The following is a Review of ‘Sex Education’ Season One and the Pilot Recap.
Review
‘Sex Education’ takes on a modern approach to intimacy: emphasizing the importance of self-care, trust, and communication. The show is not just about sex. It’s about finding acceptance during an age of adolescence, getting to the route of where shame comes from, and learning to love one’s self.
Atop this, each episode covers a wide array of sexual issues. From body dysmorphia to oral performance, homosexual intercourse, and even an episode focused on abortion. Though series often finds itself circling around a very similar conclusion: communication. That the issue most partners have with each other is that they’re ashamed of their sexuality for some reason or another. The series going to great length per episode, to respect and understand these respective journeys.
The abortion episode in particular, shows the intricacies of what it’s like going to a procedure, yet was also cognizant of the vulnerability of its subjects – each moment captured with brutal honesty, heart, and compassion.
Likewise, there is also an episode about cross-dressing, coming out and owning up to one’s identity, and how to reclaim safe spaces after significant trauma: hate crime abuse.
It’s surprisingly heavy, yet well executed. Mostly because it features characters are not just caricatures but are rather well fleshed out representations of modern teens: with all the flaws and misconceptions you’d come to expect.
Now, the location for the series is set in the UK, yet there are varsity jackets and an awful lot of American high school tropes and designs. The backdrops are themed in decorum representative of all three eras between the late 1960’s to 1990’s, yet there are also smartphones and video games – the likes of which are out today.
The series is meant to be timeless. Intentionally confusing its era, like in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, another Netflix hit series. It is meant to exist in an age of adolescence, though exactly when that era is supposed to be representing, seems to be multiple choice.
Likewise, the show has a soundtrack that captures the sentimentality of youth across all three eras, with independent tracks recorded by Ezra Furman, who’d written songs specifically for the series.
‘Sex Education’ might just be one of the most authentic takes on sexual experience. On its surface level it seems like yet another teen sex comedy, but what it really explores is beyond your traditional Degrassi romp. Taking a deep look at adolescence, intimacy, and the human psyche: acknowledging that peoples flaws, particularly with romantic partners, are often a result of a longing for human empathy.
The series is a hit for a good reason. Between ‘Sex Education’ and ‘You’, both series are estimated to gather around 40 million views by the end of the month. Incredible numbers by any standard.
Awkward Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his sex therapist mother, Jean (Gillian Anderson)
Pilot Recap
‘Sex Education’ is the story of Otis (Asa Butterfield), an awkward sixteen-year-old virgin attending high school in the UK. He, and his gay best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), a cross dressing diva obsessed with popularity, are the biggest losers in school. In an oddly amorous school, everyone seems to be getting it on except these two.
Otis is uncomfortable about sex. The act of masturbation literally disgusts him. Despite this, Otis is incredibly knowledgeable about sex because his mother Jean (Gillian Anderson) is a sex therapist – one with an open-door policy, and a revolving door of suitors that satisfy her needs.
It doesn’t help with Otis’ anxiety that she noses in about his personal life. Though she has good intentions, her sex positivity is rather off-putting: with dildos, toys, and erotic decorum littered throughout every room of her house and makeshift office.
Otis is rather ashamed about it. Especially, once Adam (Connor Swindells), the school bully, comes over to work on a school project. Adam shares news of his mother’s profession to the entire school – utterly shaming Otis.
Yet all is not lost, as the experience allows Otis to befriend the school’s coolest social outcast, Maeve (Emma Mackey). She is brilliantly smart, but from a rough-cut family, and has a bit of a promiscuous reputation. At first glance, it seems Maeve represents the manic-pixie-dream-girl, but as we soon get to know her, it’s obvious she’s much more than some object of affection.
She’s strong-willed and fiercely independent.
Out of coinciding coincidence, Adam overdoses on Viagra he’d taken to impress his girlfriend and so Otis and Maeve rush over to try and help Adam in his awkward situation. Taking pills to overcome anxiety over his ginormous member, Adam is unable to orgasm while having sex with his girlfriend – so Otis and Maeve try and get to the root of his problems: providing free sex therapy.
They discover that Adam’s father, who is the principal of the school, is more than disappointed in his less-than-intelligible yet troublesome son. Adam’s actions and inability to perform stemming from high anxiety over being seen as a failure.
With Otis and Maeve’s timely intervention, they help resolve Adam’s problem by having him take control of his narrative. It’s successful in resolving Adam’s sexual dysfunction, though doesn’t do much to salvage his personal life or relationship.
Regardless, surprised at their effectiveness at resolving Adam’s impotence, and with Maeve’s insistence, Otis becomes with school’s unofficial sex therapist – the pair taking on clients for some serious cash.
https://youtu.be/o308rJlWKUc
You can watch ‘Sex Education’ streaming on Netflix
Need a new show to binge watch this weekend? A Discovery of Witches has got you covered.
Based on the first novel of the All Souls trilogy by author Deborah Harkness, the show follows Dr. Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), an alchemical historian and reluctant witch who discovers an enchanted manuscript at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. In this world, witches, vampires and daemons live among humans though hidden in plain sight. As Diana stumbles upon Ashmole 782 in her research, sinister forces are at work get the magical object for nefarious purposes. Along the way she meets vampire biochemist Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode) who becomes her unlikely protector and with lives at stake, the two must unravel the mystery behind the medieval text before it is too late.
Here are three reasons why you should tune in now.
The Characters
Both Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode gave solid performances as two individuals from different backgrounds who get wrapped up in magic, science, politics, and love. Goode was able to portray the different sides of his character’s predatory and protective natures subtly but effectively. Palmer in the meantime brought out Diana’s fierce independence while exhibiting vulnerability in her relationship with the vampire.
Casting was spot on for all the major characters with standouts such as Aiysha Hart as Miriam Shephard. The no nonsense scientist is one of my favorite characters in the All Souls trilogy and the actress does her great justice. The killer wardrobe was also a big plus. In the roles of witches Sarah Bishop and Emily Mather were Alex Kingston and Valarie Pettiford who both did admirable jobs. The two women were able to capture Sarah and Em’s bond as opposite personalities that balanced each other. Lastly, Edward Bluemel was stellar as Marcus Whitmore. He perfectly depicted the character’s boyish rogue charm and you couldn’t help but find him endearing.
Some fans had been concerned with Lindsay Duncan being cast as Ysabeau de Clermont because in the novel the matriarch of the vampire clan was younger in looks. However, she embodied the sophistication, strength, and wisdom of a woman in her position and circumstances.
Faithful Adaptation
The first season is well executed adaptation of the book with some minor alterations to help the series move along at a good pace. Some of the changes include having the Congregation (the governing body of three witches, three vampires, and three daemons) take on a larger role, forcing Diana and Matthew to grow into their relationship as factions within were interested in Ashmole 782 and were eager to punish them for breaking the Covenant (a law that prohibited interspecies relations). Another difference is the greater screen time for elemental witch Satu (Malin Buska), who really shines in the series as a more complex character. While she craves power and has no qualms torturing Diana to find out what makes her so special, she also shows empathy for the witch Meridiana who had been imprisoned by the vampire Gerbert (Trevor Eve) for centuries. Getting to meet daemons Nathaniel (Daniel Ezra), Sophie (Aisling Loftus), and Agatha (Tanya Moodie) in earlier episodes also created a richer and more intricate storyline involving various creatures.
Location, Location, Location
The novel takes readers to various locales and the series brings them to beautiful life with filming done across Oxford, Wales, Bristol, and Italy. Viewers were able to see the gothic Bodleian Library, which plays an important part in Diana and Matthew’s first meeting. The interior shots were then carefully recreated at Bad Wolf Studios in Cardiff. Breathtaking aerials of Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales substituted for the Scottish highland and gorgeous exterior scenes took audiences to romantic Venice. The fortress of Sept-Tours in the meantime was the medieval Castle of Monselice.
Final Thoughts
A Discovery of Witches was a terrific introduction into the complicated and thoroughly engrossing lives of otherworldly beings. As a history buff, what makes the show and the novel so special is how real elements of the past and present are woven into a fantastical narrative. Watching (and reading) is a guilty pleasure that satisfies my inner craving for supernatural elements because we all need a break from the real world every now and then.
The show has been renewed for a second and third series with the next one focusing on adapting Shadow of Night. We’ll see Diana and Matthew hiding from the Congregation in London during Elizabethan times. There they’ll search for the Book of Life while trying to find a witch that can teach the historian how to use her magic. But more importantly we had better be meeting Gallowglass (Matthew’s vampire nephew).
All eight episodes of A Discovery of Witches is available to stream on Sundance Now and Shudder.
Hello Everyone! We hope you are having a happy New Year and are ready for the return of Supergirl this Sunday. To start the back half of the season off right, we have a very special episode of Supertrash for you all. Andrea Brooks, who plays Eve Teschmacher, came on to chat to chat with us about Eve, working on Supergirl and she even entertained all of your insane theories. She was an absolute pleasure to have on the podcast and we hope you all enjoy!
Here is information about Valerie Perrine, the original Eve Teschmacher from the 70’s.
Andrea’s Hallmark show When the Heart Callsis now on Netflix in the US if you want to check it out!
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Don’t forget we have launched a Supertrash Patreon, so if you want to support us while also receiving some cool stuff, be sure to check it out! Supertrash Podcast Patreon
Be sure to follow Supertrash, Andrea, and the hosts on Twitter:
Back in October, we covered the sneak preview of Deadly Class at NYCC 2018. I said that it was one of the best pilots I’ve seen. I stand by that statement. It’s so intriguing, that I’ll be covering every episode these next few months – including recaps and news about the show so that you can catch all your updates here.
All that said. Here are five reasons to follow along and watch Deadly Class.
Cover art for Deadly Class #1. Art by Wesley Craig
The Comic Hits Hard
Deadly Class is the story about Marcus Lopez, an orphan and misanthrope wanted for murder, who is recruited into a high school for assassins. He wants revenge on the man he blames for his parents’ deaths – President Ronald Reagan.
To achieve this, Marcus must survive his day-to-day curriculum in the deadly arts – including lessons on combat, poisoning, and the art of murder. He does so while navigating through teenage adolescence, including how to deal with high school cliques divided by the world’s most dangerous families and agencies (think Colombian drug lords, Yakuza and the CIA).
Created by Rick Remender and Wes Craig for mature audiences. The comichits hard with strong violence, drug use, and sexuality – all featuring rebellious teenage youth, set in the 1980’s.
Although the show can’t adapt everything because the comic is incredibly mature…
The Pilot is a Faithful Adaptation
TV takes its time delivering a story compared to comic books. But where it stands out, is that you have a nice blend of acting and camera motion – allowing much more time for things to develop, and stronger emotional attachments to the characters. The stakes being heavier when you fully get to know a person.
So while the pilot is less to the point than the comics, you’re also provided more background details and context – providing a very faithful adaptation.
A lot of which is thanks to creator Rick Remender himself, who is co-showrunning the series and serving as head writer. Having him translate the page to screen benefits the series. And though there are a few changes, they are mostly for the better.
For instance, after watching the first few episodes I’d noted that Marcus is much more likable in the TV series than he is in the comic, albeit a little more complaintive, and resistant to his situation in the academy. But this makes sense. He’s in a world where murder is the norm.
In contrast, the Marcus in the comic is more morally ambiguous. He is a tad trigger happy and quickly finds himself in murderous circumstances more often than should be expected. A consequence of pent up angst, a lack of freedom, and frustration misdirected. In the comic, he may possibly be a psychopath. More so by his cohorts than to the reader, yet still, over time… I’m not too sure where he morally stands.
The show’s version of Marcus is different in this regard. He struggles with doing the deed. This is a good thing. It makes him human and relatable. Remender’s decision, to start with his protagonist as grounded and normal as can be possible – especially, because he’s our point of view into this world.
Likewise, the most noticeable change is the pacing of the pilot is faster than the first trade. With everything conveniently packaged to execute multiple developing storylines at once. Establishing King’s Dominion and the nature of the academy in much better detail.
For instance, in the comics, we see Marcus’ struggle with homelessness spiral for months, leading to an inevitable point-of-no-return – suicide his only way out. In the pilot we brush over it, get to the point much faster, and even force Marcus out of hiding – all to introduce Saya and the supporting cast immediately. Giving a lot more time to showcase who they are and provide us a little backstory.
Still, all-in-all, Remender working on the series executes his vision quite clearly – which is a thin slice of what life was like growing up in the 1980’s… plus assassins.
It Embodies 1980’s Rebellious Youth
There’s this resurgence of 80’s nostalgia in pop culture. Stranger Things, This is Us, Glow, The Goldbergs and the list goes on…
Surprisingly, nobody has adopted a show about social rebels of the generation. The alienated punks, goths, and rebels – Generation X misfits unfit to have a voice.
So the creators made a comic book about it. The series, inspired by their own experiences as marginalized Gen-X kids. Many of the characters are based on actual people. The emotional tone and realism: resounding authenticity. Particularly, in its portrayal of punkish rebellious scenesters – a disenfranchised youth ready to stir the status quo.
Atop this, the cast is diverse, coming from different backgrounds representative of their own countercultural style.
You have Marcus, the loner, who is a fish out of water. He is part Nicaraguan, though is enough of a mutt where he doesn’t immediately fit in by race alone. Marcus tries to keep things to himself, with voice-over narratives and a better-than-thou demeanor. His cohorts both love and hate Marcus. More than anything, Marcus is disrespected – poked at, prodded and feared, all over of the alleged misdeeds of his past: committing a mass murder of a boy’s home. He is portrayed by Benjamin Wadsworth.
Then there’s Billy, the punk, and immediate ally to Marcus – quickly taking him under his wing as a fellow rat: outcasts of the school, unaffiliated with ties to any sort of mob, gang, or government agency. He is Caucasian, spunky, full of wit and dirty antics – but more than anything else, Billy is a good friend. He is played by Liam James, known for his roles in Jack Linden in the Netflix dramatic series The Killing and Young Shawn from the USA comedy Psych.
You have the popular kid, Willie. He is African American and leader of the F.W.O. – a sort of take on the N.W.A representing the gangs of South Central Los Angeles. He is dangerous and often appears stoic, with a big mouth and a bigger reputation of having a high kill count. Yet deep down, he is surprisingly heartwarming, and a lot more knowledgeable than he leads on. He is played by actor Luke Tennie in his first big role.
Then there’s the unstoppable Saya: the perfectionist. She is Japanese and is a deadly mix of good looks, brilliant brains, and killer reputation – with the skills to prove it. She’s the leader of the Kuroki Syndicate, a powerful and influential branch of the Yakuza. The perfect girl to Marcus in both the comics and tv show. Described as part valedictorian, part prom queen, and one-hundred-percent bitch. She is played by the lovely Lana Condor, star of the Netflix movie To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and X-Men: Apocalypse where she played Jubilee.
Finally, there’s Maria: the femme fatale. She’s Hispanic and a prominent member of Soto Vatos, a gang composed of drug cartel kids. She’s unnaturally charming, flirtatious, and cunning, with a unique look and even more unique style of fighting. She knows how to work a room in her favor. She’s also the reluctant girlfriend of Chico, the leader of Soto Vatos. She is portrayed by Maria Gabriela de Faria.
Now beyond the cast, the most noticeable 1980’s element is the soundtrack – songs handpicked by Rick Remender and the Russos in tone of the show. It’s authentically high school, fitting perfectly into the punk rock and skateboarder scene that Remender grew up in. Depeche Mode, Agent Orange, Killing Joke, and Descendents – bands for scenester kids of that era.
The Russo Brothers
The series is produced by the Russo Brothers. The hot ticket directors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who’ve had a string of hits adapting comic book superheroes including Captain America: Winter Soldier and Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and the newest Avengers movie: Endgame. They’ve also worked on the Emmy award-winning series Arrested Development and Community, directing the pilots for both.
The brothers exude confidence in the series. Specifically, they mentioned that their goals were focused in on script consulting work and character work for Deadly Class. They leave most of the work in Rick Remender’s hands. Given that he’s the writer of the series.
Syfy Has an Amazing Track Record
We’ve entered an era of comic titles adapted beyond the well-known Marvel or DC Superheroes.
Outcast, Preacher, Riverdale, iZombie, Sex Criminals, Lucifer, The End of the F***ing World, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Walking Dead, The Umbrella Academy, The Boys, The Tick, Wynona Earp, Van Helsing, and Happy!
And these are just a few of the titles that have become adapted for television. The last three, Wynona Earp, Helsing, and Happy: all adapted by SYFY.
In fact, between The Expanse, Channel Zero, The Magicians, Wynonna Earp, and Happy! SYFY has become downright binge-worthy for a lot of shows in their own regard. And if there’s anyone that has a proven track record adapting fiction to television, it’s SYFY.
In a surprising move, SYFY has already released Deadly Class’ pilot online to hype the show. You can watch it now, or wait for the premiere this Wednesday.
Deadly Class premieres January 16th at 10/9c on SYFY. You can also watch the pilot right now on SYFY.com
Deadly Class is a must watch for independent comic fans.
Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.
This was taken directly from IMDB.
So… were you close?
Trick question. It didn’t entirely matter if you were. Only that you’d written the logline in your voice. Do you see this as a recurring theme in my lessons? Because it should be. It all comes back to lesson 1 a lot of the time in entertainment. The person itself is the product – we all aspire to be influencers in a way.
The critical element about loglines is selling – but mostly, it’s about selling what you see marketable about a movie, in the most succinct way as possible. I can just as easily pitch you Star Wars as a story about space operas of good triumphing over evil, as much as I can, a story about one man’s journey to maximize his toy selling line. To the right executive which sounds more profitable:
STAR WARS (Actual)
Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire’s world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
Alright, in Lucas’ and Star Wars’ defense they had no idea it would be this successful. Still, once they did, you bet they changed the direction of the franchise to profit on that sweet merchandise money.
Want to know more? Check this Netflix documentary.
Look, there are so many sources on how to write and pitch a screenplay. I’ve read a lot of them over the years – all on the ‘right’ way to pitch something, and I’ve come to one consensus: None of it matters. There actually is no ‘right’ way to pitch something you just have to take the risk on yourself and pitch it.
The right logline is one that sells your script to the right person, AKA which executive can I get to take a chance on me. And yes, for George Lucas, it quickly became all about Toyland. Still, I love those movies, and if it can get your career started, or in Lucas’ case his billion-dollar franchise going, why not?
Simply put, people make or break careers off the logline.
But here’s something most books won’t tell you: it’s really about luck and finding that person that’s interested in your story – selling YOU, the writer, which is reflected upon your work in your SCREENPLAY. So while loglines are important, it’s only as useful as much as the person listening to it hears what they want to hear out of you. Think of loglines as the key and the lock being the executive – if you guys fit together, it unlocks this script’s potential.
I’ll even prove it to you that strict loglines or writing THE PERFECT LOGLINE doesn’t matter. Here are the same loglines from Episode 3, rewritten by other people (links to sources if you click title).
“When a burnt-out loner of a post-apocalyptic wasteland escapes from a tyrannical warlord and his marauding clan, he must work together with a defecting member of the clan and the warlord’s wives to find sanctuary in a chase to the death.”
Now don’t these movies still seem appealing? And while they’re all similarly talking about the same movies… they’re all also slightly different.
For one, both The Godfather and Mad Max loglines change the focus onto separate characters. And Pulp Fiction is so difficult to write a logline about, that most descriptions just lazily sell it as a crazy story anthology – though usually in more elegant terms.
Now, this goes against the grain… as there are a LOT of logline purists out there. But the point is, these still sell the movie, even if it is written differently.
Lesson 4: Logline Structure
Again, I stress that writing in the style that suits you is more important. Especially for loglines, where you don’t have a lot of room to sell the idea. However, I know how frustrating this is. I’ve wasted literal months in my lifetime on the art of loglines and pitching. I understand how everything can seem like a mess – especially when you want to fit it all on the page… but have one line to sell it. And what I mean by this is, you’ll have a script, a brief write-up, usually your logline and a very brief synopsis (Think about what I did in Episode 3 and my description of The Ghost In The Machine).
