The Pop Culture Addict’s Blog

From Paris With Love
Got a chance to go to the NY premiere of From Paris With Love for free so I took it. It was fun to see the stars walking around. Jonathan Rhys Meyers looked good all young Hollywood. He was friendly to his fans. In fact, everyone was pretty laid back. John Travolta was smiling and waving. The director was the only one who spoke and welcomed us. He, Pierre Morel, is the main reason I was curious about the movie. He made the surprise hit Taken where Liam Neeson shows off his Harrison Ford qualities of being a one man Special Forces team. The movie was incredibly violent. John Travolta comes out guns ablazing and never puts them down. The audience reaction was huge, I would even say disturbing at times. I’ll try not to give plot spoilers but I want to give the example of when he blows up a car with four people in it, the audience roared. Yes, they were the bad guys but they had little time on screen to be more than symbolic bad guys. There is a group of Asian bad guys who are nameless and gun-toting. Somehow, they are no match for our two protagonists. Then there’s an Asian gang. One of them flourishes a knife and John Travolta decimates them in the blink of an eye. I get that they were menacing but he didn’t even give them a chance to back down. He and Jonathan Rhys Meyers are both American agents working to protect the innocent but their mandate is protect America and Americans. Then the American diplomat at the end was so moronic, it seemed like the movie was a statement about that. It might have been commenting on how Americans act first, full force, no questions asked to protect the moronic people in power. However, the movie has so much crowd-pleasing action, it would be hypocritical if the movie were taking that stance. Every action sequence evoked cheers from the audience. Jonathan Rhys Meyers character questions John Travolta’s character’s brute force ways and gives the audience pause when we see collateral damage on screen. I see the potential in the story and direction as well as in the casting. It just didn’t live up to what it could’ve been. I can appreciate a crowd-pleasing action movie. I liked parts of the story and action sequences. But I had a hard time not noticing that all the bad guys were non-white and blown to pieces without much explanation or character development. I think my reaction was amplified by the audience response. I remember feeling that way in one of those dumb Vin Diesel movies. I like Vin Diesel but what was that movie…maybe it was XXX. Also, I like those Die Hard movies. The most recent one, Live Free or Die Hard was a fun techy action movie with Justin Long as the nerdy, likable hacker sidekick to Bruce Willis’ old-fashioned cop. But at the end, John McClane says really stupid things about Maggie Q’s character to make his enemy, played by Timothy Olyphant, mad. I explained it to myself as it not being Bruce Willis saying these things but his character but we are suppposed to like his character too, not think he’s a racist. Also, an argument could be made that all’s fair in love and war. John McClane might have been utilizing common warfare techniques trying to get into his enemy’s head by saying horribly offensive things about his girlfriend and partner. But I feel like it mars an otherwise enjoyable movie. It could’ve gone differently and been a good movie without the ethnic remarks. I get that sometimes racism is overt and sometimes it’s subtle. I laughed during Avenue Q when they sang Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist. Anyway, I would watch From Paris With Love again to see if I overreacted. I liked that espionage part of it but found the xenophobia off-putting. Oh, I also enjoyed spotting Hugh Jackman sitting among us briefly before getting whisked away to the VIP lounge. He was also friendly and let everyone take as many pictures as they wanted. Then as I left, I saw Kathleen Turner and John Waters walking in front of me. They did Serial Mom together and must’ve continued their friendship. They both looked great. She looked glamorous and healthy. It was nice to see her looking so good.

Edge of Darkness
The trailer makes Edge of Darkness look like non-stop action and espionage. It’s actually a really slow-paced thriller about a cop uncovering the mystery of his daughter’s secret life. I saw it the day after I saw the super extreme From Paris With Love jam-packed with video game violence and appreciated that in Edge of Darkness, everytime someone, mostly Mel Gibson’s character, erupts into violence, there is a clearcut reason and pathway to the particular situation. The story was first made into a mini-series in the 1980s also directed by Martin Campbell. I haven’t seen it but I guess it takes the same deliberate approach. I liked Ray Winstone a lot. Apparently, the role was offered to Robert DeNiro. It would’ve had a different weight then. Ray Winstone being English again makes it possible to interpret the story from a non-American’s POV. But it could just be a coincidence and the story is just about corruption and immorality as found in any town, in any country.

The Lightning Thief
I took a break from my Anne Perry readathon to read Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief. I loved it. A couple of kids and then adults told me it was worth checking out. So I did. I enjoy how Rick Riordan weaves in Greek mythology with contemporary adolescent life. It made me recall The Iliad and The Odyssey in a way that made me think about re-reading them. It also made me think about the upcoming re-make of Clash of the Titans. I’m now interested in seeing that movie as well as the upcoming movie version of The Lightning Thief. I haven’t read much about the series but I’m sure it has been compared to the Harry Potter books which I loved. I would say they have potential to keep the interest of kids and grownups alike. I guess I should try reading the next book, The Sea of Monsters, before I make a full judgment.

