was guilty about it. I don't know what to do with that, but by the end of the film I was thankful for it. This allows the audience to want to step back and just become engrossed with the big picture, as opposed to the 'my favorite character' mentality. Basically, it made every scene important, not just the scenes with a particular character.
The actors sell this film so well. Affleck was perfect as Nick Dunne, the confused and concerned husband that can't properly react to his wife missing. The character being unable to appear sympathetic or have any common sense whatsoever only confuses those around him, as well as the audience, leading his guilt to be apparent (but not really). Also, I may never be able to see Rosamund Pike the same way again after this film. Her performance as Amy Dunne through this film is incredible. She transforms so much through the film that you have no idea how to feel about her until the end. The cast is rounded out by Carrie Coon as Nick's supportive sister Margo, the closest thing to a good person in the ensemble; Tyler 'Madea' Perry as the arrogant but successful defense attorney; Kim Dickens and The Kid From Almost Famous as the detectives working the case, trying oh so hard to keep up with everything and failing; and always appreciated appearances from Neil Patrick Harris and Casey Wilson (AKA Penny from Happy Endings!).
A really good thriller is hard to come by these days. I can't remember the last time I saw one that drew me in like Gone Girl did. Mandi can attest to the amount of 'Holy Shit!' exclamations I made in the packed theater (in which we were the youngest people by about 70 years). This film will cause you to think the whole way through, making the time fly. It is another true testament to David Fincher's ability, a man who made a movie about Facebook interesting. I can't wait to see it again to be honest, hopefully with people who haven't just to see their reactions. At the very least, anyone who watches this film will think twice about pissing off their significant others.
I don't know if you've noticed, but this year's summer blockbuster season has kind of sucked.
Seriously, the main reason I haven't been posting is because there hasn't been anything to talk about. I've been going to movies and have left uninspired (save for Guardians of the Galaxy, but if the box office rankings are to be believed you don't need me to tell you how awesome that movie is). So, while I leave the theatre mostly unfulfilled and waiting for inspiration to hit me so I can once again address the millions (AND MILLIONS) of Knight Owl's fans, I have also been catching up on my television. And now, I'm again inspired.
The debate has raged on for decades about which is the better forum between film and television. Up until this year, I was firmly on the Film side of the argument. However, more and more high quality shows have been released over the past few years, raising the bar for TV while the same bar for film remains untouched. This year subjected us to a fourth Transformers movie, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot featuring Megan "Michael Bay is a nazi" Fox, and sequels to 300 and Sin City that came six years too late. On the flip side, TV has graced us with shows such as those featured on this list.
Now, as of this writing, the Emmy's were on maybe a week ago. Jim Parsons won the award for Lead Male in Comedy for The Big Bang Theory, which at this point should just be renamed "The Jim Parsons Award for Being Jim Parsons". Modern Family won for outstanding comedy series for the fourth or fifth year in a row, which is ridiculous but hard to argue with. Breaking Bad (which you might see on this list) was another big winner of several awards, most of which I agree with, but not all. The reason I bring this up is because in no way does any award show influence my opinion on what is 'good', or the shows that have swayed my opinion on TV over film. All of these choices are, as always, personal and subjective. Not everyone will agree with me and that's fine. I do urge you to give these shows a chance though. I did, and they didn't disappoint.
On with it, shall we?
The Captain Obvious Award for Show that I don't need to tell everyone how awesome it is because everyone already watches it: GAME OF THRONES
If you don't know what show I'm talking about, I have no words for you. But it's easy to be as good a show as GoT is with a prewritten plotline and maybe the biggest budget a TV show has ever seen. Here's the thing though: too many shows have only one or two lynch pin characters holding everything together (we'll call this the Sheldon Position). GoT has an entire roster of characters that are focal to the story, that people want to see, and that are in no way safe from being arbitrarily killed off at a moment's notice. It adds to the urgency and appeal of a show that could easily be very, very hard to watch. Now, many blowhard diehard fans get furious at the fact that the show deviates from the books in big, bad ways. I say that's fucking GREAT. Deviation from original material should be a good thing, as long as it's done right (Example: The Dark Knight Trilogy). It keeps the show from getting predicable for the book readers while also keeping them invested, since the overall themes of the books are still upheld. Hell, the changes might be improvements considering there are times when those books are fucking unreadable.
Also, Ramsay Snow FTW.
The Good Night, Sweet Prince Award for Show ending this year: BREAKING BAD
There is an approximate fuck ton of shows wrapping up this year, something I intend to address at year's end, but none will be missed more than the six season story of a mild mannered chemistry teacher-turned- chaotic evil drug lord Walter White. Many shows feature story arcs that only span a season, if that; problem is introduced, problem escalates, problem is solved with nearly no real consequences to those involved. Dexter was fucking terrible for this, even at it's best. BrBa, in contrast, as a story that spanned the entirety of the show, with a fluidity and consistency that is unrivaled by any show ever. It's linear, easy to follow, and incredibly endearing. The show is incredible at painting every character in a shade of gray as opposed to white hats vs. black hats. Nearly every action, no matter how despicable or even who carried it out, had an understandable reason behind it right from the jump and up to the final credits. It's tough to tell someone to watch this show, because the greatest appreciation for it can only come after finishing it. But fuck it, I'll do it anyways. Watch this show. All of it.