That’s it. Which is very stressful.
Which is also why I’m not going to show you the formula to writing loglines. Right now.
Yes, there’s a stupid formula. Yes, I could’ve cut to the chase a lesson ago. No, I wasn’t going to do that because people say Hollywood is cookie cutter enough and I wanted you to figure out how you like to write first, before giving you the easy answer.
A (flawed Hero with a problem to overcome by journey’s end) is/has/encounters a (catalyst: something that changes their world pulling them into act two), but when (Midpoint: Something representing the middle of your movie stated here), they must (Theme) before (Death: Aka Worst Case Scenario) and stop (Antagonist).
To most of you, this either sounds stupid or amazing. Maybe a little both, but that’s Hollywood. Let me explain better and then show you how this fits EXACTLY into every logline.
Hero with Problem – Every story ever written is usually about a person who needs to learn something through the journey of your story (Unless you’re a Cohen Brothers movie, in which case, you’re probably just aiming for Philosophical Absurdity). Again, it’s up to your style in figuring out what this is for your character. Usually, the person’s flaw is also what makes them charming in a way – as good stories have heroes we can relate to.
Catalyst – The changes pulling them into act two is known as the CATALYST. It’s the moment that everything changes. The ‘Call to Adventure’ for monomyth purists. Basically, it’s the thing that forces our status quo/act one to change. Spider-man’s spider bite, Luke meeting Ben Kenobi, etc. And more often than not, it’s what triggers act two to begin.
Midpoint – The middle of movie. This is usually just to showcase how far the hero will change. It’s the Summit of the movie arc showcasing just how awesome things are/can be before they fall inevitably fall apart. A LOT of the time it’s the movie’s setting. Which makes sense because it’s usually in the thick of it where we get to know the story’s location. You see it more obviously in Superhero movies or feel good movies as it’s usually… well, the moment everything feels good.
Theme – This is the theme of your movie. Something that shows your lesson.
Death – Also known as the worst-case scenario I’m just using death as it’s easier to follow below. It’s Self-explanatory, imagine the situation your hero wants to avoid most.
Antagonist – The villain of your story. Though sometimes, it’s more than a person it’s an embodiment of an idea, or something our hero has been avoiding.
The order doesn’t necessarily matter, so long as you hit all the right beats. Seems a lot, right? It’s not. I’ll show you:
THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE
“The maker of the world’s first brain-to-brain neural network (Hero) comes under investigation (Catalyst) when a wealthy industrialist commits suicide (Midpoint, Death) while using his program (Antagonist).”
My hero is the machine’s creator. The investigation ruining his playboy lifestyle (He’s basically Tony Stark) is the catalyst. I know my midpoint and death are combined, that’s because that suicide is investigated in so many ways, that it becomes my later midpoint (b/c missed clues you catch later in movie bring us back to this moment many times) but is also the death scenario we want to avoid: Other people going kaput due to the program. The program itself is the antagonist killing people – or so we believe… to be honest, it’s a very trippy movie meant to mess with point of view.
I didn’t list my theme because it’s a psychological thriller and the theme is sort of the payoff at the end.
You can say it’s a flawed logline. That I can probably sell it better, but to be honest – I didn’t want to give my characters away (it’s a psychological thriller so there are twists) – because that’s my bread and butter. Again, sell your style. The formula isn’t perfect.
THE GODFATHER
“The aging patriarch (Hero) of an organized crime dynasty (Midpoint) transfers control (Catalyst) of his clandestine empire to his reluctant (Death) son (Antagonist).”
Hero in this case is Don Vito. Showing the crime family dynasty is the midpoint and features the best/most memorable moments of the family business. The catalyst change in the status quo: Vito transferring business over to Michael. Death is the undoing of who Michael was before. The antagonist is Michael embracing becoming the villain, becoming everything he needs to be in order to be The Godfather.
No theme. And let’s be honest, The Godfather has so many themes it’s hard to pitch just one. Now, I know what you’re thinking… B.S.
Well, here’s me doing it for the adapted logline too.
“The youngest son (Hero) of a Mafia don (Antagonist) is reluctantly pulled into the family business (Midpoint) when he must avenge (Death) an attempt on his father’s life (Catalyst).”
Hero is Michael. Antagonist is Don Vito, as he represents the old way that we need to undo to survive. Midpoint is still showcasing the family. Death is the avenging as it leads to the inevitable atrocities our hero commits. The attempt on father’s life is the Catalyst that forces Vito to transfer business over/have Michael go on his journey.
See, it works even if you change the perspective of the hero. Again, no theme for the same reason.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
“In a post-apocalyptic wasteland (Midpoint), a woman (Hero) rebels against a tyrannical (Death) ruler (Antagonist) in search for her homeland (Theme) with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a drifter named Max (Catalyst).”
Hero is Furiosa. The midpoint is the post-apocalypse and how crazy things can get (Think crazy car chases and fight scenes). The death is tyranny. Antagonist is Immortan Joe. The theme is finding a place to call home. The catalyst is Max himself – who very much gets our story going, reluctantly getting himself involved in Furiosa’s conflict.
If you’ve seen this… you know that this one is a perfect fit.
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
“The Avengers (Hero) and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all (Theme) in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos (Antagonist) before his blitz of devastation and ruin (Catalyst, Midpoint) puts an end to the universe (Death).”
Heroes are the Avengers. Theme is the willingness to sacrifice everything for the greater good. The Antagonist is Thanos. The Catalyst and Midpoint is stopping the devastation and ruin, as it keeps escalating from the beginning up until the end of the movie. And Death is the end of the universe.
I’ll admit, the midpoint here is a bit weak here. Mostly, because you know exactly what the midpoint of a superhero sequel is as it’s sold in the premise (In this case, the infinity war and just beating Thanos as they constantly keep losing infinity stones).
PULP FICTION
“The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster’s wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.”
Nope. Not going to pretend like I know what I’m talking about for this one. Though it’s funny to see how many others try because honestly, there are just some movies that break structure – this is very much one of them.
Try This: Logline Structure
Think of a movie idea you always wanted to make. You can use the movie you had free-written about in the Try This exercise in Lesson 2.
Write a logline about this idea. Do it using the logline formula. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect.
Next week, we’ll go over describing/short summarizing your movie based on your logline. I’ll also talk briefly about pitching. Mostly, the notion that in Hollywood, everything is a THING meets A DIFFERENT YET ULTIMATE RELATED THING.
The remake of the science fiction classic Dune is finally on its way with exciting casting news. Helmed by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), the film is based on the novel of the same name written by Frank Herbert and tells the story of Paul Atreides, the heir of a dukedom who’s family is tasked to oversee the fiefdom of Arrakis or Dune. On the this world, the spice melange is harvested from sand worms and it serves as an important commodity in the universe. While outwardly control of this drug seems advantageous to House Atreides, sinister forces are at work behind the scenes and Paul must learn to overcome his fears to survive.
Dune is one of the first sci-fi works I read in my early teens and immediately became enthralled in the complex and rich story of spacing guilds, breeding programs, empire building, desert survival, mentats, and precognitive abilities. The first adaptation was done in 1984 by David Lynch and starred Kyle MacLachlan, Sting, Patrick Stewart, Sean Young, Max von Sydow, Dean Stockwell, and Virginia Madsen. In 2000, Syfy released a mini-series version with William Hurt, Alec Newman, Julie Cox, and Ian McNeice in main roles. Three years later the network followed up with Children of Dune, based on the third book in the original series. James McAvoy played Leto Atreides II, Paul’s son. Unabashedly I have all of these in my video collection and I’ve even seen the documentary Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune. Had the director had been able to make his version, it would have been something quite special.
In this latest remake, a few main characters have been cast and I’m pretty sold on all of them.
Paul Atreides – Timothée Chalamet
In the lead role and first to be cast, Chalamet plays Paul Atreides, a young man who’s life drastically changes when his family moves from the water planet of Caladan to the sand dunes of Arrakis. The only child of Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica of the Bene Gesserit, Paul was meant to be a born a girl but his mother loved his father so much that she bore him a son.
Rebecca Ferguson – Lady Jessica
Lady Jessica is Paul’s mother and consort to Duke Leto Atreides. She is a trained Bene Gesserit, a powerful social, political, and religious force in the Dune universe. She went against the instructions of the sisterhood to produce a female heir for House Atreides because she fell in love with Leto. Jessica is very protective of those she cares about and is a very strong-willed individual.
Dave Bautista – The “Beast” Glossu Rabban
Glossu Rabban is the nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen of House Harkonnen. Along with his brother Feyd-Rautha, his family had been the former overlords of Arrakis before the appointment of House Atreides by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. Nicknamed the “beast” because of his sadistic and violent appetites, Rabban was a terror to the people of Dune.
Stellan Skarsgård – Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
The main antagonist in the first novel, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is the head of House Harkonnen. His family and House Atreides have been in a longstanding feud and wishes to exterminate the line of his mortal enemy. The baron is a very ruthless, cunning, and cruel man with a penchant for excess. Once very handsome, tall, and muscular, he was poisoned and became morbidly obese, needing to be supported by harnesses to walk.
I can hardly wait to find out who will be cast in the roles of Stilgar, Gurney, Duncan Idaho, Princess Irulan, Feyd-Rautha, Chani, Reverend Mother Mohiam, Thufir, and Duke Leto!
Production is set to start in 2019 with Eric Roth penning the script. According to Brian Herbert (son of Frank Herbert), the film will cover the first part of the book and so fans will likely be getting two movies. However, the wait continues and likely won’t get released until sometime in 2020 or after. Until then I’ll keep my dream cast in mind.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the whole series
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll remember that Lemony Snicket has been warning us since the very first episode, and at the beginning of every episode, that this story does not have a happy ending.
Suffice to say… it finally delivered.
The Verdict
Season three was a surprisingly good wrap-up. Providing conclusions, backstories, justifications and resolutions – all of which, answered almost every running thread in the story. Though, was it satisfying?
Well, that’s up to interpretation.
I covered season two last April, praising new characters Esme Squalor and Carmelita Spats, while also giving kudos where it was due: in set design and the magnificent performances of its cast.
These are still very strong in season three. Still very reminiscent of a Wes Anderson movie in its chromatic colorizations beset in this murky, hopeless backdrop.
However, there wasn’t anything all too novel this season. No stand out moments. No ridiculous musical numbers like chasing your schemes, or kooky Olaf disguises, or over-the-top fabricated backstory. The Neil Patrick Harris talent showcase was minimized this season in order to rush to the finish line. There was also a lot less comedy than the previous seasons. Which was at times, difficult to watch.
This was the first time I didn’t binge through the series. Not because it’s bad by any means, but because it’s sad – and incredibly tragic. Let me be clear: there are very few happy moments to watch this season. If there are, it’s usually fleeting, and sense of a payoff grows dire as the remaining episode count grows short up to the finale.
The show undoes its own established formula of: Olaf, scheming, and witty escape – usually with some tragic hero falling along the way. This season the show does away with that. All for the sake of growth, but also, to give us answers we desperately needed and bring the series to a close.
Yes, there were major revelations. The history behind the origins of the VFD, what happened at the opera house, the introduction of the mycelium that serves as the series own weapon-of-mass-destruction, the reveal of Lemony Snicket’s backstory, and why exactly it is that he’s gone to all this effort to tell the tale. We even get a reveal about what is the sugar bowl, something not even the book readers got privy to up until now.
But there was just so much tragedy and finality as well that it was hard to watch without feeling sad. Especially for a series felt like it was about to hit its stride – only to wrap up and conclude.
Now if you’re a fan of the books, you’ve known this was coming. If you’re like me, who’s entered this series mostly through Netflix series, expect the sad feelings as everything sort of ties together and equally falls apart.
You can say I’ve grown attached to these characters, and I feel… almost punished for it. And now that it’s all finished, I’m feeling sort of ambivalent about writing this. The more I think about it, the more I see everything was rather pointless and tragic – with few concrete motivations but plenty of concrete Easter eggs.
But that was also sort of the point of the story. Let me explain. Final warning about spoilers.
Series Finale
In the final season, we learn Lemony’s backstory. How he was in love with the Baudelaire children’s mother: Beatrice. How she ‘accidentally’ murdered Olaf’s father at the Opera house while trying to steal the sugar bowl. How Lemony took the blame, leading to his life on the lam.
Olaf, disheartened from the events, turned to evil – leading to the path of hatred against the Baudelaire family – especially Beatrice’s children. Esme also turned to evil, who mostly just wanted her sugar bowl back as it was something that completed her tea set – again, she’s quite obsessive with the ideas of perfection.
The sugar bowl is also revealed to be the cause of the schism in VFD – as people in the organization had varying opinions on the bowl’s use – though everyone valued its pricelessness due to what was inside.
Which is revealed in the show and not the book series. The bowl’s contents is revealed to be… sugar. Though sugar laced with inoculation towards the Medusoid Mycelium: the deadliest spores/mushrooms in the world – whose spreading could effectually kill billions.
Except that it would not. Because we also learn from the season’s events, an easily accessible cure for the mushroom comes from horseradish (or wasabi, so my guess is anything spicy) or even… apples.
Yep. The deadliest world-ending weapon in the series can be cured with some everyday food.
This was done on purpose. As the series cares so much about mystery, research and allegory. It’s a series obsessed with puzzle solving and finding the truth with a capital T… yet, we’ve now also learned, time and time again in the series, that finding that the truth means very little. Especially, in a world run by absurdity.
The VFD is literally fighting over nothing. Yet only we, the audience, realize this. So again, it’s sort of pointless which is also sort of the point. That fighting between groups can often be quite meaningless.
The End
Alison Williams plays as Kit Snicket this season
At the end, Lemony is finally caught by the person following him: Beatrice Baudelaire, his niece – now a pre-teen. Lemony’s sister, Kit Snicket – who also happened to play hero/mentor to the Baudelaire children this season – gave birth to Beatrice before her own death, and the Baudelaires adopted her and named her after mother.
The meet to recap the series of events leading up to the present – Beatrice going even further beyond, implying that she, Sunny, Violet and Klaus went on to have many more adventures.
Seriously, Why? Why!?
One of the things that makes the series compelling is how headstrong its characters are. That authority figures in power refuse to listen, or better yet, are playing for the wrong side – like in the case of the supreme judges overlooking Olaf’s trial – who turned out to be Olaf’s ‘pseudo’ parents.
We learn in the finale, that the VFD was always about picking sides. That there is no right or wrong. No good or evil. It’s all just one organization turned fractured – with people of varying moral compasses and different self-interests.
Now author Daniel Handler’s original intent was never to provide answers but to allow readers to find solutions to what they’re looking for. The series being so meta, with so many self-references to VFD and JS and the sugar bowl – that you’d need to pay attention to almost every detail. Leave no stone unturned. Reddit every thread.
But more than anything you’d have to buy into the absurdity of this world and how everyone ignores facts to fit their agenda. Which hits a little close to home in today’s America, which is also why I find the series depressing.
What also makes it work is that nobody listens to the Baudelaire children. At least, not until the penultimate episode before the finale, featuring the trial of Count Olaf.
And while the scene is heartwarming, it’s all razzmatazz. A spectacle that makes you feel for all the people leading to the moment of justice – which ultimately, is also proven fruitless.
Which of course leads to the hotel fire. The moment we must now accept that there are no good guys. I mention this because this is where everyone breaks. Olaf creates a fire with the help of the children, all with the intention of escaping unharmed. Justice Strauss provides the option to obey the law… but given everything, they’ve come to accept – there is no justice in this world.
Which inevitably leads to the fire – one that destroys a lot of the people we’ve gotten to know in the series… though we’re not entirely sure. As during the children’s and Olaf’s departure – almost every character we’ve interacted with in the series is left with is warned and forced to make a choice of how to leave… whether they all make it though, was entirely up to them.
The Final Verdict
It’s a bleak ending with resolutions that don’t satisfy me personally. Mostly, I still feel traumatized by the experience. But if you’re in for the journey. The allegories, wordsmithery and references to classical works of literature – you’re in good company. This show has packed plenty of that. Especially, within season three. It’s all just very sad. And tragic in a way.
Still, I find it all slightly strange… This whole time Olaf wanted the Baudelaire fortune – when he could’ve just been wealthy marrying, Esme. I would have.
‘A Series Of Unfortunate Events’ is available on Netflix
Today, we'll be looking at Bird Box to better understand loglines.
So far, we’ve looked at personal voice to discover our thought process in how we tell a story and make it our own. In writing styles, I made you look at the different ways people take in approach to writing a story.
Both lessons were meant to help you discover the kind of writer that you are. How to know what you want to say. Now that we’re there, let’s begin the actual process of screenplay writing.
First, we start with the basics: Loglines.
Lesson 3: Loglines
Most of these next two lessons were taken from Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat. I’m teaching them because it’s where I began, but also, an important lesson in selling your screenplay.
So, what is a logline?
A logline is a one-liner synopsis of your story. A summary of everything your story is about written in exactly one (at most 2) sentences. It should be specific in telling the reader the story. It should also, hook the audience and leave them with the promise of wanting more. More than anything else, it must sell to your target immediately – making them envision how marketable your vision is and whether it is worth the risk.
So basically, it’s very heavy for what’s essentially one sentence.
Why are loglines important?
For starters, to get any movie made you’ll eventually need to learn how to sell it. Going off on a tangent trying to explain your characters and settings and original concepts and cool sequences that make your story both exciting and unique? Not going to cut it. This is not ADHD storytelling. You need to focus that pitch. Movie making is a split-second decision business, where you always need to be ready to sell.
It summarizes your concept in an easy to read way. So that if you have a headache looking at oodles of pages you have scribbled, you can look at it and remember the story you’re trying to tell.
You can base your outline around it. I can’t stress enough, outlining is probably more critical in screenplay writing than it is in writing both comic books or novels combined.
An outline in screenwriting becomes the basis of a treatment, which is sometimes, all you even need to sell a movie (I’ve met people in the industry who don’t even start by writing full-length scripts. They pitch on loglines and treatments, and then write the movie).
Logline Examples
Here are some examples of loglines. I wrote the first one based on one of my scripts. I also supplied a brief description/synopsis of it. The others are more famous films.
THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE
“The maker of the world’s first brain-to-brain neural network comes under investigation when a wealthy industrialist commits suicide while using his program.”
Description/Synopsis of THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE:
“In a not so distant future, science has finally bridged the gap between mind and machine, creating specialized devices able to connect human minds through the internet. Immediately, it became adapted for use in corporate America: the ability to micromanage and network with individual workers, streamlining a new industrial complex.
The efficiency of America’s product development had made all forms of competition obsolete. The device, redefining industry standards, had expectations to expand release onto the global market. That is, until the death of Kensei Nakamoto, Japanese business tycoon and the first user of the device in Asia. His death has led to an FBI investigation of William Maven, the device’s charming yet despised innovator, who now seeks to find and fix the error in his experiment.
But what William finds out about the machine is much more than he bargained for.”
THE GODFATHER
“The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.”
PULP FICTION
“The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster’s wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.”
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
“In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a drifter named Max.”
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
“The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.”
BIRD BOX
I’d like to take this moment to talk briefly about Bird Box. It’s a movie on Netflix, starring Sandra Bullock, about a post-apocalypse world filled with unseen monsters that summon a person’s worst fears – causing its unfortunate onlookers to commit suicide.
What most people don’t know is that Bird Box was originally a novel by songwriter Josh Malerman. His first draft of the book, written just before the release of similarly themed post-apocalypse movies The Road and The Happening.
Now for the industry, you know it’s horrible to release a title of similar nature at the same time. So inevitable delays were expected. However, Josh Malerman was also privileged enough to know that his story script was greenlit as a movie prior to even finishing the actual book.
What’s interesting about the movie is how different people’s takes of the film are. If I told you to summarize Bird Box – it’s not as easy as you’d think. The reluctant mother coming to acceptance is an obvious theme, yet if you look at it closely… you can take away a lot from this movie.
