The Pop Culture Addict’s Blog

While I am a fan of both Wes Anderson and Roald Dahl, I admit I went to see Fantastic Mr. Fox with expectations to be mildly entertained although I wanted to have my socks knocked off. I loved it from start to finish. The voice acting is so full and engaging by George Clooney and Meryl Streep. I believe these foxes are in love and have deep emotional lives. I believe that Mr. Fox struggles with his expectations for himself and his primal urges to catch livestock. I also loved Jason Schwartzman’s Ash as the moody adolescent fox. Bil Murray and Wes Anderson were both entertaining too. The look is amazing. The stop animation is seamless. The eyes, the faces, the movements are all so well-rounded. I watched the HBO featurette and saw the skeletons they made for each creature that enabled the wide range of movement for the animators. Wes Anderson said he really got to convey his vision having total control. Also, it was cool that he was able to write his script in Roald Dahl’s home. It’s also cool to know that he recorded the voices in a barn and gave the actors lots of opportunity to interact with each other unlike the process of making most animation. The movie is funny and warm. I think it was on par with Rushmore with it’s originality in presenting recognizable themes. I would totally see it again in the theater.

Man Shops Globe
I first heard of Man Shops Globe when I saw the bus ads. The combination of travel, Antropologie and the inner workings of a creative mind make for a fun, informative and entertaining half hour of television. It is on the Sundance Channel on Wednesday nights at 9/10pm EST. It is a documentary style travel show that follows Keith Johnson, a buyer for Antropologie as he goes around the world looking for design inspiration for the store. He has a unique eye and often commissions work from artists for the store. I enjoy his personality and his outlook. I also like the format of the show how they tell the viewer what Keith orders, and then at the end, the outcome of the objects, such as, you can see this in the NYC store or that Keith decided to keep the object for himself. I missed a bunch of episodes up front so I hope they put them on demand or do some sort of marathon so I can catch up.

Owl City: Fireflies
I have to say I’ve caught the bug of this song Fireflies by Owl City. What is it about it that’s so appealing? The video is cute with its hipster retro look. You can watch it on YouTube here. The song itself is really sweet but it’s catchy in a lasting way I think. I guess I’m fascinated by how this song has become such a phenomenon. It’s a nice, little song that has the number one video right now. Yet, I’ve only seen the video because I sought it out. It was a word of mouth thing. “Have you heard this song by Owl City?” Anyway, I just felt like commenting on it but I guess I don’t have a point other than MySpace is still relevant. Adam Young first posted his music on his MySpace page. Now he’s an international music sensation. Fascinating.

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This Is It
I saw Michael Jackson’s movie This Is It last week and really liked it. It was the perfect length. Not too long, not too short. Kenny Ortega said Michael liked to leave the audience wanting more so he cut the movie like that. I was enraptured during the movie and as soon as it was over, I felt like watching it again. MJ, as he is called in the movie, is so real. He doesn’t seem bizarre or detached. He’s a real person but he’s a talented musician, dancer and performer who really aimed to please his public. He appears to be in top form in the movie. I guess, now we know he was stretched pretty thin. But clearly he had a strong work ethic and a lot of physical stamina. I enjoyed how much his dancers and musicians admire him in the movie. They are all talented themselves, otherwise, he wouldn’t have hired them. But he is iconic. It surprised me how modern his dancing still seems. Is it because he tried to update it? In part, yes. But also, he really revolutionized pop dancing. I know he emulated James Brown and took a lot of inspiration from JB. So here’s a nod to James Brown. But there’s clearly an indelible mark of MJ on pop culture.