The Laugh Track Award for Best sitcom on TV: PARKS AND RECREATION
A couple years ago, Community was on it's last legs and was on the precipice of being cancelled. I was a very strong supporter of the show and a huge advocate for its continuation. I got what I wanted, but in a very 'be careful what you wish for' kind of way. It became a sad shadow of it's former self, and apparently a toxic environment that led to the showrunner leaving, then Chevy Chase leaving, followed by Donald Glover, and this year, that dreaded cancellation. Even if it's been picked up somewhere else, there's only a fool's hope it will return to it's former glory. Parks and Rec, on the other hand, has only gotten better. I always tell people to skip the first two seasons because they are admittedly hard to watch, especially when you compare them to season three and beyond, which are comedy gold. Seasons one and two very heavily depended on Ron Swanson to be the Sheldon position while everyone else was finding their footing, but now the show is filled with amazing and endearing characters with very succinct and individual personalities and roles. It's consistently very funny and at times quite touching. Go figure, a sitcom with emotional traction. The only you get that out of The Big Bang Theory is if you sympathize with the lead character shitting all over his friend with Asperger's Syndrome. Fuck you, Leonard.
Anyways, channeling Rob Lowe's Chris Traeger: Parks and Rec is - literally - the funniest show on television.
The Superhero Movie Show Award for Show best representing the Comic Book genre: ARROW
This was a tough one. When Marvel released Agents of Shield in the fall of 2013, I was expecting the best since it was a combination of the amazing string of Comic Book films released by Marvel, culminating in The Avengers, with a Joss Whedon TV show. Up to this point, there hasn't been a bad show developed by Whedon, just a bunch of untimely demises. But I was disappointed in the first half of the first season of Shield, which consisted mostly in a lot of tongue-in-cheek references to the films without much of an established story of its own. Arrow I was more reluctant on, since it wasn't long ago that Smallville wounded me right to my core with it's horrendous ending. I'm now caught up with Arrow, and it's fucking hardcore. Dark, violent, and entertaining with just the right amount of the formula that made Smallville good. What's
best to me is that the show holds itself accountable for what could be perceived as its faults. It rewards those who stick with the show with the payoffs it doesn't immediately deliver. Any references made to characters in the first season pay off in the second. Arrow's willingness to arbitrarily kill people early on is addressed later. Also, it makes a laughable character like Green Arrow seem not only viable, but a legitimate badass. And now we have The Flash and a GODDAMN BATMAN (well OK, not really Batman but I'm excited anyways) show coming in the next month or so. Marvel might have the film market cornered, but DC has some heavy hitters on the networks.
The Popular On Netflix Award for Best Original Netflix Show: HOUSE OF CARDS
I'm a big fan of a lot of the original programming on Netflix, and to be quite honest I was really close to putting Orange Is The New Black on here. Then I thought about Kevin Spacey being mad at me if I didn't go with House of Cards and my mind was made up. Political intrigue is so touchy when it comes to film and TV because it can get horribly boring at times, if not predictable. This show differs in that instead of focusing on a situation or scenario going awry, it revolves around a person going around and fucking shit up because he's a goddamn supervillain. I can't say enough about Kevin Spacey on this show. He's incredible. And that would be enough if the rest of the cast weren't also amazing, which they are. To compare Robin Wright's character on this show with GoT's Cersei Lannister would be spot-on. But seriously, even if politics doesn't interest you in the least, watch the first episode and let Kevin Spacey, wizard that he is, cast a spell on you.
The Beautiful Horror Award for Show that best turns murder into an art form: HANNIBAL
This show never ceases to amaze me. At first, I didn't think the show could ever live up to the immortal performance of Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. Much to my surprise, the show surpasses the films by the end of season two decidedly. Much like comparing Heath Ledger to Jack Nicholson as Jokers, Mads Mikkelsen is just so different, even an antithesis to Hopkins, that they're barely recognizable as the same character. While Hopkins is dramatic, wide eyed and over-the-top, Mads is more subtle, manipulative and substantially more sinister. The best way I've heard it put is that in the show, Hannibal is less a psychopathic killer and more like Lucifer himself, pulling the strings of those around him while also committing horrible acts when no one's looking. The other characters too, from Hugh Dancy's Will Graham, walking on the edge of sanity while dealing with his empathic abilities and Hannibal's manipulation, to Morpheus as the obsessive FBI agent Jack Crawford, are exquisite. The show is surprisingly gory and violent for network television, but incredibly beautiful in its presentation. Showrunner Bryan Fuller has always been good at colorful, artful presentation with shows like Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies, but Hannibal is a perfect mix of that art with the horror featured in the show's content. While not for everyone, and definitely not easy to watch at times, this show is damn near perfect.
The Just The Best Award for Best show on TV this year: TRUE DETECTIVE
Wow. Just WOW with this show. Everything about it. From the low number of 8 episodes to the damn opening theme song. The slow burn of a developing murder case between two separate time lines is the single greatest season of television I've ever watched, and I know I talk with a lot of hyperbole but this is straight up truth. Leading the show is Matthew McConaughey (man, that name is a nightmare) in a role I believe should have beaten even Bryan Cranston's Walter White for the Emmy this year. I find it hard to compare his performance in this role with anyone, he was so far different from anything I had ever seen in a film or show. His partner, Woody Harrellson provided some much needed levity to the show, while providing his own gravitas, giving both characters a balance of relativity and uniqueness. No doubt you've seen this show referenced somewhere in popular culture over the past year. It's been considered a big deal, with good reason. My understanding is that each season will carry with it new lead characters, not unlike American Horror Story (which isn't bad, but can't end a season well to save it's life), so Woody's and McAlrightalrightalright's performances will stand out even more singularly and I can only hope whoever follows them will be even half as good. If not, I'll always have the theme song.
So there you go. The Fall TV season is on it's way, as is the final seasons of Sons of Anarchy and Boardwalk Empire, and not to mention FOOTBALL! Lots of watching to do, so if you don't hear from me for a while, you'll know where I'll be.