How it looks at mental illness, treats the idea of motherhood, or examines how people play blind at troubling issues of culture – all relevant to this film. Part of this is because of how thin the plot is in developing its ideas at times, but a lot of it is also because of the way the film contextualizes fear.
It’s a divided film. Which is precisely why I’d like you to work with it.
Try This: Writing a Logline
Watch Bird Box.
Write the logline to Bird Box. Pitch the movie in one to two sentences. Pay attention to your writer style choices – some may be better than other approaches, depending on what aspects of the movie you’re trying to sell.
Next week, I’ll go even further in depth of logline structure.
The following is a look at the styles of different writers.
Alright, so if you’re following along hopefully you enjoyed Roma and did some journaling. If not, that’s okay – this lesson should still help anyway.
First, let me say that I’m a firm believer of lead by example. If I’m going to teach something, I must practice it as well. As such, here’s a bit of how I organize thoughts in my head. The little journal entry I wrote and a lesson in how I found my voice.
Skip to LESSON 2: WRITING WITH STYLE immediately if you want. I know I can run on.
My Story Journal
I spent most of my childhood struggling to fit in.
I was different in appearance than other children and there was no way in changing that, so I’d go out of my way to demonstrate my self-worth. Bend over backward. Show that I was useful.
I sought validation. More than anything, I sought acceptance.
As such, I spent most of my youth trying to make friends. My teens, trying to get girlfriends. I wanted to be normal. I felt stuck and I wanted someone to love me… Mostly, because I didn’t love myself.
It took a while to figure out that dreadful feeling was longstanding clinical depression. Something that took me years to figure out how to manage in my way – especially once I stopped going to therapy.
Went to county college. Did surprisingly well and had a choice: what do I study? At this point in my life, I felt that all I ever did was self-reflect. Thinking was my forte. Thus, I concluded:
“I think therefore I must major in it.”
I studied psychology and I was good at it. Real good. Like, PhD graduate student level good. I think mostly it was because I finally liked what I was doing, but also, I was secretly finding a way to fix myself. Remember that deep depression I was talking about? Well this is when I started finally treating it.
I graduated with all these honors and connections and opportunities… Had a plethora of University professors and students I had befriended over the years. I was going to do great things in the field…
Then, in a depressing out-of-shape touch football accident, one where I was performing quite admirably catching three deep touchdowns and outrunning the competition left and right if I do say so myself…
I tore my Achilles tendon completely.
Have you ever had an unfortunate accident you had to recover from?
7 Months recovering, mostly alone, while all my friends went on to get jobs, go to grad school and started living their lives. Suffice to say, I learned a lot about what was important to me.
When I recovered, I gave up grad school. Mostly, because I was doing it for the wrong reasons. The fixing myself part was good, but… I think I was just trying to find another way to be valuable for other people. Demonstrating “Hey, I understand people, can you accept me as a person?”
I should also mention that around this time, I was working with kids with developmental disabilities in one job, patients with former drug habits diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in another job, and doing at-home assessments as a behavioral intervention aide for troubled families. Had to find a way to pay the bills after my recovery so I dove headfirst into the field and I didn’t like what I saw.
So, I started writing. Movies, at first, because I thought it would be easiest. I kept one of my mental health related jobs, but I wrote on the side. Because of my brief time in academia, I found screenplays to be more relaxing than academic journals.
So, I bought some books on how to be better at writing and took some classes too.
Then, somebody saw my writing and thought it was good. We started a business. And I got to know the industry and how it works. Even got a major pitch or two… at least, until things went sour – as many creative ventures do.
After a few months of moping, I’d decided that I wanted to get better as a writer, not just a screenwriter.
Then, I met a new writing partner through a movie production that didn’t come to fruition (After the first business failed, I started pitching/applying wherever I could in movie writing). We worked on some wonderful screenplays together, and though it didn’t work out in the end, this time we’d remained friends.
When that was done, I took classes at Gotham’s Writers Workshop, to foray into learning how to write short stories and the novel. I also made some writing friends and wrote daily. More than anything, I’d learned how important it is to receive feedback and have a community.
And after that, I eventually took classes with Serena Valentino, the wonderful author behind the Disney Villains line, who taught me the art of writing comic books – but more than anything, how to get better in developing the things I thought I’d thought I already mastered. How to build characters with so much more depth than ever thought possible. How to be brave and believe in yourself when nobody else will.
Because life is a never-ending learning experience. And you can always find new ways at looking at old things – even your everyday routines.
About My Voice
Here are some things I picked up about my voice:
For starters, I noticed that I liked writing characters who are outcasts. Usually, very damaged people who don’t fit in – mostly because it resonates with my own story.
Likewise, I also like to give them or their environment, some sort of addictive personality trait – which I think comes from my years in Psych and looking for the dysfunction in other people.
Video games, substance abuse, self-harm, sex or gluttony – all forms of addiction. Heroin is a big one I tend to always find myself writing about as I’ve seen the lives it destroys.
I also just like the idea of someone doing things excessively. Though it’s not always something heavy or for dramatic appeal. It could even be an addiction to being organized. Or an obsession with a goal, being the best at something, or an event – like a meeting, or some sort of unrealized idealistic dream that’s nigh impossible to achieve.
Secondly, I ramble a lot. Have you seen this social media picture lately?
Because that’s how I tell a story as well. So to keep organized, I do lots of plotting through outlining ahead of time. If you have this problem, good news, reading these lessons will help you… eventually.
Most importantly, that I’m hands down a character writer. This is probably the most crucial element of my voice that I picked up. Given my years in psych/how I was as a child, I naturally think of the world from the thoughts and point-of-view of others. So when I write, I tell the story from the perspective of the character first – which is good for their development but also tricky for me because:
I want to overshare because I love this little-fake-person I’ve created. This is good, except that it must happen slowly: showcasing a character’s traits over time… mainly, because people can only pick-up so much at once.
I tend to overwrite. Which is difficult because there are so many things about this character that only I know about as the author, but most of it will never make it onto the page. It’s not easy being okay with that.
It’s hard to throw your character through the wringer of conflicts when you care about them. Especially, when they’re your baby. There’s are parts of me inside them and I’m hesitant to put them through hell.
But you have to as an author. You must write about the things that make your characters uncomfortable, and often, make you uncomfortable. Because you know what it’s like to feel rejected, lose someone, and fail the worst way imaginable. You also know what it’s like to overcome this, and how cathartic these stories can be.
As a character writer, I also tend to write in first-person as it’s a great way to get into your person’s mindset. However, all screenplays are written in third. I’ll get more into POV another time.
Now character-centric writing is not the only way to get started. You can begin anyway you want, what’s important is you find that the STYLE that works with your voice best to begin.
Lesson 2: Styles
Alright, so now that we know a bit about writing using your voice, let’s talk about writing with style. The following are a few writing styles I’ve picked-up/categorized over the years, all with different sorts of writers in mind. This section will focus more on how to get started: aka where you are right now.
Vision Writers
Some writers just sit down and write until it’s finished. Usually, it takes a lot of editing, but they eventually get there. The one thing that’s driving them: Vision. They know the story they want to tell and write it down beginning to end.
The movie ROMA, which we’ve been reviewing, is very much a Vision driven script. However, it usually takes a lot of authority to get these things made – as unfortunately, we’re all not Alfonso Cuaron.
Now let me be frank: No one writes a perfect first draft. If you want proof look at Uwe Boll and his movie BloodRayne. Yes, I’ve seen it. Like many of his films, it’s pretty bad.
Guinevere Turner’s story about her first draft getting adapted is pretty evidential that first drafts are rather awful. Usually, stories take editing – A LOT of editing. Scripts especially, because they’re looked at by hundreds of people between the production crew, executives, director, and actors (who often improvise lines).
But for vision writers, it’s not about the first draft. It’s about getting the story onto the page and then going from there. And yes, there are book authors who are notorious for this; however, I can’t provide you direct examples as personally, this is my least effective methodology. Though maybe it’s the right way to get you started on your story.
To just write the way you see it in your head.
Scenic Writers
This is very similar to the vision writer but is a lot more direct. Where vision writers are often directors themselves who know how they’d like to get a movie across, scenic writers start with humbler origins.
It starts with a scene. A moment the writer wants to capture on camera because it means something to them.
Often, it’s an opening and/or an ending in mind. Sometimes it’s an image, and sometimes it’s just a dramatic beat they’d wanted a story to work towards.
Think Superheroes: we know Spider-man will eventually become this person that will have to save the day, the question is how to we get there. What do we do to build to that scene, and then, what comes after? In superhero movies, it’s about the moment we see them become the hero.
It’s all about building the story based on the scene.
This is one of the most common ways to write a script. In fact, if you write with a beginning and ending in mind, it’s just storytelling 101. A thing happens, and then by the end, we take something away from it.
A lot of the time movies begin as pitches. Scenes that needs to sell the producer the movie – the rest of the film, then is later adapted into a full-on screenplay.
Take Eternal Sunshine. Charlie Kaufman started his script based on an art piece: The idea of having someone erased from memory.
https://youtu.be/3vhsStpeKfE?t=150
It became one of the best movies ever made. And it all started with an idea captured in scenes.
Thematic Writers
This is in my opinion, the most popular way of writing a story. It’s known as the thematic approach. You have a theme, and you write a story based on conveying that theme.
Eighth Grade: Coming of age is hard with the Internet.
A lot of writers write about a social cause, have a message to convey, or want to comment on life observations through fiction.
It’s one of the most grounded approaches. And when your script seems to be going off course, you can just remember the theme that you’re trying to write about.
Likewise, there can be more than one theme in a story. The story of Luke Skywalker was also very much a coming of age film about taking on responsibility and meeting one’s destiny.
The goal for thematic writing is to get you to think about important issues and build your story around it.
However… (Please, don’t hate me)
Personally, I’ve always found this method to be the team valor to my team mystic approach. The House Slytherin to House Gryffindor. The Iron Man to my Captain America.
I hate writing with themes in mind beforehand.
Because when you start with the theme, that dictates your character’s intentions, and it shifts how you approach the writing. Personally, when I do this, I tend to start forcing the character to fit in my themes and write not for the sake of the story, but to force a message down someone’s throat.
Thematic writing is great if you can fit that theme organically. Otherwise, it’s like an episode of South Park where we conclude with an inevitable moral monologue.
Now, you don’t have to start with a theme. If you tell a good story, a lot of the times your theme happens organically – as stories are the art of conveying messages. Which leads me to my last example of writer…
Character Writers
Character writers (such as I) start with the people. We begin by building characters who have personalities as real as can be. With ideas in their heads, needs that need fulfilling and objectives they want to accomplish. What’s great about this is It all fits however we need the scene to be written.
Because a lot of times in movies, scenes need rewrites. Character-centric writing can fix a lot of these issues, as places/situations are interchangeable… but actors – not so much.
Character writers build as real of a person as possible on paper and THEN throw them into the situation. It’s more of an actor’s approach to writing. What’s efficient about it is that instead of pondering about some grandiose vision or whether a written scene fits some morale of the story…
All you must do is think: Who are they, what do they want, and what do they need?
There is a difference. Want is more characterization. Need is more plot of the story. Here’s a video for a better distinction:
I like this because the story dictates the moral lesson naturally. You can just throw your characters into the situations. See what message they eventually convey in a Psychoanalytic Collective Unconscious sort of way… like how monomyths often unfold.
Or maybe that’s just how I romanticize my methods.
Try This: Writing Styles
I want you to read several pages from three different movie scripts on https://www.simplyscripts.com . Just look for a movie, click on its title, and it’ll open the script. Make sure each script is of a different genre.
Compare and contrast how different each one is. The formatting might be similar, but what they choose to emphasize is telling of style. For instance, dramas might have long action sequences, comedies shorter dialogues. Take note of this. A script’s style is very much influenced by genre.
Now I want you to write out a moment in the life of one of the characters in the scripts you’ve read. Not in movie format, just do free-writing. No rules.
The goal is to analyze your writing process like the way you did in finding your voice. See if you’re more of a character, scenic, or thematic writer. Or maybe you even just keep going with a single vision in mind? It’s not about the words themselves for this assignment… it’s about figuring out the style of writer you are. How you naturally organize the plot of your story.
This will all help you begin your scripting journey. But more than anything else, it’ll set you up for the next lesson… which will be LOGLINES: Aka how you summarize your story the shortest way possible.
It’s an integral part of selling scripts in the industry. More than anything else, it is a lot of selling yourself, in a short time frame. So knowing your voice and style will help tremendously.
My friends at The Workprint were kind enough to let me do this series on here, as it’s an idea I’ve been playing around with for a very long time but had never had the platform to do so, until now.
This is a writing and storytelling blog I’ll be updating once a week. Usually on Sundays. I’ll be teaching how to write screenplays, as I discuss the wonders of storytelling – including sharing some magical experiences and strange lessons I’ve picked up along the way.
My goal is to get you as excited about stories as I am.
To do so, I’ll be utilizing different examples from movies, tv shows, and written scripts. All from material, you can access online that’s accessible to the public.
“Episode 1: Tell Us Your Story” will be about finding your voice as a writer. I will also feature some examples from Alfonso Cuaron’s latest film ROMA, an Oscar-contending movie initially released in November which is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Now, I can’t tell you that anything I am going to share with you is a guaranteed method of success. Mostly, because I don’t think anything in life is guaranteed. I myself, have yet to achieve a big break as a financially independent writer pursuing my passion as my career.
But what I can do is show you my process: what works for me from what I’ve learned between experience, classes, and people who work in the industry.
More than anything, of course, these blogs will serve as a discourse to discuss stories.
Monomyth: The Hero’s Journey (THJ)
The Monomyth is sort of the foundation for every starting screenwriter, which is why I named this ongoing blog series, Monomythic. Most screenwriting books utilize the Monomyth to discuss narrative structure; particularly, Syd Field’s The Foundations of Screenwriting and Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat – two books I highly suggest purchasing if you’re new to writing screenplays.
(There’s also Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers which does a step-by-step analysis of Monomythic structure, but for the intentions of starting, I’d say begin by reading the first two. Mostly, because that’s where I started.)
The monomyth is also more commonly known as ‘The Hero’s Journey’, a term popularized by renown mythologist Joseph Cambell in his book The Hero With A Thousand Faces.
THJ originated as a meta-analysis in comparative mythology, looking at recurring patterns in the most celebrated stories throughout history. Joseph Cambell’s approach to the monomyth, which has become the popular standard for the Monomyth, was influenced by the works of analytical psychology – particularly the archetypes described by Carl Gustav Jung.
Jung himself believed myths and dreams were a part of the collective unconscious. That there was a universality in stories that connected individuals in what it means to be human.
And while one can argue that the patterns in themselves could be confirmation bias, or better yet, just the foundations of storytelling originating in Aristotle’s Poetics – it’s still a handy outline in how to write a story.
Its premise is this:
“A hero goes on an adventure, overcomes a crisis, and then returns home, having grown and learned something along the journey.”
It’s simple, yet effective, and a somewhat general outline for almost every story you can imagine. Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of The Rings? All utilize this structure. So do many Blockbuster sized Hollywood movies.
Dan Harmon, the creator of TV hits Rick and Morty and Community, was such a huge proponent of it that he created his own version – one that he’d used for every single writing project he’d worked on up until recently.
But as is the nature of the beast, Hollywood had gotten very… formulaic. And like anything that takes a cookie cutter approach to art, audiences’ sort of caught wind and grew tired of the same old thing.
Now, THJ is sort of both liked and frowned upon depending on who you’re asking (Kind of like Star Wars: TLJ, which very much throws out THJ, but that’s for another episode!) But for the purposes of storytelling… knowing this force that ties all narrative stories together exists, is the first step into a larger world (to quote Obi-Wan Kenobi).
Lesson 1: Tell Us Your Story.
Now, if you’ve read my works on this site before, you’ll know that I have a thing for Magnum Opuses: the grand project an artist aspires most to create. It is the piece the creator holds most dear to themselves: their most significant, and often most challenging achievement, amongst their body of work…
Now, I don’t see it as necessarily tied down to its accolades. It’s never really about the achievement. Mostly the reward is the work spent creating this impossible thing. Meant and made, not for its audience… but for the artist themselves.
And I emphasize that last point; as writing fiction is all about telling stories that we want to create. Because this is how the journey begins: by listening to your voice.
It can go by many names: Your ego. Yourself. That funny feeling inside your heart and soul? Maybe it’s the love for the craft dictating your actions? Or even just the thrill of the game?
Whatever it is that gets you impassioned to get those brain juices flowing to write words on the page?
That is your voice calling to you.
It’s the accumulation of experiences, interest, goals, and above-all-else: dreams of the individual.
And whether you realize it or not, it is a big part of what makes you special. The element that makes you the unique little snowflake that you are – which is going to be your selling point as a writer.
Why am I obsessing over this?
Because anyone can write. Well, not literally anyone, but most of us can write. And there will always be better writers out there. Better people who can create characters, or better people who can plot a story along together or throw in a surprising twist.
But what they can’t do is tell your story. Not the way that you can, because only you can do that. But it can only happen once you’ve really figured out that voice of yours…
So tell Us Your Story.
Sound advice? Awesome, thanks, it’s actually Neil Gaiman’s… I totally just ripped-it off and put my own small spin on it – something 99.9% of Hollywood Writers do.
Seriously, don’t do that and if you do, never tell your audience (like I just did).
So just to recap…
Step 1: Listen to yourself.
Maybe it starts with a thought journal? Or maybe, you can look at old pieces of writing? In fact, it doesn’t even have to be literature related! Look at your old books you used to read, listen to old cds (Do people still CD?), read former blogs/notes/social media posts.
Seriously think about who you are. If you had to summarize it and narrate your own life’s story, how would you categorize it or even begin?
Then, once you’ve seen how you’ve organized your story…
Acknowledge, hey that’s my voice! That’s how I think and talk about the world.
Step 2: Know Your Voice.
Alright, so now you know that’s your inner voice, right? Good. Love it. Know that it’s there…
However, the art of storytelling isn’t just about you. It’s about constructing these fake little people and ideas – these tiny aspects of yourself and the things that you’ve experienced, learned, or otherwise know about – and telling their stories. Because while they will always be a part of you…
Your characters and worlds you build are not you.
This is something I know many writers struggle with, myself included. The art of telling a good story is in the delivery of the details… but what happens when you yourself are the details?
What happens when you recapitulate your life’s story on the page, only to have it be rejected by the general audience – ergo, becoming a rejection of yourself? How do you handle that?
I’ll tell you right now: for most people, it’s not well.
Which is why I’m very critical about knowing your voice. Because then, you can know the difference between how you think, versus how the people, places and things in your newly constructed world think.
Your voice is a valuable tool to help ground yourself so that when you’ve hit a wall and are stuck with writer’s block: you can at least remember the story that you’re trying to write.
However, and I can’t stress this enough, the story is separate from you as a person. Your voice may be the accumulation of how you think and view the world, but it is only partially represented on the page – it’ll never be the fully totality that is…. well, you. Ya, snowflake.
Knowing your Voice is important for Two Big Reasons:
While it’s a beautiful voice because it’s yours, you must be careful that you’re not forcing it upon your characters. This will better be explained in the characterization episode, but for now, think, “Is this something my character would do or is it something I’m forcing out of my insecurity?”
Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about the story.
So that when the rejection hits, and trust me it will, you can distance yourself from the guilt and feelings of failure. Remember, it’s just your creation that the audience looks at, not you. It’s just the representation of your voice that you’ve put on the page. That’s all writing is: symbols that mean things. Which is also something that can be edited, changed or even trashed – it’s up to you… it’s your story.
Step 3: Tell Us Your Story
Taking steps one and two into account… tell us your story. The one that only you can tell.
Now, I’m not saying it’s necessary to go on some weird introspective journey of self-discovery. I’m not telling you to go Eat, Pray, Love around the world and write a book about finding yourself. Because even if you did, that doesn’t guarantee success, or that you’ll be pooping out golden nuggets of fiction. Even though sometimes I wish it did.