The Box
The Box is based on a short story by Richard Matheson (author of I Am Legend, writer on Twilight Zone) called Button, Button. It’s Richard Kelly’s new movie and he said he considers it the last of a sci-fi, fantasy trilogy including Donnie Darko and Southland Tales. I admit I haven’t watched Donnie Darko recently. I thought it was weird but interesting. I remember Southland Tales more in detail. It is based on Richard Kelly’s own graphic novel, compiled here. It was also weird but funny and interesting. His work likes to ask pretty openly, “What does it all mean?” He wants the audience to think about the choices the characters make and reflect on the repercussions of their actions. Donnie Darko has achieved this cult following that I am not a part of. But originally, it did not fare too well in the box office. Same with Southland Tales. People really hated it. Critics found it a mess. But then there were the critics and viewers who found something in it. I recognized it was a strange movie not trying to please everyone. But something about it was intriguing. So I thought I would probably find The Box pretty watchable. I actually found it more than watchable. It’s a really well-constructed movie. I like how all the elements, look, acting, story, sound, etc., all intertwine in this thriller. It’s another odd one but it’s also fairly accessible. In the Q&A with Richard Kelly and James Marsden, I learned that the characters of James Marsden and Cameron Diaz are based on Richard Kelly’s parents. His father worked for NASA and his mother was a French literature teacher. Also, she had an accident as a teen that left her with a limp with Cameron Diaz’s character also has and it is very relevant to the character’s outlook. And his father really did develop a special insert to help his mother walk with less pain as it happens in the movie. So cool. Also, James Marsden and Cameron Diaz have a son in the movie who is essentially Richard Kelly. The family relationship is key to the entire movie. It’s so interesting how Richard Kelly took this external source from Richard Matheson, i.e., his short story, also adapted into a Twilight Zone episode, which for unspecified legal reasons, they were not allowed to mention during the Q&A, and personalized it. I think the personal touches are what makes this movie hold together and deliver such a strong story. Again, like Richard Kelly’s other movies, it’s tone, look and story are not going to be to everyone’s taste. But I really liked it. The viewing experience was definitely enhanced by getting to hear Richard Kelly talk about the process of making the movie. As I mentioned, James Marsden was there. Both looked very young Hollywood. He seemed pleased with experience of working on the movie. I liked all of the acting. I also liked the music written by members of Arcarde Fire. Richard Kelly said he gave them a script after one of their shows and was surprised that they contacted him the next day to say they were interested. What else, his parents were present in the audience as was his cinematographer, Steven Poster. He said for this movie they didn’t have any table reads or lengthy rehearsals. To prepare, they all had long philosophical discussion with their main NASA consultant Gentry Lee.

The Red Shoes
The new restoration of The Red Shoes by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger is remarkable. The Criterion Collection version is very good but seeing it on a big screen was amazing. Thelma Schoonmaker, best known as Martin Scorcese’s long-time editor and also widow of Michael Powell, gave an intro and demo before the screening. She described how there were three identical reels, each part of a the Technicolor scheme, that had to be restored. Also, there was mold on the reels that was very damaging. She said they had to wear Hazmat suits while handling it during that process. She had a short reel demonstrating before and after. Before, because each of the 3 reels were different sizes due to shrinkage, there was sort of a 3D effect, it looked squiggly. But now it is clean. The colors are stunning. The movie itself is a classic. She said to remember that the film was almost thrown out but the British film museum rescued it. She spoke of how she met Martin Scorcese at NYU. Martin Scorcese went to England in search of Powell and Pressburger to resurrect their movies as they were among his all-time favorite movies. He found them living in relative obscurity. He introduced Thelma Schoonmaker to Michael Powell and they ended up getting married. Martin Scorcese and Thelma Schoonmaker continue to be dedicated to restoring and rescuing the works of Powell and Pressburger.

A Christmas Carol IMAX 3D
I was somewhat ambivalent about seeing this movie because while I appreciate the story by Charles Dickens, I felt like I’d seen it done enough. The trailer made it look kind of cheesy and Disneyfied. But the truth of the matter is the movie is very true to Dickens. Robert Zemeckis uses the technology so thoughtfully. He said he really wanted to capture the visuals as written by Dickens. I also worried that Jim Carrey might be over-the-top. But his performance is spot-on. It’s very appealing. He shows Scrooge’s layers and willingness to connect with others again. The special effects are really fun and not distracting as I thought they might be. I liked Beowulf but thought The Polar Express did have those dead eyes people complained about. I loved that Chris Van Allsburg book though. His illustrations are very warm. What was that book he did I also liked so much…oh, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

White Collar
So, White Collar on USA is another new tv show I’m watching. So far there have been 3 eps. If you have Prime Time On-Demand, it’s available on that channel. Also, USA is reliable about re-running their shows. It airs on Friday night 9/10pm EST. I think Matthew Bomer has grown. This is my favorite role of his. I first noticed him on Tru Calling. Then I watched him with great interest in Traveler. He had a good role on that show. Too bad it got cancelled before it had any sort of conclusion. Then of course, I noticed him on Chuck, one of my favorite shows. It was only a matter of time before he got his own gig. White Collar is fun to watch. It has an on-going mystery with Matthew Bomer’s character searching for his girlfriend. There’s always the risk that one false move will put him back in prison. They make it clear he is not a violent criminal and does not like or use guns. So we are free to enjoy his charm and intelligence. He is very George Clooney in Ocean’s Eleven/12/13. He’s like Michael Weston on Burn Notice, a man on a personal mission who is naturally driven to help his fellow human, through less than straightforward means but without the fighting. So far, I’m sold on White Collar. It’s worth a slot on my tv roster.

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