The In-Betweeners
The In-Betweeners is like Skins lite. Skins is another teen show from England that is frank in its language and activities. Teens are always thinking life is better and more meaningful, more exciting after dark away from grownups while engaging in so-called grownup activities. The In-Betweeners is more innocent. The high school boys in this group of friends think they could be as cool as the cool kids but are fairly clueless. It’s charming. I’ll keep watching. It’s like a British Superbad.

Caprica
I missed out on Battlestar Galactica. It wasn’t that it didn’t interest me. It just didn’t fit into my viewing schedule at the time. I observed the BSG phenomenon develop around me and put it on my list of things I should try to catch up on at some point. So I figured my chance to start at the ground floor appeared with the start of Caprica. I let a few weeks go by before I had time to watch the pilot. I only know the BSG universe peripherally but I know what a cylon is and recognize the characters of Eric Stoltz and his daughter are the inventors of the cylon. I like the fact that it is set somewhat close to the present day. I like that the science fiction is still developed and cool but it’s not inconceivable. I like the holodecks, the computer paper, the fact that certain technology is still considered out of reach. People are still the same. I guess this the universal appeal of all good science fiction. Anyway, I’m hooked on the technology and I like Lacey. She was on Kyle XY. I also like seeing Polly Walker again. I was a fan of Rome and have grown to love Enchanted April, an early movie of Polly Walker’s. I’m not sure about this religious conflict. It actually made me think of The Lightning Thief and how it brings back the gods and goddesses of Olympus to the modern world. In Caprica, it seems this has happened. Yet, there is a contingency of monotheists who are considered outliers. It seems like the movement would go the other way. Again, I don’t know what happens on BSG. It’s easy enough to find out. I suppose a point it being made about the power of religion and how it will always lead to conflict. I am a big fan of the Roswell pilot and also enjoyed the series, created by Roger D. Moore of BSG and Caprica origins. I will stick with Caprica.

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I admit I only had a vague awareness of Johnny Weir until I saw the trailer for his movie Johnny Weir: Pop Star On Ice. My interest was peaked immediately. Then I saw that it was on Sundance On Demand. It’s also playing at IFC Center. I watched it the first moment I could and did not regret it. Johnny Weir is a 24 year old American competitive figure skater. Near the beginning of his documentary, he states that he was enlightened by the skating of Oksana Baiul. If you know her skating, it makes perfect sense. Johnny Weir is a natural performer. He’s athletic, he’s artistic and he’s a star – so much so that he has a series on Sundance entitled Be Good Johnny Weir. I don’t want to give away too much about his trials and tribulations as a skater if you don’t know, but basically, the documentary Johnny Weir: Pop Star On Ice traces his path to the 2006 Winter Olympics. The series follows him as he trains for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Anyway, this will be more meaningful after you watch his movie but his Poker Face performance has been garnering lots of enthusiasm.

The Good The Bad The Weird
I’m always glad to see a Korean movie with some merit. The Good The Bad The Weird came out in 2008 in Korea but is being released in the U.S. this year. It is a satire of Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns. It works. It’s a little bit convoluted but I admire the ambition in story-telling. The three leads are charismatic and able to command attention throughout the movie. It’s funny, it’s action-packed, the cast of characters are characters. The story is set in Manchuria in the 1930s. There are Korean cowboys and bandits, Chinese cowboys and bandits and the Japanese military. There is a treasure map that everyone wants and lots and lots of well-choreographed shootouts. I would recommend seeing it on a big-screen to get the full effect of the desert and action.

The Book of Eli
I was one of the few who enjoyed From Hell, the Hughes Brothers’ rendition of Jack the Ripper. I am a Johnny Depp fan so that helped. I had my doubts about The Book of Eli. It’s not for everyone. It’s for Denzel Washington fans who want to see him spend a lot of time walking on a nearly-deserted post-apocalyptic road, yes, just like McCormac’s The Road. But Denzel Washington is something of a trained assassin so he occasionally breaks out into extreme violence and knocks out criminals who cross his path. Also Gary Oldham plays a baddie with great relish. It’s a perfectly watchable comic-book movie – that’s what it felt like.