What I am saying in the most pragmatic terms possible is this:
That if you can figure out the things you’re naturally inclined to write about, write about them, and enjoy that process? All while not getting super bummed over rejection or the rewriting process…
Well then maybe you’re on the right path.
So tell us your story. You can even write it here in the comments below, just find a way to get it down somewhere and get writing.
And once you figure out the story you want to put out into the world… Well, then you’re one step closer to finding your voice, making good art, and becoming a better writer.
It takes time. And work. But once you begin, you’ll start seeing the patterns in your creations.
ROMA
To better understand voice in cinema, we look at the movie Roma, a personally intimate film written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron. For those who don’t recognize him, Cuaron is responsible for such hits such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gravity, and Children of Men – the latter two, being renown BAFTA award-winning films.
The movie is a tribute to his childhood growing up in the 1970s. Much of it, focused on his caretakers in Mexico City and growing up in a fragmenting middle-class family during a period of political turmoil.
The movie follows the journey of Cleo, a domestic worker (played by newcomer Yalitza Aparicio in her first movie) who serves as nanny and maid for Sra. Sofia (played by Marina de Tavira), a stand-in for what is essentially Cuaron’s own mother.
He wanted to tell us a story directly from his memory: the divorce of his parents, the woman who raised him, and the loss of her baby. He wants to come to terms with the elements that made him.
To do so, he shot entirely in black and white to enrapture a sense of nostalgia and memory – while simultaneously, filmed on digital to encompass a sense of the present. Because one can only experience back then through the period that is now.
Wanting to cast someone indigenous to the area, Cuaron chose to audition the role of Cleo, locally, as he wanted a more grounded approach to the movie. He yearned for something connected to this location, as it was the original location his memories of this time occurred. This place where Mexican his history was made.
He found this with actress Yalitza Aparicio, a preschool teacher who’d never acted before a day in her life. To Cuaron, Cleo’s journey was about her status and place in his family, the contradictory nature of how someone so beloved could still be held as a servant first, and a person later.
This works very well for the film. With praise given at his attempt of showcasing Cleo’s journey as a portrait of strength that both humanizes and empowers the everyday houseworker. Cleo was not family, yet she certainly earned a place to be considered an other mother…
To keep his story purely his memory, Cuaron received few notes and wrote the script mostly on his own. He wanted no second guessing in his process and did not ask for help from directors Alejandro Inarritu or Guillermo Del Toro, both of whom the director usually sought council from.
With all this in mind about the director’s vision… let’s look at how this speaks with his voice.
Roma’s Stylizing: Analyzing Cuaron’s Voice
First, watch this movie as there are spoilers. As you do, ponder about these questions along the way…
Take a better look at the town’s environment. How the setting resonates with the message conveyed. Look particularly, at the ideologies of the men, the soldiers, and freedom fighters. Machismo alpha males enamored with war and revolution – very reminiscent of Les Miserables in my opinion. Whatever the take on it, there is symbolism of it littered throughout all the town.
With that in mind… how does this element of the setting conflict with our main narrative? How do these symbols contrast with the more family-oriented story, and why do you think that’s so?
The director captures the beauty in the mundane. The story, taking place from the perspective of his housekeeper/nanny. Yet, if you notice most of the film is shot in absolute continuity – with several very long takes, especially in the house household Cleo works in with the family.
Why do you think this is?
We have a father who is a breadwinner but is rarely ever present. Take notice of the Car he drives: A 2-Door black Galaxy 500. Luxurious, yet barely fitting inside the garage. In fact, even take notice of the dog shit. Notice the director’s attention to detail in these scenes. Finally, take notice towards the end, about what happens to the car in question.
It’s all symbolic. So, here’s my question to you: What does the complication of getting this oversized car into the garage represent? How does this change over time towards the end of the movie? Why is this significant?
Cinematography and Voice
Alright, now let’s look deeper at this movie. From the opening black and white images, we know we’re getting into an independent styled film – something less Hollywood, and more personal and intimate.
Watch the opening sequence. Water cascading over tiles – with the plane flying over deep in the distance. We get a sense that there’s a larger world out there, and yet, it’s from such a grounded perspective.
“They represent the constant presence of a modernity. A technological world that surrounds these characters and is in stark contrast to the shanty towns elsewhere. As humans, we have an amazing arc of technological development, but ethically we fluctuate.
This is a film that begins by looking at the ground. When the water comes in, you see the sky, but only as a reflection. And at the end, it finishes looking up at the sky. It’s that thing of the impossibility that there’s this metal object flying up there. It is the reflection of that impossibility that can happen when you try to come to terms with life.”
Cuaron’s voice resonates even from the establishing moments. It’s as if every scene conveys a message. And it never breaks it’s point-of-view, which is not from the perspective of Cleo; but rather, how the camera sees her. How Cuaron himself, sees his former caretaker.
Pay attention at the ways the camera moves in this movie. The continuous shots taking place in the home setting. When I say the movie is grounded, I don’t mean that Cuaron simply wanted just an organic feel. No, he wants to recreate these memories exactly; but knows that he can only do so from a distance, from the lens of the present.
Notice his use of the long takes. The details in establishing a sense of home. How seamless everything is in establishing a sense of space and time.
The reason he likes doing this is that it plays with the element of staying. There’s something about sticking to the scene and the inability to reorient that attracts Cuaron.
He wants you in the moment, where you can focus on what you desire…
This is huge. Whereas most directors cut in very particular and focused ways, Cuaron gives you control in these long takes. It’s a part of his voice: the exploration of visuals without restriction.
You can pay attention to the backdrop, the signs of protest, the tiny bookshelves of his old home. Cuaron wants you to explore what you will. It’s all meant for you to choose what to focus on…
Though personally, it just makes me feel dizzy.
Anyway, when I’d asked you about the director’s choice about the long takes with the family, it was because he wanted to stay in that moment. This movie, representing a recollection of his memory.
Take a look at one of the 360-degree continuous shots set in the home. The camera floats more like a ghost that comes from the future; something witnessing events of the past.
Likewise, this is a link to the script of ROMA. I’d suggest reading some of these descriptors – as they’re incredibly well detailed, beyond what is expected of YOU, as a screenwriter, to write about.
But we’ll get more into that another time.
Now, in contrast, look at the tracking shots set in the streets. They’re long and all-encompassing yet they cut more naturally in the film in a way that the interior scenes of the home do not. With everything well-lit in its natural lighting. Incredibly well detailed yet also… tragic in a way.
Now, I asked you about the setting’s environment and mentioned the elements of revolution and war. I think it’s best to examine this through the character of Fermin (Jorge Antonio Guerrero), in particular, his nude scene.
Now we haven’t really seen Cuaron use sexuality as a plot device since Y Tu Mama Tambien.
Yet, in this movie, we see the raw nakedness of a man. Someone held together through his martial art. There’s this vulnerability to this unadulterated openness. His art and his fighting? The only thing that matters to him – when everything is stripped away.
We’re meant to understand he is a soldier at war. And we’re meant to feel bad about what’s inevitably going to happen…
This is one of the most powerful moments of the movie. With much of the movie’s plot, building up to it.
In this scene, Cleo looks to buy a crib for her baby but on the way, she notices a student demonstration on the streets –riot police littered about almost every direction. Keep in mind, revolution is something the movie has subtly alluded to in the background. The movie selections, the student demonstrations, the outcry and opinions of the people – rich and poor.
When she’s shopping for this crib, we notice there are several clocks in the store: all pointing to the same time. A moment in history for Cuaron, forever eternalized.
Moments later, we see get a glimpse outside: Thousands of people scattered across the street, as all hell breaks loose, and a paramilitary group recklessly murders and picks off demonstrators – reenacting the Corpus Christi Massacre of 1971.
More terrifying, is that the paramilitary breaks into the store and murderers a couple seeking refuge. And who is one of the triggermen? None other than Fermin, the father of Cleo’s child and the tragically mind-wished villain of the story.
Conclusion, Roma.
As mentioned, this director never wastes a shot. Every image tells us a story, all leading to the climax: a stillbirth and a relieved, Cleo. Who in turn rejects the notion of having a family, yet accepts being a part of one that’s not their own.
Which brings me to my last question: The car that doesn’t fit? Well, by the end of the movie it does… because it’s a different car. Things change, technology changes and people change.
So does this family, and by the end of this movie… we have a different matriarchy. A different sort of loving parent.
So what can we say about Alfonso Cuaron’s voice?
Well, we likes continuous takes because they allow you to pick and choose, playing with elements of space and time – by forcing you to stick with the story.
That Roma meant very much to him – primarily as a reenacted memory in its purest possible form. Cuaron, going out of his way in capturing the feelings of this detail.
That he’s a fan of powerful imagery. How symbols and items and descriptions build upon a story. To further this point, I’d even go back and watch Harry Potter or Children of Men. But for this movie, it’s evident in almost every scene.
Try This: How to Find Your Voice
Try journaling a little. See how you summarize your own life’s story – look for some themes and patterns that are there and self-analyze why you like writing about these topics.
Next lesson, I’ll share how I found my voice. Then show you different ways you can use this to get started with your story.
Mary Poppins returns just in time for the holiday season, providing an encouraging sequel that is both lighthearted and whimsical – reminding us about the joys of what it’s like to be a child again.
This movie is charming. Upliftingly fresh, albeit far from revolutionary – but that’s okay. This isn’t trying to reboot the series. It is trying to win some Oscars though, especially given its release date.
It also takes a similar structural approach in the script to the original, reinventing a few familiar situations with some tidy new characters and campy, yet stylistic, callbacks.
For a movie that’s somewhat locked in its prim and proper demeanor, it’s also surprisingly flexible in execution – which I think partially has to do with Lin-Manuel Miranda.
His ability to modernize the stiffest of subject material for musicals is already well known, and his team of professional BMX bikers, errr… oh I’m sorry, ‘lamplighters’ also known as leeries, give us a hip alternative to the original’s working-class chimney sweeper. With subtle nods to civil liberties for the proletariat that I won’t get into because it’s mostly superficial in what’s mostly a fun family movie.
Though hands down, Emily Blunt does a fantastic job as the new Mary Poppins. She captures the character’s quintessential mannerisms, heartwarming and impossibly creative, yet with a wise and curt demeanor. Quick to the point, she’s blunt… Emily Blunt (Horrible pun, I don’t care. She’s great). Also, she carries on the methodology of her predecessor in that Mary knows not to fix the problems herself, but to guide her children in the right direction – and push the plot back on its course.
Mary Poppins is Supernanny. She knows just the right amount of motherly.
However, what works best about the film is how much of a tribute it is to the original, with elaborate musical sequences, stellar performances from its cast, and innovative animation and special effect techniques that like its predecessor, blends the real with the surreal.
There’s also a funny musical number featuring Meryl Streep as ‘Cousin Topsy’, and a lovable cameo from Dick Van Dyke – both character roles, callbacks to the original film in different ways.
The music in the story is catchy. “A Cover is Not The Book” was probably my favorite number. Some critics have been harsh saying that the music doesn’t live up to its predecessor – though I believe that’s an unjust comparison and a ridiculously high standard.
And while the script pulls off the beats, it was somewhat haphazard, as I wasn’t immediately sold on the movie. Some of the film drew heavily on melodramatic acting – which was darker in tone than I thought was appropriate, especially from the father, Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw).
His performance was good but felt somewhat off-putting. Mainly because unlike Christopher Robin, which is also about a boy from England who’d forgotten about his past, this movie isn’t solely focused on adult nostalgia. So his journey felt often less-colorful than the rest for most of the movie.
And I know it’s because times have changed and the modernization of the story plays a factor. Yet something in me kept thinking… isn’t this Mary Poppins? Why the shift into darker tones with the yelling and the evil wolf bankers and was it completely necessary?
But when the film embraces the nostalgia to just the right amount, embracing themes of family and understanding what it’s like to be a joyful, imaginative kid again…
That’s where the film tends to shine.
So, if you want a safe movie that’s light and warm. Go with Mary Poppins returns.
Welcome back to Supertrash where we talk about one of the best episodes of television ever created, Legends of Tomorrow 4.08 “Legends of To-Meow-Meow.”
We have to admit, it was really refreshing to be able to spend the entire time just talking about Legends, which was perfect because there was SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT! You can listen to us fangirl about basically everything from “Legends of To-Meow-Meow.” below
Don’t forget we have launched a Supertrash Patreon, so if you want to support us while also receiving some cool stuff, be sure to check it out! Supertrash Podcast Patreon
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This is the Willie Wonka’s Chocolate factory of Spider-Man movies. Wonderous to indulge in because anything can happen, which is both beautiful and refreshing. Especially, for a superhero story whose first origin film happened about sixteen years ago.
Spoiler Alert: Tiny characterizations but no plot spoilers. This is mostly me encouraging you to watch this movie.
One of the best things about the Spider-Man mythos is how refreshing it is that every iteration tells us a story about our times.
Toby McGuire’s emotional Spidey with the baby eyes set in a heroic NY post 9/11 world, is not the cool Mark Zuckerberg technology guru that was Andrew Garfield’s, nor are either, the charmingly enthusiastic yet heartfelt Tom Holland version.
But what they all have in common is that they were relevant for its times.
The Spider-Man series has always had its finger on the pulse of modern culture. This is true, especially for teens, as the ones of today are not the same as the ones from the 1990’s or 2000’s.
So it’s uplifting to see a different origin of the pop-cultural phenomenon. One that incorporates cultural context but also doesn’t take itself too seriously.
‘Into the Spider-Verse’ starts off as an origin story for Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino teen who donned the mantle of Spider-Man in the comics, although is a separate entity from the well-known Peter Parker.
He lives in Brooklyn, has a mom who’s a nurse and father who’s a cop – though one that highly disapproves of Spider-Man. He also has a supportive uncle who is very cool in supporting his art habit: Street tag graffiti, as the popular Banksy inspired artists of today aspire to be.
Miles is smart and well liked in the community but is adjusting to a new life. He gets his powers like most Spider-People: from a radioactive spider bite, and shortly after, meets his more renown counterpart during a catastrophic event often typical in a comic story.
The event breaks reality, opening gates to parallel universes where several other iterations of Spider-Man, including ones that aren’t Peter Parker, exist.
The movie plays around with this idea by recapping the many spider-people’s origins, all while keeping faithful to the comic book medium. It works really well. To be honest, many critics, including myself, were skeptical that a multiple-spidey story would work for a movie.
Let me be clear, the premise is sound.
Speaking of which, the soundtrack takes on a life of its own. Whereas New York has always been seen, in many ways, as its own character in Spider-Man – the music could be its own for this movie. One that plays narrator of tone and emotion.
Likewise, all the beats of a solid Spider-Man story script are also there. Romance, Geekiness and moments of being an awkward teen? Check. Witty one-liners, New York skylines and landmarks feature agile action scenes and gorgeous fight sequences with creative web shooting? Also, check.
But where the movie excels most is its visuals. Seriously, the animation style is so gorgeous Sony is trying to Patent the look, something that’s never been done before. It’s a unique hue of saturated colors mixed with 3D texturing, while also playing with the comic-book medium’s shape, shading, and texture.
All of which doesn’t detract but accentuates the story as the mind-bending animation works well for a reality breaking multiverse type of tale. The main story’s art reminded me of a telltale game as it was comical, but also had infinitely better quality. Especially in how it mixed and matched technique and style.
Picture a DJ mixing performing a concert except replace sound with visuals, it’s quite profound. Which works well for this movie, because it’s a mix of different iterations of the Spider-Men mythos, blending together for a team-up of epic proportions.
I went away from the film with this heartfelt message that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. Part of me wants to tell you more about the Spider-People… but those have such a vibrant life of their own, it would be a disservice for me to ruin the surprise.
This is one of the most innovative takes on a Spider-man movie, let alone an animated movie, you will ever see. It’s really that good and I highly suggest every Spider-man fan or animation fan go and watch it.
ELF, Will Ferrell, 2003, (c) New Line/courtesy Everett Collection
Look, I know this isn’t going to sit well with most people. Or, maybe, you and I just might be in agreement here. In any case, tis the season, eh?
I’ve managed to cull this thing to ten films. It doesn’t include animated specials or Hallmark flicks. If that’s your thing, move on. If you’re still on board, read on. If you have opinions on the ranking or would like to discuss what I’ve missed, hit the comments and, in the words of one of my favorite sports radio hosts, “Holla at ya’ boy”.
Let’s roll!
10) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
There needed to be a version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” here. There didn’t need to be the cringe-worthy Albert Finney version my elders forced me through each year until I was 10 years old. And I wanted to include a version that wasn’t stuffy (everything before sound was introduced into film) or renamed “Scrooge” for some reason (everything else). Bill Murray’s Scrooged was close to being on this list but that movie, while occasionally clever, is insanely uneven and mean-spirited in spots and there’s no real warmth to it. And I’m not gonna mince words here: Robert Zemeckis’s 2009 uncanny valley take is crap. That really leaves us with the end-all, be-all version of the book, The Muppet Christmas Carol. Michael Caine is perfect in the part, taking the role as seriously as one can despite being surrounded by a mostly-Muppet-centric cast. That’s not to say that the proceedings are cheap and silly. This version of the Dickens classic has conviction and is intent on giving you the very best. The surprisingly high production value, well-written musical numbers, excellent characterizations, performances and storytelling produce unexpected emotional moments. The result is a version that is delightful, hitting all the right notes. It’s equal parts traditional and Muppet-style irreverent, with some added flair: Rizzo and Gonzo (who plays “Charles Dickens” much to the skepticism of Rizzo) are your hosts throughout the film, serving as narrators as well as comfort to children who might be scared by the more supernatural aspects of the film. Easily, one of the best versions of the novel.
BEST SCENE:
A scene not found in any modern release of this movie, Scrooge’s duet with his girlfriend called “When Love Is Gone”. For some reason, Jeff Katzenberg thought it would bore children. Brain Henson (son of the late Jim Henson) objected. The scene was cut anyhow and that’s a damn shame. It was one of the most emotional high points of the film, the type that can wring tears from a stone. Just watch it. I did. I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying…
9) Home Alone (1990)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
It’s a silly, convoluted goofball idea made magical via a great cast, spot-on direction from future Harry Potter helmer, Chris Columbus and an incredibly memorable musical score from the great John WIlliams. Wrap that all in Christmas ambiance, and you have yourself the perfect Christmas movie. The premise is that Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) is left home alone after a family member mistakes a neighborhood kid for him during a headcount before they leave for the airport in a rush. Kevin’s helpless as most children — but resourceful in his own way. This helps when two burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) show up to rob the house. The movie is mostly Kevin getting in and out of trouble and while you cringe at the bratty, over-privileged behavior on the part of both him and his parents during the first quarter of the movie, everyone ends up becoming sympathetic by virtue of chemistry and because kids and parents can relate with each of the McAllisters. In other words, Home Alone is far better than it has any right to be. (Quick note: I’d shoehorn in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York but that movie is almost a parody of the original and far too cartoonish.)
BEST SCENE
So many to choose from. I can’t really choose many of the slapstick moments during the defense of the House McAllister because it’s just a lot of crash-bang and it kinda gels together. This one scene, as simplistic as it is, is always in my brain. Whenever I hear The Drifters version of “White Christmas”, there’s no way I don’t think of Kevin lip-syncing the song into the mirror following his daily shower. It’s a welcome pallet-cleanser between the more intense moments in the movie.
8) The Ref (1994)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
Have you ever been to a Christmas dinner with your significant other’s family? And when you get there, a simple conversation erupts and becomes a gigantic argument where nobody can shut up and everyone tries to get the last word? Then you’ll identify with The Ref, a film about a cat burglar named Gus (Denis Leary) who tries to wait out the large police force hunting him in a small town on the East Coast by hiding out with Caroline and Lloyd Chasseur (Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey), a married couple who he’s taken hostage in their own home. The problem? They’re an extremely unhappy married couple who can’t stop fighting. And it gets worse: before long, Gus finds himself posing as the couple’s marriage councilor after Lloyd’s unwitting family arrives for an insanely uncomfortable Christmas Eve dinner. Leary is in his element here, playing the part of the exasperated Gus with every fiber of angry, pent-up energy he’s known for in his comedy routine. But the film would be nothing without Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis who not only have great chemistry with Leary, but also with one another. You believe they’re an actual unhappy married couple. Every argument, every potshot, every single moment between them doesn’t feel at all rehearsed. This all might sound unpleasant if only the dialogue wasn’t so sharp. The insults Lloyd and Caroline toss at one another cut like a knife but are incredibly funny. An example of such:
CAROLINE: I had this dream…I’m in this restaurant, and the waiter brings me my entree. It was a salad. It was Lloyd’s head on a plate of spinach with his penis sticking out of his ear. And I said, “I didn’t order this.” And the waiter said, “Oh you must try it, it’s a delicacy. But don’t eat the penis, it’s just garnish.”
DR. WONG: Lloyd, what do you think about the dream?
LLOYD: I think she should stop telling it at dinner parties to all our friends.
Yeah, you could put this movie on the list of “movies that take place during Christmas”, but that would be a gross miscalculation. Christmas isn’t always snowfall, music and gifts. Family strife plays a big part in the lives of people outside your holiday bubble. This movie is the embodiment of that notion.
BEST SCENE
Gus faces off against the worst of Lloyd’s family in his overbearing mother (played with such seething, shrill evil by the great Glynis Johns) and nearly loses it in the process. It contains two of the greatest lines in the film, found near the end of this clip.
7) Elf (2003)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
I will never understand the absolute vitriol this movie is subjected to in some circles. Elf is everything Christmas was, is, or could be. Maybe it’s the objection to Will Ferrell as “Buddy the Elf”. Maybe it’s the unavoidable awkward feeling that Buddy is a child in a man’s body and that it’s disturbing to see him dating a woman half his age. I really don’t know. Then again, there are those (I’m looking at you, Keith Phipps) who think that Evil Christmas constitutes a spot on any sort of “all-time” list. If that’s your thing, so be it. So, why shit all over Elf? The movie is unbelievably charming, funny and, at times, moving. Buddy is everyone we once were, before we were jaded and corrupted by the rampant cynicism this world serves up like so much ice cream. There’s magic to be had in this film, whether it comes from Buddy’s child-like wonder when shown the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree for the first time or Santa (Ed Asner for, what, the fifth time?) trying so hard to keep his sleigh in the air because of the lack of that very wonder in the air. It’s a thoughtful film, almost completely void of toilet humor and cheap fart jokes Hollywood defaults to when they can’t come up with something funny. And if none of this sells you, consider the fact that Jim Carrey turned the role of Buddy down so that he could star in the soulless live-action version of The Grinch. And we all know what a masterpiece of special holiday film-making that was.
BEST SCENE
Santa can’t get his sleigh back into the air due to the outright lack of Christmas Spirit it requires to fly, so Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) decides to take matters into her own hands by leading a large pack of New Yorkers in the singing of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, which ends up televised all over the city, inspiring everyone around the city to sing along. This is truly one of the most heart-warming moments in any Christmas film.
6) Love Actually (2003)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
All right, I’ll make you a deal, if you give me a pass on Elf, you can have a pass on Love Actually. Admittedly, this movie grew on me. It took me 13 years for me to open up my cold, cold heart to it and invite it in. A couple years ago, I contributed to an article at The Workprint where I wrote, “Love, Actually is pandering, cloying, terribly stupid (Christ on a crutch, the story about the dumb, toothy British dude somehow roping in three different women in one night…wow…no, that doesn’t happen on this planet or in any dimension), and has some incredibly unbelievable stories. A woman sacrifices a relationship with the man she’s been obsessing over for YEARS in order to take care of her mentally ill brother? C’mon.” And…yeah. Those stories are still ridiculous in my eyes. In fact, most, if not all, of these stories are downright silly because of the execution of the concept: it feels like you’re watching a series of really long coffee commercials. Everything witnessed is a fantasy. Nothing seems real. Everything is an exaggeration of the truth. And, perhaps, that’s where the magic lies. Because some of us have been in a broken marriage or relationship, most of us have secretly pined for that man or woman and just can’t let them know how we feel, and all of us, in some way, are lonely and longing for any kind of human connection. When Love Actually falters, it’s eye-rollingly bad. But when it’s good (and this is more often than not), you feel it as deeply as the characters who are experiencing it. And that’s magnified by the fact that it takes place during the time of year when a Christmas song or the sight of decorations can bring you additional warmth or break you in half.
BEST SCENE
I probably can’t supply certain clips because it would spoil the many stories told in the film…so I’m going with Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) plugging his record on a local BBC pop music show. His line at the end is still priceless.
5) Die Hard (1988)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
You know why it’s on the list. Die Hard is a classic action movie, even all these years later. It’s near-mythical in its status. It’s taut, suspenseful, well-executed, AWESOME. The action sequences and storytelling are top-notch. MORE awesome. It features Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman in star-making roles. ULTRA awesome. And it takes place during Christmas. For as many machine gun rounds fired, we also get a Christmas party, complete with music, lights and trees. Willis’s “John McClane” uses Christmas in his mental games with Hans (Rickman) and his crew. Die Hard is one of the reasons screenwriter Shane Black didn’t stop supplying us with a steady stream of action flicks set during Christmas after the success of this and Lethal Weapon, which he wrote. All of this elevates everything and makes the movie feels truly grand. This isn’t up for debate. Die Hard is one of the greatest Christmas films of all-time.
BEST SCENE
The famous moment where Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman verbally spar over the radio for the first time, setting up a classic game of cat-and-mouse…and we get to hear Willis’s now-classic line at the end of it. Yippie-kai-yai-yay…
4) White Christmas (1954)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
I’d like to welcome back the majority of the people who started this article with #10 and #9 and then thought I went off the deep end starting with #8. Thanks for sticking with me. White Christmas was a film I finally saw in 2012. It’s not wholly remarkable. It’s fluff. But it’s Christmas fluff and I will gladly welcome Christmas fluff into my collection provided it’s not an incompetent mess. Maybe it’s the fact that I was in a bit of a lonely place following the end of a relationship I was in and I needed some old school warmth that reminded me of watching old Christmas movies with my late grandmother. White Christmas is probably one of the best vintage Christmas films I’ve ever seen. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye are a perfect team, the songs and dance sequences in the film are beautifully shot and the use of color (Paramount’s VistaVision is in play here) is breathtaking. The film has some memorable moments, including the party that opens the film as Crosby and his men say good-bye to their superior officer. Of course you know they’ll meet him later and that it will set up the big finale at the end of the film…but that’s the whole point. That and the easy-going romantic connections made along the way. White Christmas is the movie you watch after something like Die Hard in order to soothe yourself and relax…only to continue your journey through the rest of your Christmas movie list.
BEST SCENE
Easily, Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen’s dance number, “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing”. This stuff just isn’t seen in Hollywood on a regular basis anymore.
3) Bad Santa (2003)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
Whereas The Ref gave us chaos and strife, it was somewhat manageable chaos. The characters in that film ironed out their differences and became (somewhat) better people. Bad Santa seems to lack that hope, and presents us with a man who is below the bottom of the barrel in Billy Bob Thornton’s “Willie Soke”, a thief who spends each Christmas infiltrating big name department stores by working as the adjoining mall’s Santa Claus, a role he barely inhabits and is apathetic toward the notion of ever doing so. He’s an old, tired alcoholic with deep emotional scars, the result of a hinted-at tumultuous childhood and military service in the 60’s and 70’s. At one point, he wants to end his life and attempts suicide — but is pulled out of it because the kid he’s partially looking after got bullied and, goddammit, those bullies are gonna get the shit kicked out of them for ever doing something like that to a kid. I’m not even gonna kid myself. You’re like, “This isn’t a Christmas movie” or you’re asking me “Why would anyone watch this?” to which I answer “I don’t care what you think” and “because it’s the epitome of Christmas”. For every happy soul at the mall buying gifts for loved ones, listening to Christmas music, decorating the house, baking pies or spending time with family…there’s always somebody on the opposite end, wallowing in their own self-imposed emotional prison. As hilarious as this movie can be, Thornton’s portrayal of Soke is representative of the thousands of people who struggle with their own personal demons during the holidays. Thornton gives us an anti-hero who simultaneously disgusts you and makes you feel empathy simply because, at some point, you’ve been him in some small way. Chevy Chase’s “Clark Griswold” has been close to visiting that place inside him. But he’s never actually been there. For the first time, we get to see what it’s like to be “that guy” during the holidays. It’s equal parts beautiful, reprehensible and sad. In anyone else’s hands, Bad Santa would have been a total disaster but director Terry Zwigoff’s casting of Thornton is a stroke of genius and not only gives us one of his greatest performances ever, but one of the more memorable Christmas movie characters in history.
BEST SCENE
Willie working his “magic” as Santa…
2) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has earned its spot on this list and on many lists precisely because, like It’s a Wonderful Life before it (a movie this film pays homage to in more ways than one), the protagonist is an easily relatable everyman put into situations that every single mother and father have been through. In past entries of the Vacation series, Clark Griswold was little more than a cartoon character, superhuman in his attempts to get from point A to point B, sacrificing his sanity and goodwill for the sake of pleasing his family who thinks he’s insane anyhow.
Here, Griswold has been reduced to a real human being. He’s no longer SuperDad. He works hard for a demanding boss who, unbeknownst to Clark and his workmates, has decided to eliminate his staff’s holy grail: the Christmas bonus. And that’s the main course, served up later, following a multi-course meal of smaller disasters whether it’s Clark’s eternal struggle with getting his Christmas lights to work or to understand and deal with his wayward brother. Forget the notion of putting in a pool. There are much larger things at play here.
One of the brilliant things about the movie is that it does give you the requisite happy ending — but it feels so surreal. Is it really the “happy” ending or is it a fever dream? We know damn well the elimination of a Christmas bonus would end in tears, sorrow and the consumption of enough whiskey to fuel a rocket. Christmas Vacation is a film that doesn’t show us what Christmas is, it shows us what we wish it was. it’s no longer Clark Griswold taking on a Moose or parts of Europe. It’s Clark Griswold facing off against the forces of fate and the very universe itself. And it’s a joy to watch each year.
BEST SCENE
Clark gets the bad news about his assumed “Christmas bonus”…it doesn’t go well and his tantrum is a thing of beauty, inducing both tears and belly laughs.
1) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
You know the score. George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) builds a rapport over time with the citizens of Bedford Falls, bailing them out of their various personal versions of hell until George becomes one of them and experiences their plight, first-hand. This movie is remarkable in that maybe the last quarter of it actually takes place during Christmas — thus, it may not actually be a Christmas film. So, why is It’s a Wonderful Life here? Because it’s a movie that that demands to be seen during Christmas.
The difference between Christmas Vacation and It’s a Wonderful Life is a matter of personality. Whereas Griswold is all about taking care of his family, he does it for pride. He does it for the admiration. Bailey saves people because he truly can’t imagine what life might be like if they suffer. Bailey takes care of his own. The lesson sounds heavy-handed but it’s something to think about if you’ve ever thought material gifts took precedence over the people you love. And what better time to meditate on that than Christmas?
It’s that lesson that not only spans every season in a given year, but entire generations.
It’s a Wonderful Life is the best Christmas film of all-time.
BEST SCENE
George talks about tying up the moon and bringing it down so that he can give it to his beloved Mary…
HONORABLE MENTION
Olive, the Other Reindeer – A wonderful little cartoon by Matt Groening that has the same quick-witted humor found on The Simpsons. The voice-work is outstanding, starring Drew Barrymore in the titular role.
The Santa Clause – The writing isn’t as good as you want it to be. It’s Disney-safe but there’s still some magic to be had in the tale of a man who assumes Kris Kringle’s identity.
Lethal Weapon – The movie that started the modern “Christmas as a backdrop” thing. Shane Black wrote this sucker and this wouldn’t be his last Christmas script.
The Long Kiss Goodnight – Shane Black strikes again with another buddy action comedy with Geena Daivs and Samuel L. Jackson as a super spy and the man trying to investigate why she vanished and reappeared.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang – Yet another Shane Black piece. A Neo-Noir piece starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer as two unlikely partners involved in a mess of dead bodies and Hollywood politics.
Miracle on 34th Street – I’ve seen this movie twice. For some reason, it doesn’t really get to me the way it gets to others because of the predictability of simplicity of it all. Still a wonderful movie.
The Nightmare Before Christmas – Absolutely brilliant film on so many levels…but, for some reason, this movie fits better during Halloween.
A Christmas Story – I never truly understood the appeal of this film, though it’s funny in spots.
Scrooged – I love this movie, though it’s pretty dark and mean-spirited.
Jingle All the Way – A hilarious look at how far a parent will go to please his kid…it’s just too bad the characters are unappealing.
The following is an episode-by-episode recap of season 2. It will contain spoilers. For a spoiler-free review of the season click here.
Ep. 1: Simone
The episode opens with a beautiful segue through the hustle and bustle of the B. Altman store: starting outside, the windows decorated with shiny wintery snowflakes, and then in through the doors and onto busy bustling storeroom – the holiday themed attire and backdrops. This, all while being serenaded by the Barbara Streisand tune “Just Leave Everything to Me” from the movie Hello, Dolly.
The transition takes us downstairs into the basement, stopping at the telephone operator floor. Where we catch Midge, now demoted to operator girl. Yet, even so, she’s still acting quite marvelous at that.
The budget is bigger in season two and it shows right from the beginning. With some seriously detailed set-pieces and costume designs, along with the best camera work in the series to date.
Soon after, Midge receives a call at work from Susie. Opportunities have come once again despite her hiccups at the end of last season. All thanks to her opening set for Lenny Bruce.
But just as we think the comedy is coming…
Her father, Abe Weisman, calls. He’s quite hysterical. Midge’s mother has disappeared!
At least, that’s what they thought. At this point, we should know the Weismann family can be a little… self-centered. Abe can get lost in his calculations. Midge in her comedy. The family lacks a certain type of attention…
Because Rose left an obvious note, in the open, right in front of them. Unhappy and feeling betrayed that her family didn’t need her, Rose packed her things and left for Paris, permanently.
Yet none of the family seemed to take notice.
So the episode starts with a screwball. As Midge and Abe drop everything and head off to Paris. Getting Rose’s address from the housekeeper, they find her happily mingling with new friends, living in a quaint little apartment and caretaking her new dog: Simone.
Most importantly, Rose is happy for once in her life and has no desire to return home.
Over dinner at a local café, Midge and Abe attempt to convince her to go home. Over steak tartare, Rose babbles on about how wonderful Paris is – which she is correct. So far, the episode has done nothing but shown us how marvelous the decorum, culture and people are. Like the movie, ‘Midnight in Paris’ but with faster, even wittier phrasing.
When confronted again about returning home, Rose still says no. Abe storms off, as Midge gets on her mother’s case about her commitment to her husband. And in an acerbic retort, Rose replies, “Look who’s talking?”
Hurting Midge rather personally.
She wanders the streets in a moment of self-reflection. Midge ends up at a nightclub, as it’s her go to haven as a comedian – though this one is filled with drag queens performing as women on stage. Midge accidentally finds herself onstage as well, which leads her to perform a stand-up set, a fellow New Yorker luckily in the audience, playing impossible translator to the fast-talking wise cracking Mrs. Maisel.
As expected, she does well, the audience is captivated. At least, until the end.
This leads to the most important part of the episode: a flashback to the evening of her stand-up set at the end of last season. Joel was in the crowd that night. Midge didn’t know and wanted to tell him she was a comedian personally.
Especially because her material was heavily based on their failed marriage.
So she chased after him, wanting to explain things… But he in return, gave back his wedding ring back to her… effectively ending their rekindling relationship.
Midge gets off stage and wanders Paris alone. But everywhere she turns were some harrowing reminders of romance from the city of love. Midge calls Joel – begging to fix things, especially for the kids. Although Joel loves her, and she in turn loves him, he realized that night, that he can’t be the butt of her joke. That if she’s going to do stand-up, he would never be able to be her embarrassing husband…
Yet at the same time, wants her to live out her dream all the same.
It’s sad, really. Which makes for a good season opener. On a lighter note, Susie gets taken away by some tough thugs who intend to murder her – but instead, they end up becoming the best of friends, in one of the funniest side stories of the season.
Ep. 2: Mid-Way to Mid-Town
Midge is home in New York. Susie is crashing at her place in attempts to hide from the goons Harry Drake sent to hurt her. She’s relishing in Midge’s lifestyle – bubble baths and pink face soaps, late night TV, maids and sandwiches galore.
But after a funny little encounter with Imogene, Midge’s best friend, who catches Susie living at her parents luxurious apartment – Susie realizes she has to have a sidebar with her client.
Confused as to why nobody knows Midge was performing comedy for Suzie at the Gaslight nightclub, she talks with Midge. Midge realizes she’s going to have to tell her parents she’s a stand-up comedian. Preferably soon as Susie gets more and more press for her client.
It’s only occurring to her now that being a successful comedian means having your face known. Her secret nightlife as a stand-up, can’t remain a secret forever.
Meanwhile, Abe remains in Paris with Rose, and immediately starts taking a liking to the culture. Wearing berets and sipping coffee over conversation. We see how wonderful the pair adapt to the style and culture; the two very much enjoying their lives there, discussing philosophy and art and Proust.
Yet for all it’s worth, Abe’s still tries to get Rose to go back with him. He has to return to his work. She has to watch after their family.
In an oddly sweet partnership – after some serious consideration by Rose, the two do eventually end up returning home by episode’s end. Though what’s most noticeable, is how amenable it is. How great of a couple the two make.
Abe, very much in love with his wife, convinces the university to allow her to audit some art courses – as art history was one of the things about Paris Rose absolutely loved.
It’s a prominent arc this season, where we start to see why they work as a marriage. It’s also engaging that we see Rose in a different light.
Back in New York, Joel wants to buy an apartment for Midge and the kids. He also wants to get his life together. He starts by trying to fix-up his father’s textile manufacturing business.
On the stand-up end, midge performs a gig that’s still a ways away from midtown (remember, she’s banned from a lot of clubs due to angering Harry last season). Her set is postponed many times, and her outfit is worse for wear, more as the evening wears on.
She’s also made fun of throughout the night for being a woman. But conflict is what gets Midge to do her best, so when she finally does her set, she nails it – making fun of the haters and getting back at her heckling cohorts.
It’s a statement about women in comedy, especially on oppression. The routine generates some serious laughs. Yet despite that they got paid, they also pissed off some ego hurt males along the way.
Which is funny, because this club ends up being Midge’s most constant gig in town… more on that later.
Ep. 3: The Punishment Room
By now, the series has really showcased just how dependent they are on Zelda, their maid/nanny. Which is why this opening bit, during Zelda’s day off, works:
The family prepares to go about their day, each member hastily getting ready to do what they need. Yet, coincidentally as everyone is good to go and out the door – they immediately return: because no one is sticking around to watch the kids!
It showcases this is a family filled with people that’s focused an awful lot on themselves. Which is funny, given how judgmental they are about keeping secrets, when in truth – they’re all not very good at listening.
We cut to Midge’s job, as she’s temporarily promoted back upstairs to coat check-in. An upgrade from the operator room, and within reach of her old girlfriends at the cosmetics counter.
Reconnecting with old friends, Midge offers to help plan a coworker’s wedding for free. Why? Because she doesn’t know how to nosy in. Also, she likes anything involving style and taste – wedding planning would come naturally.
At the venue, Midge convinces the pastor to grant her friend a more spacious location for the wedding; getting out of the punishment room (yes, that’s what it’s called; yes, it’s just as depressing as it sounds) and into the window room (essentially, a small hall with windows).
The wedding is executed a lot better. People are enjoying and it’s a beautiful little occasion as compared to a somber affair in a tiny punishment room.
Despite this, just when all seems well, Midge proves to be her own undoing. During an opportune moment for a toast where she’s given thanks – Midge takes the microphone and proceeds to kick into stand-up, roasting her Catholic audience – delivering offensive, after offensive, after sexually charged yet creepily insinuating puns!