Jenny Slate: Dead Millionaire
I recently saw Jenny Slate of SNL’s one-woman show at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade. UCB always surprises me. It’s a great place to take a chance on comedy. I can appreciate improv and stand-up but it also has a lot of room for painful missteps. UCB has made it safe for me to go to shows again. First off, it has an endless list of illustrious alums, many of the performers are well-known (like actors on 30 Rock and the like), the unknown performers have yet to disappoint me and it is inexpensive but it’s rich in experience. It’s not too long so you don’t get antsy sitting there. And it’s live. I didn’t take much notice of Jenny Slate on SNL but now I have a greater appreciation of what she has to offer.

Au revoir, Conan
I just wanted to say it was a pleasure to see Conan O’Brien leave The Tonight Show with grace and humor. This pressure did well for him. I hope it propels him and his team to create something great for September!

Toy Story 3 International Montage Teaser

I adore the Toy Story characters and the two movies that have come out so far. This montage of international teasers for Toy Story 3 is so cool I just keep watching it. I can’t embed it here so just follow the link. You will be glad to have spent the 1′46”.

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Conan O’Brien put it out there in his statement that he fully recognizes he is a lucky guy. He makes a lot of money doing something he loves. And he said, thanks for the support but don’t feel bad for him. He’s gonna land on his feet and I think he’ll be loyal to his people he brought with him from NYC to LA.

This conflict is bringing out the best in David Letterman entertainment-wise. His monologue is always strong but his personal bitterness is really creating great material. Dave knows in the scheme of things, this late night war is not of monumental importance. But in the scheme of his livelihood and world of late night comedy, it’s gold. And I am enjoying how Dave is being so real about it. Clearly he has a very personal viewpoint. He was there. He wanted the Tonight Show. He thought he was going to get it. Then NBC gave it to Leno. What this new conflict is stirring up in Dave is fascinating and really funny. It makes me feel like Dave is opening up his mind and showing it to me. Riveting. Anyway, at this point, it’s basically settled. Conan is getting a hefty settlement per his contract. He and NBC are parting ways after many years. He seems like he will set up shop elsewhere. Perhaps NBC will manage to ban him from late night for a few years but he can do prime time. He and his team will come up with something people will want to watch. But I believe the rift between Conan and NBC is just for the time being. The cast of characters changes up top fairly often. People forgive and forget. I’m thinking about how Joss Whedon went back to Fox for Dollhouse after Firefly got cancelled after a hot minute. It’s not practical to hold a grudge forever. Oh wait, I just remembered Judd Apatow’s email exchange with Mark Brazill. That grudge does not seem like it will go away anytime soon.

I just don’t think there’s any point in being mean-spirited. I don’t think Jay Leno and Conan have to make barbs about each other. It seems like it is more about how the network feels about each of them rather than personal feelings between Conan and Jay. My mind just wandered. Now I’m thinking about Conan’s commencement speech that made many of us laugh. What was I saying before… oh, I couldn’t even watch all of that segment of Jimmy Kimmel dissing Jay Leno on Leno’s own show. It was too painful. I get that they are all comedians but it was not for me. I heard that Patton Oswalt said something interesting. Let me find that…here it is. He thinks Leno does not use the show format in an innovative way and also that he compromised his stand up when he got the show. Yes, I agree that I used to think he was interesting and funny before he got the show. He definitely got more mainstream and conservative. But I just don’t watch his show. He can be funny. He just isn’t these days.

Anyway, this Conan thing will calm down and people will actually forget about it and then there will be people who never even heard about it. We’ll be watching whatever new show he has and forget how it came about. That’s how it goes. But I still care in the way I care about the way of pop culture. It’s something that many people can have an opinion about and feel connected to each other for a few moments in conversation in person or online. It’s an interesting diversion and also the whole thing is full of interpersonal relationships, business tactics and creative origins.That’s a lot of fodder for the likes of a Pop Culture Addict. It’s revived late night talk shows for me. I used to fast-forward until a particular character/sketch/guest appeared but lately I’ve been watching Conan and Dave from beginning to end sometimes real time. I’m sure that ironically, ratings are up for all of these shows. Oh, one more thought I had when it started was that Andy Richter must feel like his tv curse is hitting again. He cannot get a break. Andy Richter Controls the Universe was an out-of-the-box good show that got cancelled immediately (and now Victor Fresco’s equally funny and sharp Better of Ted is being cancelled). Then the very funny and unusual Andy Barker, P.I. got a short run. Now he’s on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and sure enough, the show’s just about over. But I trust that he and Conan will stick together for their next project.

David Lynch’s Interview Project
I just wanted to end by saying I finally saw an interview from David Lynch’s Interview Project. It’s an interview with Jenny Brown. I saw it at IFC Center before a movie. It’s warm, it’s unique and leaves you wanting more and hopeful about humanity. That’s an impressive feat conveying all that with a brief interview with a non-celebrity, non-actor. I will have to watch more.