This does not bode well. The best bit: when Midge jokes that the bride is only committing because of a pregnancy out of wedlock. Because she is! Which leaves her friend in tears, in a hilariously awkward, yet ultimately self-destructive moment of this season.
As for the parents, Rose is dealing with being back in New York and has started auditing classes thanks to some pull from Abe. She starts with good intentions: doing well in class and having discussions; yet, she somewhat scares her younger art school friends. Rose provides some revelations to her younger cohorts that artists rarely become successful and encourages them to find husbands at the business school over small talk. Surprisingly, all of them follow suit. The women in art class abandon their dreams and drop out of the art program thanks to Rose’s advice.
Thus, the department threatens to kick Rose out. But with some persuasion from Abe, they hilariously work a deal out. Mostly by confusing the Dean together with some truth bombs (Literally, Abe saw nothing wrong with Rose’s doings – even suggesting maybe hiring more women professors), showcasing yet again the oddly funny yet enigmatic power couple the two make when working together.
Meanwhile, Susie rents her place out to an Italian family to save money, only to realize her phone provider is charging an arm and a leg for long distance calls. Which also happen to be any call up to two miles away. So basically, every phone call.
Joel starts looking through his mother’s accounting books – First to apply for a loan; then to go on a quest…
In one of the funniest side stories this season, Joel must go treasure hunting. His mother’s books are indecipherable, but they do contain plenty of maps to hidden stashes of money. Joel’s parents, apparently preferring to hide their cash in random locations instead of trusting a bank.
Later on, Midge tries to apologize to her friend whose wedding she ruined, all the while, working the coat closet. When she refuses to talk, Midge breaks the only rule of being a coat checker: never leave your station. She tries to apologize, and of course is caught, causing her to go back to the basement.
Ep. 4: We’re Going to The Catskills!
What do you do when you have an entire Summer to dedicate into breaking in as a stand-Up Comedian?
For Midge Maisel, you take a two-month vacation.
These are sort of the standard expectations of living in an upper-class family with privilege in Manhattan’s upper west side; the lifestyles of Midge Maisel and the Weismann family.
What’s crazy is how long of a break that is for the average person.
What’s even crazier? Is that it’s spent at a Jewish sleepaway camp set in the late 1950s.
There’s this recurring bit this episode: who’s the child and who’s the parent? We see this from the opening with Ethan, Midge’s son, playing with Grandpa Abe’s tiny models of the family luggage and U-haul truck. Tiny toy-like models which, according to Abe, is not for children…
The camera then cuts away to Midge and Rose, who sort through two racks of hanged-up dresses, playing dress up and looking for what outfits to wear the entire summer.
It’s strange. So much about the Catskills getaway seems like it’s for children. The glasses of juice, the games of Simon Says, the fireworks and the row boats and tumblers… the three episodes taking place here – very much upping the cheesiness factor, along with playing with our expectations about what it means to be an adult.
So the family goes to the Catskills. It’s a perfect sort of family vacation. Yet, shortly upon arrival, Midge realizes she’s being treated differently. Given the separation with her husband, the community starts ostracizing her. Treating her, and later, Joel with a cold shoulder out of fear of their reputation.
Joel makes a scene when he arrives, defending his ex-wife and demanding fair and equal treatment – the same as they had gotten in the past. He is especially pissed when he finds out that Midge is not allowed to partake in the swimsuit competition due to their recent separation and the negative attention that may bring.
On the comedy side of things, Susie refuses to do spend two months doing nothing and so joins her client, sneaking into the resort with a perfect disguise: A Plunger!
She carries it with her, oddly affectionately as the episodes go on, and the disguise works swimmingly: everyone believes she’s maintenance crew.
Susie is determined to find Midge gigs around the luxurious Catskills – all the while, crashing at the lodge in rather hilarious fashion.
Unfortunately, Joel forgot to book a room himself, and so is relegated into staying at the Weismann family’s sunroom. Although Abe warns him, that he likes to get up at 5am for morning exercise in his one-piece Romper – in a humorous morning bit.
Finally, Rose decides to try to set up Midge with an oddly quirky doctor. Who is none other than Benjamin, a tall and fit Zachary Levi coming off the Shazam set, doing his best to be obnoxious (And failing because let’s be honest, we know where he’s going – that Chuck).
Towards the end, we see Joel looking on at Midge and her parents rather longingly. He wants his old life back. He later meets Ben, a complete stranger, and asks about the nature of forgiveness – the two disagreeing.
It’s Joel’s character arc this season, and it’s surprisingly well done.
Ep. 5: Midnight at the Conchord
Whereas most of the episodes were sudden jumps into new locations, this episode saw Midge get back on track with her comedy. Showcasing her wit, but also, perseverance even at the most awkward of moments.
Midge gets a call from the B. Altman department store, informing her that she can have her make-up counter job back if she can show up today.
Immediately, she drops her vacation at the Catskills and does what she can to head back into the city, moving so fast there wasn’t enough time to inform Susie that she was leaving.
Susie, meanwhile, is still wandering around the resort trying to find Midge work. A fellow scammer who also uses objects to hide in plain sight, seems to be onto her and the two have a funny game of, “I know what you’re doing” with each other. Eventually, she’s able to book Midge a pretty big gig at the Conchord.
Without other options, Midge reluctantly catches a ride with Benjamin back to New York. He’s on his way back to the city as well, as he’s a surgeon but also, doesn’t enjoy the Catskills too much – only staying long enough to eat an entire box of cereal. Very much showcasing that Ben is just as strange as Midge is in a lot of ways.
On the road trip over, the two make for poor company. Ben drives in silence, and then intentionally bores Midge by playing news radio. All-in-all they’re terrible together, that is, until he cuts the radio out, and she begins playfully riffing and ad-libbing her own broadcast. Ben quickly takes a liking to her comedy, and we begin to see a shift in their relationship.
Back in the city, Ben asks her on a date, and she agrees.
The show skips over Midge’s reclamation of her make-up counter gig entirely. Focusing instead on her and Ben’s evening date. What happens next is indeed, a sappy happy romance. As Midge and Ben clearly have chemistry together and spend the night playfully joking with each other.
First, they skip out on the second half of a Broadway play that neither find all-too exciting, save for the mutual riffing about how awful stories featuring trials are. Afterward, they drop by Lenny Bruce’s set at a club, as Ben gets a semi-introduction into Midge’s world, which seems to work for him. At the usual Diner, the two hit it off too, and Midge, seeing where this is going, confesses to Ben that she’s a comedian. He finds it weird, which is actually a great thing, as Ben really likes that in a partner.
This is a significant step for Midge, as she has yet to reveal the secret even to her own parents. But Ben brushes off the secret and isn’t freaked out by it. Something Joel didn’t do.
Speaking of which, Joel seems to be doing quite alright for himself as well at the Catskills. Numerous women are interested in him. But he doesn’t seem to truly try. It’s obvious he’s still enamored with Midge, though it seems like only a matter of time until they both move on with other people – or so this episode implies.
Susie then informs Midge she’s got a spot on the Concord, which turns out to be the largest gig she’s ever played at. She performs rather admirably and is nailing her set until she notices… her father, Abe Weismann, in the crowd.
Earlier at camp, we’d seen Abe wander off and fake being sick to avoid spending time with the Maisels (Joel’s parents) – secretly sneaking off to apparently see this show. As the set continues, we notice he’s quite unsettled at his daughter’s jokes, much of which, are made at the expense of his family. Midge keeps going, maintaining composure while also apologizing to the crowd in an awkwardly funny bit.
Abe addresses his daughter after the show. She’s horrified. He takes both her and Susie back to the cabin, the two get inside the back of his car like a pair of children deeply in trouble with dad – which very much is the case.
Ep. 6: Let’s Face the Music and Dance
A telling title for the following episode.
After being driven back to the lodge after the set at the Concord, Midge and Susie wait on the couch, Abe’s shock still apparent – as the tune of flight of the bumblebee plays in the backdrop highlighting his mind’s anxiety. He leaves them be for what’s assumed to be a moment.
They wait until next morning for his condemnation, but it never seems to happen.
Susie then returns to the workers camp and find out that everyone has been searching for her throughout the evening – concerned that she’d gone missing.
It’s touching, as Susie is sort of a recluse loner, yet here, the camp counselors and staff have seemed to have really taken a liking to her – she’s sorely missed and well loved upon her return – the gang providing her blankets and even feeding her soup.
The next morning over an awkward breakfast, Abe asks Midge about her standup choices. She tries to reason with him, reassuring that this is what she wants. However, Abe is still disgusted with her. Midge wants to tell her mother, but Abe is adamantly against it.
Coincidentally, this is the last of Abe’s problems. When a surprising call from Bell labs forces him to return, he soon learns of a grave secret: That his clearance is of little importance. Equal to that of a Janitor. Moreso, that his own son, Noah (Will Brill), has been secretly working on an even larger project for the government – something gravely overshadowing his father.
It’s refreshing to see Abe at a low point. A man, who had believed for so long to be in charge and in control – seemingly realizing how small he is. His career greatly overshadowed by his son, and his daughter, secretly living a secret life as a comedian under his nose.
At the same time, nothing really changes for him – Abe and his family are very much the same. He now just knows the secrets – which in turn, changes him in a way.
To get more information, he schemes with his wife, Rose – in a very funny bit playing on women’s roles and expectations in Jewish culture. Rose ‘interrogates’ Noah’s wife, preying on her delirious nature due to her own fasting over religious protest.
The episode concludes with a dance (an homage to Dirty Dancing, which also took place at the Catskills) and the night ends with a moment between Midge and Joel.
The two acknowledge that things have changed.
Oddly enough, by embracing their honesty with each other and by being supportive of one another; they’ve finally become the people each other needed when they were together…
But it’s all too late. They’re not together. They’re separated and looking for a new dance partner. The episode ending with this bittersweet sentiment.
Ep. 7: Look, She Made a Hat
The episode begins with a date at an art show. Midge and Ben, now official, are shaking hands with some of New York’s finest artists. Midge buys a painting in the back room, in the lesser-known discounted section.
It’s this purchase, out of a heartfelt connection with art, that piques the interest of a Declan Howell, an eccentric, yet isolated Artist who also happens to be one of Ben’s favorites. They meet him at a tavern filled with fellow artists, and immediately Ben is smitten.
See Declan rarely sells his pieces. He’s an artists’ artist and a well-known drunk – a boisterous, albeit brilliant – rebel of sorts.
Naturally, Midge decides to try and convince Declan to sell Ben a piece. Using a bit of that Midge Maisel charm, they agree to meet at his place at a later date.
At this point, we’re seeing Ben’s utter infatuation with Midge. He’s obviously in love with every little thing she does: her observations, her jokes, her stubbornness, and even slight narcissism. It’s hard not to notice these things, especially given how much we follow her story. Especially because we know that Ben’s right.
Midge is marvelous in many ways.
Meanwhile, Joel officially buys the building of his father’s business, allowing the company more control over the rent, and perhaps the ability to fix things – as the business is struggling.
They celebrate the occasion with libations and a small party. We soon notice that Joel is in fact ‘courting’ multiple women at once – thought it’s all consensual.
But by the end of the night, we realize that despite his success at this job, and the many women that want to date him, and the may people that like him; Joel is miserable. What he actually wants is forgiveness: For what he did to Midge, and for how he destroyed his family.
For the past few episodes, we’ve seen Joel slowly grow into this surprisingly caring person – a contrast to his selfishness last season. He plays savior to both his parents, and the people that work for his father, and is especially supportive to Midge and the kids; but this moment provides some clarity, that in the end, all Joel just wants is his old life back – and more than anything, to fix the wrongs he did.
Elsewhere, Susie, in a small side plot, meets her family and makes plans to go on a tour with Midge. Yet she needs money, and maybe a car, to get them there. Her family is as expected: sleazy and unreliable – but Susie is able to get what she needs with some family advice from her sister.
Back at Declan’s place, after some bouncy conversation, Midge is able to get a private moment with the artist. He takes her out back and is allowed to look at his masterpiece. It’s then, that we get to know the real Declan.
He admits that he had given his passion his everything: at the cost of anything else he’d ever loved. His family. His personal life. It’s something Midge takes notice of and reflects upon about her own decisions – which is an important beat in story.
A hesitant and concerned Ben calls for her at the front. She departs, with Declan allowing her to gift Ben any of his pieces in the front gallery.
During Yom Kippur dinner, Midge finally confesses to her loved ones that she’s a comedian. Which goes over as you’d expect it to: hilariously.
Ep. 8: Someday…
The road trip episode! After signing her first ever autograph, Midge and Susie get ready to gig across the east coast. But first, Midge decides to do damage control.
First, Midge visits her dad, who is listening to Ethan’s (Midge’s son) records about potty training as he’s trying to teach a computer how to sing; children’s songs being the easiest to teach a computer. She takes this chance to invite him to see her perform – but he’s not having it. He emphasizes that so long as she gets married, everything will be fine.
Then, Midge visits Imogene, her best friend who was also at Yom Kippur dinner. She’s treating Imogene to lunch at the ‘Diner’ her stand-up friends attend. She feels guilty about not telling her sooner about the stand-up career.
Imogene is having a baby shower that Midge wouldn’t miss for the world.
On the road, Midge does a set in Washington D.C. and is on fire – getting laughs and winning the audience. She jokes about her dad’s project on stage, the children’s records he was listening to and the possibility that maybe, just maybe, her father was never potty trained.
Her set is cut short by the manager who is screaming ‘Fire!’ in the kitchen…
That evening, Midge and Susie share a room at a motel. We get a sense that Midge is a bit high strung and high class, expecting the over-the-counter guy who checked them in to bring her bags up, and freaking out about the ‘Lots of things to say hello to’ in the room (the gross things you’d expect at a cheap motel).
Still, she’s staying positive and treating this as an adventure. The episode plays with the differences in class between Susie and Midge; how particular and finicky Midge is; how lax and tough-natured Susie can be.
The next morning, Midge calls Joel to make sure Ethan and the baby are alright. We phone call, showing just how well-adjusted they are in their separation. We also get to see Joel accost Susie in making sure no harm happens to Midge, in an oddly gallant yet also brutish display that’s funny but also excessive. Though we understand: Joel truly cares about her.
That being said, the gigs don’t seem all too promising, as the next one in Philly plays to a mostly empty audience. The next motel: even worse than the last. Susie wakes up with a very noticeable rash on her face, and in a moment of hysterics, Midge realizes she mixed the dates up for Imogene’s baby shower – as it’s today.
Imogene forgives her over the phone rather quickly, yet Rose is not happy with her daughter – as they’re hosting the shower at their house. When Midge does eventually get home at the episode’s end, Rose leaves the mess from the baby shower up to Midge to clean up.
It’s interesting because we start to notice something: Midge is disregarding her duties to her family and friends, in favor of her Stand-up career, despite how poor the situation may be. An important thing to notice as she’s slowly but surely transforming – more on that later.
Things aren’t too promising in Pennsylvania. As their next gig is canceled and they’re forced to sleep in their car in the rain. To make matters worse, for their final gig in New York: their coordinator is skimping on paying, despite a solid performance because they’re ten minutes late (thanks to traffic on the tunnel in from NJ).
Susie is then locked in a closet when she tries to ask the money from the club manager. Midge, desperate and frustrated to no end, calls Joel who roughs the guy up to get their cash, while Susie makes a funny statement about the quality of the plunger in their closet (a callback to the Catskills; Susie again, quite enamored with plungers).
Ep. 9: Vote for Kennedy, Vote for Kennedy
The episode begins at the Diner, where everyone is gossiping about a big arthritis telethon looking for acts. The booker for it, who happens to be eating at this very diner (because this is the magic of television: convenience).
Susie works her magic and hustles a slot in for Midge, in a fun table hopping segment while Louis Prima’s “Jump, Jive and Wail” plays.
Cut to a scene later, and although it’s going to be her first television performance, Midge’s parents aren’t all too impressed.
Abe’s life has been miserable as of late. He’s awful to be around and performing terribly as a teacher, especially since the news of his son’s higher clearance than his, working for the CIA and Midge’s revelation of being a stand-up comedian. The university requests he go on sabbatical as the uptight Abe apparently has become a loose cannon (which sound silly, I know).
At the club, Midge tries out some TV-appropriate material on stage. A supportive Ben cheers on in the audience. They seem to be doing well together. That is, until he later meets her children at the park the next day. It startles her as she’s not ready for the encounter.
This is odd. Especially, because while Ben was allowed into her secret comedy life rather easily, her family – particularly her kids, whom she shares with Joel – seems to be a different issue.
Speaking of which, even though he single-handedly saved the company, Joel is offered $60,000 in an offer to leave, from his father. His dad wants him to figure his life out – fearing to see his son trapped and not moving on with his life.
Midge and Susie check out the telethon that evening and it’s impressive. It’s a refreshing change of scenery being in a studio – With snazzily dressed artists, engaging dancers, and a vibe that jives of the 1950s. It appears the gig is going to be quite a hoot – that is until they discover Sophie Lennon is also in attendance.
Much of the story then pivots to how Sophie sabotages both Midge’s screentime (she’s off camera for the telethon portion) and airtime (she’s put on dead last). Though not without Susie having a few words with Midge’s comedic rival – in a heated angry rant about how she shouldn’t mess with her client.
Surprisingly, Midge errs on the side of wisdom and tries to not stir the hornet’s nest – being amiable and trying best to not get in Sophie’s way. Especially when she realizes, from the many talents around her – that everyone sees Sophie as a talentless hack, just like she does. Yet still, one that needs to be feared.
After an invigorating performance by the singer Shy Baldwin (Leroy McClain), Midge encounters him in the bathroom – declaring how much her mother loves his music. She leaves a formidable impression with him… but more on that later.
Midge does her stand-up set at the end of the evening. Unsurprisingly she nails it yet again, being both humorous and charming, surprising everyone at the end and winning over the late callers of the evening.
Abe even watches her set on the television, as do the neighbors. And just for a moment, we’re even able to catch Abe smile, a nice contrast to his grumpy nature as of late.
Episode 10: All Alone
What I like about the season finale is how subtle the story has been building up to this. As I mentioned in the season review, the signals have been there throughout the season about how the season was going to end.
If you look at how the show portrays artists: mostly deadbeats and struggling people, those successful, the casualties of sacrifice. There’s this theme this season of how impossible it is to have your cake and eat it too.
The episode begins at a fortune teller’s place, the same one Rose frequented last season. She asks about her daughter’s future; the soothsayer, describing seeing Midge with a microphone, which Rose takes as getting married again. Seconds later, she reveals that she was seeing her in a black cocktail dress – the same one she uses performing stand-up.
Flashback to college, and Joel’s providing a snarky proposal to Blonde haired Midge albeit without obtaining permission from her father. Even though it’s not the most forward proposal, it is executed in a very romantic way – the duo ending up dancing together on the street.
Admittedly Joel is charming. The scene sees him at his best: both romantic and convincing.
Back to modern day, we see Ben meet with Abe, requesting Midge’s hand in marriage. But it’s an awful lot like a job application – Abe seriously vetting his to be son-in-law by requesting personal histories, bank records and hobby lists. He wants to be sure everything is done right this time, and that Ben is the right partner for his daughter.
Meanwhile, Midge looks at dresses with her mother, who goes over appropriate choices for her second wedding. No to Champagne colors. Yes, to finesse with practicality.
At the factory, Joel seemingly stays at his job despite being paid by his father. He even brings his children around. Ethan leaves hints about Ben in his drawings. In a funny scene where Joel teaches Ethan how to pee properly, he speaks to his son about mommy’s new friend: when Ben visited in the park and caught Midge off-guard.
When Midge picks up the kids from Joel at the factory, he passive-aggressively hands them off. She notices something is wrong. He asks her why she’s got ‘friends’ talking to his children. They fight over it and it ends poorly. We then see Joel and Archie, Imogene’s husband, swing at some baseballs in a field with their baseball bats. Joel realizes, perhaps it wasn’t comedy – but a career in owning a nightclub that he always wanted to do. This may be an introduction for a new story arc next season.