Wes Anderson’s National Board of Review acceptance speech in stop-motion for his Special Filmmaking Achievement Award

This is so adorable and amazing. I’ve watched it several times. So this is really how I’m ending today:

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Does the world need yet another vampire movie? I say,sure, why not? It seems that pretty much everything we’ve ever thought of already exists with the exception of future technology (unless we can look into the minds of the likes of James Cameron, Steve Jobs and others along those lines) but there’s always room for more interpretations and variations. We move through our lives and experience different things at different times. I remember this Arts article in the NYT by Nicholas Hytner pointed out, “It is a much quoted maxim that there are only seven stories. They are, apparently, Orpheus, Achilles, Cinderella, Tristan and Isolde, Circe, Romeo and Juliet, and Faust. All other stories are adaptations of these.” So while I am against a Karate Kid remake (I enjoyed the original with Ralph Macchio but this Jaden Smith version does not work for me. So far what I know about it rubs me the wrong way. I don’t know why he has to move to China and it bugs me that he gets bullied by Asian kids before he learns martial arts to get back at them.)

Anyway, Daybreakers has a mournful, good-looking vampire who is a humanist played by Ethan Hawke. It works. Be forewarned, it has all the blood and gore expected from a goth horror movie. It is all within the context of a decent if not complex storyline. Basically, 95% of the world has become of the vampire clan. Not being of the True Blood universe, synthetic blood has yet to be invented. The surviving humans are trying to stay alive. I was entertained and not terribly grossed out. There is a fair amount of flames and beheading and the really vampiric creatures are ooky as can be. Sam Neill works as the nefarious corporate vampire boss. It’s always interesting to watch Willem Dafoe on screen. The brother has a nice arc. I don’t know his name off-hand. Let me look it up: Michael Dorman. And as mentioned earlier, Ethan Hawke carries the movie nicely.

Youth in Revolt
I find Michael Cera funny and appealing. Some don’t. He’s said that people have told him they hated his character in Arrested Development. I think it was the Superbad writers. I adored it. I can re-watch Arrested Development anytime and be entertained. Anyway, I’m pretty much interested in seeing his projects. I’ve heard that Youth in Revolt the book is a good read. The combo of Michael Cera and a YA book was enticing. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is also a Michael Cera movie made from a YA book. It was cute enough, not the cult-movie it seemed to want to be but not without it’s charm. Youth in Revolt works much better though. Not having read either, I can’t compare the source material but it could be a factor. Somehow I found more interesting layers in Michael Cera’s character in Youth in Revolt. It has these comically outrageous moments. The angle is really adolescent male and vaguely reminded me of Metropolitan without the NYC elements. For the record, I am a fan of Metropolitan. Youth in Revolt also has a strong supporting cast (Jean Smart, Fred Willard, Ray Liotta, Mary Kay Place, M. Emmett Walsh, Justin Long, Ari Gaynor, etc.) with not much screen time but enough to add flavor to the mix of teen pretentions and aspirations as fantasized by Michael Cera and company (Portia Doubleday, Jonathan B. Wright). I might have read too much into it but I was thinking that the story might not be literal. I was thinking that along with his alter ego, Nick might have exaggerated some of his exploits. As I write, I’m noticing more and more in common with the movie Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Ari Graynor and Jonathan B. Wright were also in it. I wonder what the common factor is aside from Michael Cera or is that it? Anyway, Youth in Revolt is a funny adolescent movie that seemed fresh in its old-fashionedness.

Fish Tank
I haven’t seen Red Road, Andrea Arnold’s acclaimed movie leading up to Fish Tank but now I will seek it out. I liked Fish Tank’s authenticity. It was written and filmed chronologically so there was a lot of spontaneity on the set I think and it shows. Also, I think the cast members had good chemistry with each other and that shows on screen. I admit I was curious to see Michael Fassbender after seeing him wither away on screen in Hunger. Hunger is a beautiful, painful movie that I will never be able to watch again at least not in its entirety. I was very worried about the actor’s health after seeing the movie. He did a Robert DeNiro “Raging Bull” move in the opposite direction, like Christian Bale and others who lost way too much weight for movie roles. So it was great to see him in Fish Tank as a vibrant fellow albeit not of the strongest moral fiber. I must say I did attribute some oddities and character flaws to its British roots. I figured the hip hop featured in the movie was a decade old because American pop culture filters down to other countries in a less than instantaneous way. It turns out, the filmmaker just used music that reminded her of her youth. Also, I justified the b-boy, b-girl dance moves the main character, Mia, likes, as stemming from the resurgence of interest in that type of dancing. But it turns out Andrea Arnold was a pop dancer in the 1980s. Fish Tank is another fresh teen movie, this time from the point of view of a teen girl unlike Youth in Revolt. I don’t know if the actress who plays Mia should ever be in another movie or just preserve her great acting in Fish Tank. It reminded me of Michelle Rodgriguez in Girlfight and Ashley Judd in Ruby in Paradise. The rawness and genuineness of feeling added so much to the performances. I compare all of their subsequent performances to their first and feel slightly disappointed that they seem more like they are “acting” in the these other roles rather than acting naturally. Anyway, Fish Tank gave me a lot to think about. I also enjoyed the Q&A with Michael Fassbender. He seemed really attuned to the audience response and really aware of his environment. I liked that about him. Plus, I got to check out his post-Hunger appearance for myself. He seems fine now. He noted that Hunger will always be a special experience. I can see why. It was such an experiential movie. To make it like that, the cast and crew really had to feel it themselves.

Avatar IMAX 3D
I had to see it again. Avatar was made to be seen on the largest screen you have access to in 3D and I wanted to experience it again. The story is pretty basic but it holds up. I didn’t watch it and think, “That is inconsistent and nonsensical.” I just watched it and took it in. A story that I’m not second-guessing or following in disdain is a watchable one. The effects were still flabbergastingly astounding. I admire the minds and talent that brought those images to fruition and made me want to immerse myself completely in this fantasy world of Pandora for hours at a time. Usually I think movies are too long but I didn’t feel my usual resentment during Avatar.

Old Partner
Speaking of too long, that reminds me of this Korean movie I saw recently. Old Partner is about a 79 year old Korean farmer and his 40 year old ox living in modern day Korea. I wasn’t sure if it was a documentary or not until I read about it afterwards. There were a few artificial scenes. But for the most part it seems very real. It is a documentary and the relationship between the farmer, his wife and the ox seemed very real. It was only 77 minutes but it could’ve been shorter and more effective. I totally got the obstinance and loyalty the farmer shows to the ox and to his old world ways of farming and not driving a car. He and his wife get around via their ox-driven cart. I also derived a true appreciation for how hands on and laborious farming is and how we all benefit from it. I also was impressed by the ox., While he’s definitely on his last journey in this movie, his many talents and sturdiness are evident. I could tell what his younger life was like. He was a great ox. He lived a hard and noble life. Those are all things I really appreciated about the documentary. I just thought it could’ve been trimmed by a few minutes to make it tighter. Apparently, Koreans loved this movie. I’m glad it did well. I hope the filmmaker learned from making Old Partner and puts forth something even tighter next go round.

Lost
I finished watching Lost Season 5 and can’t wait for February 2nd. I just saw a 2-second promo with Charlie saying, “Guys, where are we?” Whoa. He’s back! Also, I read Doc Jensen’s analysis of the Last Supper poster with glee. They’re all back! Yay!

Men of a Certain Age
This show has really taken me by surprise by being good. While I watched Everybody Loves Raymond from beginning to end and same with Homicide, I wasn’t sure about the title. It seemed too on the nose, like it was trying too hard to be clever. But it actually captures the feeling of the show. It’s about three guys in their late 40s who have been friends since childhood or at least high school; I’m not sure yet. I never watched Quantum Leap or Star Trek Enterprise but Scott Bakula does a fine job on Men of a Certain Age as the bachelor aspiring actor. Also, I’m reminded of the cool conversation I had while waiting in line to see Star Trek with special effects guy Ronald B. Moore who said Scott Bakula is truly a nice guy and a pleasure to work with. Andre Braugher is excellent as a family man, a car salesman, who still has the power of Pembleton on Homicide. And Ray Romano shows a darker side as a recently divorced man with a gambling problem. Also, I always enjoy watching Carlo Gallo post-Undeclared. She’s so different in this role from her Bones role and certainly from her Judd Apatow roles.

Glee
I have been enjoying musical downloads off of the Glee soundtracks (Glee Volume 1 and Glee Volume 2). Those kids have amazing voices and the arrangements are really catchy. Also, they pick good songs. I love hearing Rachel and Kurt singing Defying Gravity and the cast singing Somebody to Love. Actually, most songs in context are fun to listen to and watch on tv. I loved seeing Matthew Morrison aka Mr. Schuester perform on the Kennedy Center Honors for Mel Brooks. It was nice to see him in his element doing a Broadway number. And speaking of Queen, the Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody is fantastic. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before. And by now, you’ve probably heard about it too if not already seen it!

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