Abe asks Midge about what she said about him during a stand-up routine. He’d been informed that she somehow is tied to a leak in security. She admits in D.C. during the road trip (Episode 8) that she talked about the his teaching a computer to sing on stage.
Abe proceeds to speak to the Bell labs department and explains she didn’t know what he was working on. Still, they think he’s too loose and a security risk – his daughter, possibly included.
Defensive, Abe reminds them that they asked him to come there. That they wanted his expertise. They threaten that they own that, along with his intellectual properties. In a surprising act of defiance, Abe gets defensive about his work and his daughter. He storms off with an idle threat and no intention of returning.
At the only club in town that doesn’t hate her (The one in episode 2), Midge does a set but is kicked off for talking about pregnancy. Apparently, jokes about lady parts don’t swing well in this venue.
Bemoaning, she goes to a bar and visits Lenny Bruce. They mope about how shitty the business can be. Lenny tells her that he’s banned from yet another city due to his comedy but also, that Steve Allen has given him a few minutes to perform on TV. Midge agrees to accompany him in support.
Susie gets a summons from Sophie Lennon. She goes to apologize for Midge’s sake. Expecting to get her comeuppance, she has a surprising heart to heart and finds out that one time, Sophie had wanted to be a serious actor. That everyone in Sophie’s corner is worried that if she tried to get away from her routine, her career would be over. Sophie wants a manager who believes in her.
Sophie wants Susie.
Midge gets a call from Ben, who wonders how long it’ll take to get the yes from her hand in marriage. She reassures him. Shortly after, she gets a call from Shy Baldwin – the singer she’d encountered in the bathroom. He loved her performance at the telethon. He offers to let her open for his act for six months – all while touring in Europe, all expenses paid. She says yes without hesitation. It’s an action that has ramifications later.
Shortly after, Midge informs Susie, who doesn’t speak about the meeting with Sophie Lennon. After shopping for outfits for their trip, Midge returns home and her father tells her yes about Ben…
The look on her face is telling. So caught up in the offer, she’d completely forgotten about Ben, her life here, and the decision that she made. Most importantly, she doesn’t know how to tell Rose, who arrives shortly after.
Abe beats her to the punch. In a bold move, he tells Rose that he wants to leave his job at bell labs and the teaching position at Columbia. He also has more news to tell her… (implying, that he’s going to break the news about Midge and Ben).
This is a very poetic point in the story. At the beginning of the season, Abe wouldn’t leave it all behind; yet now, he is trying to find a lost sense of purpose on the way.
Which leads us to the famous Lenny Bruce set. If you don’t know, this performance is one of Lenny Bruce’s rare moments on TV, the actual comedian very much banned from most performances, much like his fictional counterpart in this show.
Lenny Bruce on the Steve Allen show
Midge is there to support. And while Lenny sings all alone, it’s a beautiful reminder of everything that has happened this season.
She knows what this means.
Midge goes to see Joel. She acknowledges that everything is different. She can’t go back to her life before, and she made a choice: to be all alone, for the rest of her life. And for just a moment, Midge to be with someone who loves her.
So she visited Joel… and they share an intimate moment before cutting away. It’s a powerful way to end the season. And looking back, we see evidence of this everywhere.
Declan talked about leaving his family to give his all towards creating his masterpiece. Sophie Lennon, gave up all hopes of being a serious actor to guarantee her success as a sellout. Rose, gave up her dreams of being an artist to be a mother. Even Abe, after his bell labs experience, questions how he’d gone from wanting to make a difference as a young man – to just some cog with no authority, operating within someone else’s system.
What you have, are stories about people chasing dreams yet having to give up something along the way. A dilemma Midge has been in all season: about who she really wants to be. Despite this, she knows, in but a brief few seconds, that she’d already made her choice the second she agreed to tour in Europe. But we, as the audience, know and have seen over-and-over…
That Midge has been choosing this since the beginning.
You can see season 2 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime
With a stellar Sophomore Season, the marvelous Mrs. Maisel says goodbye to Midge Maisel: the the Jell-O making trophy wife who had a life, husband, and a pleasant little niche of a home. And while steps have been taken in this direction in season one, this season, takes on a different journey. One that crescendos from her fall from grace, with surprising levels of courage, but also, unseen heights of self-awareness. So drastic, that by the end of season two, Midge knows that from this moment forward everything is going to change, and nothing will ever be the same
The following is a spoiler-free review of the whole season. I’ll also be posting an episode-by-episode recap of the season, to be posted, over the weekend.
Season 1: The Story Thus Far
Amy Sherman-Palladino (left) Daniel Palladino (right)
Directed and written by married couple Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, the same team behind Gilmore Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 2 is a step forward on almost every front. It’s fun, incredibly well written, and has the same abundance of energy and wit that makes the show, as the emmys agree, one of the most entertaining spectacles on TV.
When we last left off season one, Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) had begun breaking into the comedy club scene. Utilizing her recent life experiences for solid material, she was making the rounds and on the verge of a big break but sabotaged her career by bad mouthing the wrong people: Bigtime manager Harry Drake (David Paymer) and fellow female comedian Sophie Lennon (Jane Lynch).
And though she salvaged her career by pulling a Hail Mary and opened for renown comic Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby), she also did so at the cost of salvaging her marriage to Joel Maisel, who realized not only did she steal his dream (by both doing comedy and being infinitely better at it), but that he was in many ways, the butt of the joke.
Season 2: A Spoiler-Free Take
Overall, season two was surprising in almost every way. The camera work was surprisingly technical, the story: sublime. With funny bits and intriguing allegories about the modern age, mostly in how we treat women, what’s changed, and what hasn’t – all parodied through the lens that is the late 1950’s.
Major developments happen this season with how Midge looks at the world. A lot of which, can be attributed to her moments with new coming character, Doctor Benjamin (Zachary Levi).
She and Susie find alternative routes in booking gigs due to their blacklisting, and subtly throughout the season, find different ways to further Midge’s stand-up career. It’s all step-by-step but there are things to be taken away from the story. Moments of depth in the silence that if you read in-between the lines, you’ll see Midge is learning hard-taught lessons to succeed (One particular episode, has a certain recluse artist in mind – you’ll understand when you look back at it).
The universe of the show has always played with the idea of the struggling artist. This season, teasing fun at the difference between Midge and Susie’s lives, and how that affects how they treat Stand-up. Midge starts to understand: her place of privilege makes it so that failing isn’t as severe as it for someone like Susie. Her money, good looks and loads of friends are a luxury bubble she’ll need to learn to lean less on.
Still, she’s the charmingly witty and do-gooding person with a loud mouth we’ve come to expect. Who also steals the show whenever the chance behind a microphone presents itself this season, testing the limits of her uncanny charm.
The writing is finely crafted this season. The jokes hit hard, the situations are awkward, and the dramatic elements, are well-hidden behind all the panache and sass.
Speaking of which, the set-designs are incredibly detailed for the period. With every object and label, pen and utility – specifically late 1950’s. Likewise, the costumes, are eloquent and fitted for the moment; each character, donning their particular sort of flair. I especially adored the costumes in the Paris, especially Rose Weismann’s character and her embrace of French culture.
Expect some excellent acting this season. With Luke Kirby doing a stellar reenactment of some classic bits from comedy legend, Lenny Bruce – as well as some charming bantering between Midge and Ben, played by Zackary Levi, who plays a sardonic yet unconventional doctor, and whose recent stint as Shazam, has kept him in a more muscular physical shape (though I’ll always remember him as goofy, lanky, Chuck on NBC).
Also, expect some serious growth in Abe Weisman (Tony Shalhoub) and Joel Maisel’s (Michael Zegen) characters this year.
Abe is a bit everywhere this season, his pride tied with Bell labs and his teaching career go in a surprising direction. It’s a fitting story about a man whom you think has everything – realizing the futility of his own choices. With subtle hints throughout the season, that maybe this isn’t the person he truly wants to be. Or maybe it’s just spite, it’s hard to tell, which makes it quite funny.
Joel is surprisingly heartwarming this year. Becoming such an underdog you’d want to root for, it’s sort of touching how he wants to fix his mistakes. How desperate he is for forgiveness – yet also, mature he is in taking responsibility. He also takes on a surprising new role I didn’t see coming – a career choice, that weirdly, teaches him how to be the man he should have been. As he becomes a sort of hero to everyone in his family, especially Midge, which is very surprising.
We are also given some funny side stories with Rose Weismann (Marin Hinkle) and Susie (Alex Borstein).
Rose is surprisingly tasteful – her knowledge of art and culture is astute, but what’s even funnier/incredible, is when taken out of the role we’ve established for her character… She’s surprisingly sane. Wise, even. She knows how to make friends and is a much better mom than we’d ever given her credit for, which shows in this season.
As for Susie, she definitely has some of the funniest lines and bits this year. But we also see how much of a tough girl she is. Especially, in comparison to Maisel’s sort of luxury living. We also get more of her backstory, and realize quickly, she’s a tough girl from the city who knows how to get things done.
This season also upends the setting a little: some of the first few episodes partially take place in Paris, and the middle of the season, takes place mostly in the Catskill mountains of NY. We also get a broader look at the Jewish culture of NYC and move beyond the local club scene, as well as get a chance to gander some of the bigger possible venues for Stand-Ups.
All-in-all, a solid season, and definitely, the best original series I’ve watched on Prime.
You can Watch Every Episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime Video
‘Anna and the Apocalypse’ is a comedy horror Christmas musical featuring fun pop songs, a tight script, and a compelling cast. If you’ve ever seen Disney’s Highschool Musical, it should feel awfully similar, but with zombies… during Christmas.
Directed by John McPhail, with a script written by Ryan McHenry and Alan McDonald, the film is set for wide release this Friday, December 7th – just in time for some horror and happiness this holiday season.
We covered the book release last month in an interview with writer Barry Waldo about the history behind the movie’s story. You can read more about that here. As for this review, I’ll compare the book versus the movie, and briefly detail what makes this movie fun to see.
The Story Remains the Same
For the most part, it starts the same. Set in a hunky-dory Scottish small town, Anna is a high school senior about to graduate. She wants to defer college for a little in order to travel, though against the will of her father, who happens to her high school’s janitor.
She has a nerdy best friend named John who secretly has feelings for her, and a pair of mates named Chris and Lisa – the de facto ‘couple’ of the gang grossly enamored with one another. Anna also has a Canadian out-of-towner friend named Steph, who is a queer woke activist getting over a breakup, her long-distant girlfriend calling it quits just as Steph’s parents are away. Finally, there’s Nick, Anna’s ex-fling who is, as the kid’s call it, The Worst, as he’s the obnoxious cafeteria bully type that Anna very much regrets hooking up with.
It starts on Christmas eve. The school is holding a festive Christmas pageant organized by the uptight principal Savage, whose newfound title seems to be getting to his head. The event itself turns out to be quite risqué: as a scantily dressed Lisa sings a rather libidinous song meant for Chris featuring lewd double entendres about ‘emptying Santa’s sack’ and needing to get her ‘chimney unblocked’.
Meanwhile, Anna and John work their shift at the bowling alley for what’s seemingly a dull evening… until the zombie apocalypse drops overnight. The next morning, they realize their parents never arrived home last evening, and so after some brief encounters with some familiar faces, they go on a quest to their high school to find their missing friends and family who hadn’t returned the night before.
Now, what I like about Anna is how user-friendly it is. It’s easy to consume from the get-go; the musical, easily selling itself in camp and high spirits which contrasts its darker latter half involving zombies. It’s also much faster paced than the novel – which is a good thing – as the introspection of the book is shown rather than spoken. All through catchy musical numbers.
Speaking of which, the music truly accentuates the story. Though I didn’t love every song, I did have a couple that I ended up singing along to…
Turning My Life Around
This was probably my favorite as it sold the promise of the movie premise but also, showcased just how fun Anna and John’s friendship is. It’s also a fun comparison for me, as a filmmaker, to see what’s changed in the years since the movie’s first iteration as a youtube film. You can see the movie’s version atop, and the original at the bottom and see just how far the production has come.
Soldier At War
“The Fish Wrap” and “It’s That Time of Year” were the most memorable songs to me, but I’ll let you see that for yourself, as it’s one of the best moments in the film. I will mention though that this nice little gem called “Soldier at War,” made me want to get up and slay some zombies myself.
Hollywood Ending
However, this probably encapsulates the spirit of Christmas and zombies in the movie. And the cafeteria song and dance, a staple in high school musicals, is rather well choreographed.
https://youtu.be/0xAk8h4z4lA
Standout, Shout Outs
I must admit, Ella Hunt’s portrayal of Anna-Every-Woman was resolute. She kept this movie moving forward and she’s delightful to both watch on screen and listen to in her musical numbers. However, just like in the books, I thought Steph was hands down the best character. Her role in the movie is even more significant than what I read in the novelization! She’s both kickass and compelling – beating up zombies, while also being conscientious and fearless in the face of danger. And so major kudos to Sarah Swire. Not only did she do such a good job, but she also acted as choreographer for the movie, and is queer in real life – a seriously solid casting job by the movie.
On the technical side, it was a tad hit and miss. We never see much movement in the camera, as much as we get a glimpse of the aftermath of most scenes. The shots are rather static, but we do see what came for: Zombies, guts and musicals. Perhaps the most technical shot is the sing-along section where Anna walks the streets – which I posted a part of above.
Yet despite the often used wide and steady shots, the environment does come alive by utilizing some musical styled blocking and framing. The lighting and color contrast also bring an extreme sort of charm that’s appropriate for these end of the world stories.
Overall, Anna is a fun story I’m glad I had a chance to cover extensively. Check it out in theatres this Friday, December 7th if you liked the clips above or you’re in the mood for something silly yet horror themed this Christmas.
Welcome back to the latest episode of Supertrash where we talk about Supergirl 4.07 “Rather the Fallen Angel” and Legends of Tomorrow 4.06 “Tender is the Nate.”
There were SO many problems with this episode of Supergirl, mainly everything James and Lena. Look we love Lena (like Jen REALLY LOVES Lena) but it was hard to look back all of the ethical issues surrounding her human experiment. This episode did have its bright moments though through the Manchester Black twist!
Just when you thought Legends of Tomorrow couldn’t get any gayer, they give us a scene of SARA LANCE OFFICE LINGERIE BIRTHDAY SURPRISE FOR AVA! We are not sure if anything else happened in this episode because we both died after that scene (JK we still have a lot to say about the episode). You can listen for yourself below!
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In his latest motion picture, action star Kurt Russell has gone from Snake to Santa – portraying a rough, tough, and in-your-face Saint Nick – who confronts his enemies with the power… of his naughty list.
From the producers behind Home Alone and the Harry Potter movies, comes an action-packed Christmas movie featuring car chases, Kurt Russell, and a bag of presents where it’s universally bigger on the inside (like the Tardis from Doctor Who).
Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous. Which is precisely why this movie is fantastic.
The Netflix Christmas special known as ‘The Christmas Chronicles’ is a delight – providing audiences with all the campiness of a Hallmark Christmas special, while paying tremendous homage to Kurt Russell action films. The actor, giving such a unique performance as tough guy Santa Claus, that it’s hard not to laugh, and love, this bizarre blend of Kurt Russell Christmas Self-Parody.
It begins with a family is dealing with loss (Like any good Hallmark Movie). A firefighter father is dead in the line of duty – as his wife, a do-it-all mom, and Nurse, must work on Christmas eve –while struggling to keep her children in line. Her eldest son is suddenly taking an interest in a car thievery. As the youngest daughter tries desperately to keep the spirit of Christmas alive…
By blackmailing her brother into helping her catch Santa Claus.
Which they inevitably do, causing Kurt Russell Claus to crash his sleigh. Now Santa must get back to work delivering presents or else face the possibility of causing another ‘Dark Age’ (Because the dark ages were a result of a lack of Christmas). With the Christmas Spirit running dangerously low, will Santa…
No, no, you already know the answer.
The story is unusual in that it does a good job playing with badass action themes (like car stealing) by making its victims morally grey. Stealing is wrong, but what if it’s borrowing a stolen car from a bad person, only to return it to the police? Breaking and entering is evil, but what if it’s to deliver Christmas presents?
These are the kind of fun moral quandaries the movie plays with which make it appealing. That, and they make Santa a badass Kurt Russell (Notice I’m not saying the other way around).
This Santa is annoyed with his Jolly fat guy image and portrays him more as a man on a mission. A person there to get the job done. He is not soft. This Santa wears a red leather trench coat instead of red velvet fur. He’s upfront and honest – overcoming situations not with violence, but with the truth – as he’s an all-knowing sort of Santa.
Though one with his typical Christmas Magic – the effects in this movie: superb. Santa is filled with dusty Christmas colored magic, and the Reindeer look stunningly real, while the Elves look and act, like a crossbreed between a ‘Despicable Me’ minion with a ‘Gremlin’. All in good fun and spirits.
Though like any good Christmas movie, it’s all about the power of belief. Which works well because surprisingly, this Christmas movie is surprisingly honest. The outside world, acting surprisingly real in how they’d react to meeting a man who ‘claims’ to be Santa (especially one who looks like Kurt Russell). And the cops are surprisingly put together. They’re not ones to give in easily, but also not idiots at their jobs who’d throw the law away for the sake of a crazy man in a leather trench coat.
Overall, a fun holiday movie that doesn’t reinvent the genre – It just Kurt Russell’s the Claus.
To be honest, they could have just marketed this a “Kurt Russell” Christmas and it still would have worked. Fans of his will especially enjoy a very befitting cameo featuring Mrs. Claus.
You can Watch The Christmas Chronicles streaming on Netflix.
From the producers behind Get Out comes a horror story about an internet ‘Cam Girl’, her hustle to break into the upper rankings of her industry, and a mystery behind her stolen identity.
Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale, Orange is The New Black) stars as Alice/Lola, a young girl secretly working as an internet cam girl – though of her own volition – as she likes both the money and the attention.
She seeks to break into the top rank on freegirls.live – sometimes by pulling unconventional stunts via creative means (think practical effects). Her most compelling acts, involving snuff simulations taken to suicidal extremes.
You see, Alice is an artist at what she does. Making a living through tips for her performances and private chats with clients. She keeps her public life separate from her secret identity –utilizing a strict set of rules: hosting no in-person interactions and making no public appearances as her online personality.
Everything always kept in-house and in her private chambers…
But when a mysterious doppelganger steals her digital persona, effectively taking her ‘cam girl’ lola_lola identity as their own, Alice’s life becomes an existential nightmare. Losing not only access to her account but also her sense of agency. Her alter begins acting on its own: breaking Alice’s rules of public decency and ruining her personal life by outing her as a pornstar; yet all the while, becoming a much more successful ‘Cam Girl’ than Alice ever was.
Written by Isa Mazzei, who was a former cam girl herself, ‘Cam’ is different in that it doesn’t shame sex workers – but rather, showcases the lives of both those who work in the industry and its user base.
She was inspired to write this script after her experiences from streaming sites such as Pornhub, who’d taken videos of her content and reposted without consent:
“It came from a place of having my shows pirated and stripped of all identifying information about me and then re-uploaded all over the internet without my consent. To have work that for me was my career, my passion, and my art and labeled, like, “Frizzy Haired Hottie” and put on Pornhub was really this disembodied experience of watching myself that was in no way tied to me anymore. I definitely took a lot of inspiration from that into Lola and this experience that Alice has.”
Mazzei provides a rare behind the camera look of the industry. Showcasing a competition of how far a girl will go for likes, clicks, and rankings. Simply put, ‘Cam Girl’ work is the selling of an illusion that feeds into a person’s kinks or fantasies. A world where co-workers are often in competition and friends are often paid, subscribers. It’s the cattiness of its performers, but also the flaws of its users: desperate men with false entitlements through digital identities.
Cam Girl work is the commodification of an internet persona. Though one that’s not necessarily a sexual one, as this movie showcases quite clearly.
What’s fascinating is that the emphasis in the movie is not in condemnation, but humanization.
There is this strange similarity between the artist and the user, as both seek to be enough to capture other’s attention – lacking a sort of affection of sorts. Yet, both also leading these alternative lives. Ones that they would prefer to keep separate from their principal ones.
The villain of the story is thus two-fold: the thief/monster/doppelganger that has hijacked Lola, in essence, Allice’s other self; but also, there’s this villain in the desire for notoriety, artistic integrity, and fame that comes in being the best. Isa Mazzei, mentioning that the movies Black Swan and Whiplash inspired the story’s creation and theme. Which is troubling because of that ending… well, you’ll see.
The story is a social commentary on fake-online personas. Themes reminiscent of last year’s ‘Ingred Goes West’, though with a stronger horror element. You can also see traces of David Cronenberg in the script, as it’s technically a body dysmorphia story, though it’s shown through the loss of a physical identity – as lola is digital in context.
It’s an oddly beautiful movie. With much credit to Madeline Brewer, playing both hero and villain of the story. She did such a wonderful job that even Steven King gave her kudos for her performance.
Hi Guys! I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! We here at Supertrash are so thankful to all our listeners, Alex Danvers, Zari, and Charlie. But in all seriousness, thank you all for listening to us each week blab on about Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow.
This week Jen and I discuss Supergirl 4.06 “Call to Action” and Legends of Tomorrow 4.05 “Taguma Attacks!!!”
Time Stamps Intro: 00:00 Supergirl: 01:33 Legends of Tomorrow: 45:58
Show Notes
Below you can find all the images we referenced/promised during the episode.
Supergirl
Kara’s Hallway
Agent of Liberty dude falling into a perfect split
It’s A Bitches:
The Mark-Paul Gosselaar Look-Alike: Legends of Tomorrow
Charlie Leaning and Drinking
Zari and Charlie Close Talking
Zari Looking Proudly at Mick:
And last but not Least: Mick’s book
Text: “Garima was as strong as she was stunning, and with her by his side, Buck had at last vanquished his true enemy: fear.”
(I am working on grabbing more screenshots to transcribe the back page, but this is all I got so far: “The creature lashed out with its giant tentacle… missing the buxom warrior. Garima effortlessly… the beast, her swoard slashing its flesh with ease.”)
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Debuting on Thanksgiving Day for your bringing pleasure was season twelve of ‘Mystery Science Theatre 3000! This year, known as MST3K: The Gauntlet.
Marked the 30th year anniversary since the show’s first episode, ‘The Gauntlet’ picks up where we left off last season… by completely disregarding last year’s finale. Which is not to say that it didn’t happen – but rather, that it doesn’t matter. So now, Jonah is no longer dead/eaten, the robots are back in companion action, and for all intents and purposes – the show is back on track and ready to engage in some bad movie riffs.
We covered the first season last year rather extensively. Though this piece will be an overall review of the season itself.
Some Changes:
Netflix issued some changes and they reduced the number of episodes from 14 to 6. As such, the show renamed this season ‘The Gauntlet’ and shifted into a more binge-friendly format. Jonah and the bots having to endure 6 gruelingly bad movies back-to-back in the story. And it shows – by seasons end we see our heroes worn thin, while Kinga (Felicia Day) and TV’s son of TV’s Frank (Patton Oswalt) execute their nefarious plans… though of what exactly, isn’t all too important.
Structured with the intention of binge-watching over this holiday weekend (Thanksgiving Marathons of the show were popular in MST3K’s heyday), the season did away with the commercial breaks and cut one host segment per episode, reducing the runtime of each by ten minutes. Now, we get the cold open, invention exchange, and then the movie begins – with two host segment intermissions and a host conclusion at the end of the show.
What’s Returning:
Returning to the series is host Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray) and of course robots Tom Servo (Baron Vaughn), Crow (Hampton Yount), and Gypsy (Rebecca Hanson, who also plays the Synthia clone). Also returning from season one are new robots Growler and M.Waverly, though their parts are often minimized.
The host segments do seem weaker than last year, as the show has a very bare minimum story arc this time around. Whereas things built-up and had an oddly well-structured plot that revolved around the movies watched last season, this time the segments are more for gags – which is fine for some fans, as again MST3K was never about the complications of its story. Though personally, I missed some of the absurd side plots and cameos from last year.
Episode Reviews:
Episode 1: Mac and Me
Considered one of the worst films ever made (With a rotten tomatoes score of 0), it was repopularized in the mid-2000’s thanks to a recurring sketch between Conan O’Brien and Paul Rudd.
The long-running sketch between Rudd and Conan.
The movie is a blatant E.T. Rip-off. Though it uses a wheelchair instead of a bike and has an obscene amount of product placement in just about every scene. There’s also this peculiar obsession with vacuums in the film – as the aliens for some adorable reason, easily get sucked into them – defying all sorts of vacuum physics. That being said, I thought this was MST3K’s strongest episode of the season. The jokes are sharp, the riffs flow naturally, and the conclusion itself was so hilarious that even without the riffs, it was still incredibly funny – especially in regards to our current political climate (Watch it and see).
Invention Exchange: This beginning exchange was rather important as it introduces Algernon (A parody of Flowers for Algernon), a pharmaceutical drug that makes Synthia intelligent – giving her more to do in the series (as she was previously a mindless nincompoop).
Episode 2: Atlantic Rim
An interesting pick as this was the series first ever attempt on covering an Asylum movie.
For those who don’t know, The Asylum is a studio company known for making ‘mockmusters’ movies of ridiculously poor quality – often leeching off big-titled movies of the time. Originally, the company was known for releasing ‘mock’ titles of major hits: for every ‘Transformers’ there was an Asylum ‘Transmorphers’. For every ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ was an Asylum ‘The Day The Earth Stopped’. It’s intention, besides delivering terrible movies, was mostly to frustrate blockbuster (the rental store) consumers to accidentally rent their films by placing their movies next to the big budget blockbusters of the time.
I know this because I was one of these unfortunate people.
In more recent times, the studio was known for its infamously bad Sharknado series. And has more-or-less become a staple of B-movie culture in modern times.
Though despite this, this was probably one of the worst episodes of the season. Whereas MST3K usually picks older B-movies with incredulously long takes to fill-up time (AKA room for riffing), Asylum made movies usually don’t have a lot of these pauses. Instead, their films are a bombardment of just poor quality editing, acting, and plotlines – with lots of cuts between scenes, and very little room to breathe – let alone, crack riffs. Although MST3K tried, modern B-movies just don’t seem to fit their scheme well. Especially this one, which had virtually no redeeming factors.
Invention Exchange: This one was probably my favorite of the season. Supposi-stories! It’s like a story but in your butt.
Episode 3: Lords of the Deep
This one was sort of like a long and boring acid trip. Trippy yet ineffective – as the story goes nowhere, and the point of it all gets sort of lost in a sea of mediocrity.
In an underwater colony run by a mysterious and evil corporation, people start going mysteriously missing. They start encountering… dangerous psychic aliens? I’m not entirely sure, as although the threat is meant to be menacing – the show treats its movie monster more as a cute albino manta ray. Also, for a film trying hard to play with the threats of isolationism and mysteries of the deep? It’s rather shallow in that the sets are shoddy and the conflicts are very happenstantial (they happen mostly behind the scenes).
An obvious parody of movies such as the Abyss or Alien. What’s probably best about this episode, is less about the jokes, and more the addition of a new character: Dr. St. Phibes (Deanna Rooney, Jonah’s wife in real life). She’s sort a monster zoologist and the introduction of her character at the end was the only real takeaway from this episode for me.
Invention Exchange: This was some sort of evil puppet marionette that controls our heroes – though one that doesn’t go as expected, unsurprisingly.
Episode 4: The Day Time Ended
This one was amusing to me because it has probably some of the worst writing I’ve ever seen in a film. And I’ve read a LOT of movie scripts as a screenwriter. It’s a bizarre story, in that it starts in a ranch-like setting that slowly decays into all sorts of non-linear mayhem. Where time and space fall apart, and moments of character interaction and monsters are randomly thrown interchangeably together. The movie, just a string of jumbled scenes using ‘time travel’ as an excuse for very poor editing, scripting, and pacing.
Also, there are horses.
Oddly enough, the plot of the actual MST3K show is at its thickest here. With Dr. Laurence Erhardt (J. Elvis Weinstein) making a return after a decades-long absence. He bequeaths a quest to our villains: an homage of sorts, to be created as a memorial for both their parents, to be finished by the end of the season.
The riffs are also pretty decent in this one. And the ‘concepts’ musical number was one of the funniest musical numbers of recent memory – that really poked fun at the absurdity of this movie.
Invention Exchange: Mustard Gas. It’s not an invention, it’s literally just mustard gas – though I don’t think Max or Kinga know any better.
Episode 5: Killer Fish
This was a weird one, in that the plot is something you would see in a modern film except that it’s just all executed horribly wrong. After an elaborate jewel heist, a nefarious leader hides the stolen emeralds at the bottom of a Piranha filled body of water – leading to a fishy situation (pun intended) to retrieve the loot. Though who can be able to obtain it? And who can get cut out of the deal?
This, of course, leads to several inevitable double-crosses. Which sounds impressive, if it were not for the fact of how densely spaced out these moments are. Most of the scenes, consisting of dull, tropical island, vacation-like moments (Think timeshare video of the 1980s). At least, this is until the movie’s climax, where we finally sees some killer fish and the inevitable slow ‘consumption’ of said ‘traitors’.
The riffs are above average in this one too. With many jokes poked at Lee Majors, whom many may remember as the six million dollar man.
On the host side of things, most of this episode focuses on showcasing Synthia’s newfound intelligence – and neatly wraps the story arc from the last episode for Kinga and Max.
Invention Exchange: A malfunctioning time-traveling oven and some poor quality alchemist super glue. Both of which, were probably my favorite inventions of the season.
Episode 6: Ator the Fighting Eagle
An obvious Conan the Barbarian Rip off. The movie itself is cheesy – with silly costume designs, an obscene love story involving incest? (Yes, I put a question there for a reason) And some of the most gut-wrenchingly bad acting of the season – so overall, it’s fantastic for MST3K. Also, the riffs are on the mark in this one. One gag in particular, also featuring a cute bear cub!
Overall, this was easily one of the most enjoyable episodes of the season. With funny gags and even funnier story Which makes sense given that it’s the finale.
Yet, the ending for this season was sort of odd. With Jonah seemingly going to earth for a live tour? Which they did do… though it feels very out of place – given that the live tour finished days before the airing of this season. And even though there was a tiny arc about Jonah’s minor act of rebellion, I didn’t find it all that compelling. Especially in comparison to the more well-thought-out arcs from last year.
Invention Exchange: The Swiss army cheese is basically a cheese for every situation. While the Tortino’s Pizza Roll cannon… is not.
OVERALL:
MST3K: The Gauntlet is a step in a new direction. Although, I’m uncertain what’s going on between the show and its relationship with Netflix. Though having a well-received first season, the show has had its share growing pains. First, with finding its voice in season one, then with dealing with some significant cuts on Netflix end. There were also rumors of other potential character returns from the original series; yet, despite attempts from Jonah, the older cast members seemed disinterested with the direction the show is going.
For those looking for more host backstories and substance, it’s a little lacking. However, if you’re watching mostly to see some good old-fashioned riffing (Like most people) and geeky in-between movie skits, this season is better structured for that.
In the second book of the Rise of the Empress duology, author Julie Dao takes readers back to the mystical world of Feng Lu in Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix. This rich East Asian inspired fantasy introduces us to eighteen-year-old Princess Jade, who has grown up in seclusion at a distant monastery after being sent away by her father the Emperor and her stepmother Empress Xifeng.
The first novel, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, tells the story from Xifeng’s perspective as a young girl from humble beginnings and her rise to prominence at the imperial capital. In the sequel, we see the point of view from a more traditional protagonist in Jade. However, in this re-imagining of Snow White, the narrative isn’t just about good triumphing over evil, but emphasizes the power of choice. Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix first begins with the young princess growing up far from the palace in the peace and tranquility of a monastery with her nursemaid when Jade is suddenly called back to the capital.
As she returns to court and meets her father and stepmother, Jade also witnesses the strife and misery that the people of Feng Lu endure. Throughout the whole novel she struggles with the heavy responsibility of being a leader reluctant to lead because she does not want power, only wishing to live as a simple monk. This is an interesting contrast to Xifeng who craved it, believing that being empress was her destiny. After seeing her viewpoint in the first novel, readers can understand why Xifeng would hold contempt for Lihua’s daughter who was born with a legitimate claim to the throne, while she’s had to make terrible sacrifices to attain it. Yet, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix depicts how the quest for power corrupts when it is for self-gain. Jade, having her whole life with women who dedicated themselves in service of others made a huge impact in her world view in comparison to Xifeng’s abusive one with Guma.
As Jade embarks on a quest to defeat her stepmother, we learn a number of mesmerizing magical folktales that aid the heroine in her journey across distant lands. We meet various supernatural creatures, gods, and mortals alike that would make an impact on the princess and the choices she makes. In addition, we also reunited with characters from the first book and discover what happened to them since Xifeng’s reign.
Dao weaves together a beautiful and complicated story filled with perseverance, sacrifice, loss, and tragedy, but also depicts relationships forged out of mutual respect, admiration, and love. While Xifeng grew to be isolated in her path to the throne, Jade gained allies in her determination to do the right thing for the people of Feng Lu. She strives to give those around her the capacity to choose for themselves the kind of life they want to live.
This novel is a worthy follow up to Forest of a Thousand Lanterns as readers are able to get the perspectives of two women determined to live life on their own terms, but in very different ways. In the first book we saw the cutthroat world of palace politics as characters vied for survival. With the sequel we come to understand that with great power comes great responsibility. Xifeng’s rite of passage led her to become a cruel monarch propelled by self-interest while Jade was able to trust others and accept their help in achieving a common goal.
Would highly recommend this for readers who love lush descriptive coming of age stories with a magical bent. Be prepared to get lost in a world filled with dragons, enchanted fruit, powerful totems and talismans, ghosts, and mythical gods.
For more on Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, click HERE.
Hey guys! Sorry for the delay in posting this week’s (i guess technically last week at this point) episode of Supertrash where Jen and I talk about Supergirl 4.05 “Parasite Lost” and Legends of Tomorrow 4.04 “Wet Hot American Bummer.” You can listen to the episode below!
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The following is a spoiler-free review of Narcos (Season 4): Mexico.
Netflix’s hit about the War on Drugs returns! The newest season, treated as a spinoff with a new series title, cast, and even setting. Though don’t be fooled – the story is still very much about the South American cartels, the agents who stop them, and the brutal drama in-between.
Shifting away from Pablo Escobar’s Colombia, this season is a soft reboot set several years into the past from where the story left off. As hinted in Narcos Season 3, it focuses on the Mexican Cartels – whose origins begin in Guadalajara. It also follows its stellar new leads: actors Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Michael Pena (Ant-Man).
Set in the early 1980’s Narcos: Mexico is all about the ambitions of two men during the beginnings of the modern-day Mexican Cartel.
One is Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo (Luna), an ex-cop turned aspiring cartel leader. His rise to ‘Godfather’ level infamy amongst the Mexican drug lords’ mirrors the rise of Pablo Escobar’s – though is very different in execution. Where Escobar’s style is grandiose and charismatic, Felix is much colder and calculating. He is less of a people person and more of a conniving man determined to make a name for himself. As he slowly builds his empire, he subtly steers the Cartel’s interest. First by building a product based off his friend’s Rafa’s (Tenoch Huerta)particular type of marijuana (Think Breaking Bad, except seedless marijuana instead of blue meth – revolutionary for its time), then by uniting shipping routes across a very fragmented criminal Mexico, and finally, by shifting business to focus onto distributing Colombian cocaine. Above all else, Gallardo seeks power, often at the cost of his relationship with others.
Acting as a foil to Felix is Enrique ‘KiKi’ Camarena (Pena), an honorable agent of the still-developing DEA organization. He is charmingly good natured and down to earth, though not above getting gritty and performing the dirty work. He has an overenthusiasm for wanting to clean up the streets and has a tendency of doing the right thing – which often gets him into trouble. Kiki is headstrong but holds good intentions and is resolute against the opposition -especially against the cartels, the DFS (Essentially, the CIA sponsored ‘fake’ police) and the corrupt bureaucracy of Mexico. It’s one of actor Michael Pena’s best performances to date in that we care so much about the character: his charisma, being the driving force that is Kiki.
What’s similar about both men is that they are very ambitious and focused at what they set their minds to. Yet, they act in total opposition to each other, in a strangely understood chemistry that’s understood to the audience but rarely shared on screen. Instead, what we get is a mirrored struggle, especially when it comes to overcoming stubborn adversity, their struggling family lives with their wives, and working around the sketchy politics of Mexico, despite being on opposites sides of the law.
It should also note that this season also features a strong female lead in Isabella (played by Teresa Ruiz), Felix Gallardo’s right-hand woman. She’s someone to watch out for this season, her performance is stellar and very refreshing, as the women in Narcos tend to be rather tertiary supporting characters. Isabella is not that. She is different in that she commands to be a part of the workings of the drug trade world. She is also witty, sharp, and can hold her own in more ways than one. It’s the series most robust performance from a female character to date.
Most of the struggles in the latter half of the season seem to be driven by Gallardo’s weed-growing partner, Rafael Caro Quintero. I’d equate Rafa’s weed is akin to Walter White’s Blue Meth from breaking bad: a revolutionary product that makes millions for its distributors, up until it all goes inevitably wrong. Rafa struggles in the shift of the established business model, his marijuana being too risky in comparison to the Cocaine dealings Felix begins delving into. All of these mishandlings, leading to a full-on confrontation of sorts.
Similar to Narcos previous seasons, the storyline follows similar beats, especially in its latter half. A drug empire struggles to form, just as a corrupt police force just as equally struggles to keep their hands free from being dirty. Eventually Felix’s empire grows, just as a circumstantial line is crossed, forcing the authorities to finally act on stopping this monster – only for another potential Cartel leader to take its place (In this case, I’m guessing it will be ‘El Chappo’ the infamous drug lord introduced as a minor character this season). The show is predictable in a lot of ways, but it’s also historical fiction – so the audience should know what to expect by seasons end.
Overall, this season is a fresh start that resolves rather neatly and leaves promises for future seasons. With solid performances and a well-wrapped up storyline. It’s more of what viewers enjoyed from the Narcos storyline and if you liked the previous seasons you won’t be disappointed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBLcYJ7C4F0
All episodes of ‘Narcos: Mexico’ are available streaming on Netflix.
This coming November 21 will be the tenth anniversary of Twilight, the blockbuster teen vampire film that nearly grossed $400 million worldwide and spawned adoring fans from around the globe. At New York Comic-Con this year Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke and cast members Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, and Edi Gathegi treated fans to a special look back celebrating ten years since the film first came out in 2008.
Based on the novel by Stephenie Meyers, Twilight tells the story of high schooler Bella Swan who moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father. There she meets the mysterious Edward Cullen after he saves her from being crushed by a car in their school’s parking lot. Turns out he and the rest of his family are vampires and thus begins Bella’s struggle to balance her life as a teenage human girl and her love for an immortal supernatural creature.
The Workprint had a chance to sit down with Catherine, Kellan, and Jackson to chat about their experiences being a part of this phenomenon and how it’s impacted their lives.
During their panel, audiences were able to get a behind the scenes look from the personal pictures of Hardwicke showing various cast members looking quite fresh faced during filming. As a special treat, Robert Pattinson Skyped in to express his heartfelt feelings and we even got a recorded message from Kristen Stewart greeting the fans.
The director and Rathbone went back to revisit the location where they filmed the baseball scene and the panelists revealed stories on how they prepped and then shot the sequence.
The cast members even showed of their sweet sweet dance moves!
Check out the 10th anniversary trailer, doesn’t it make you want to binge watch the whole series again?
This week on Supertrash Jen and I talked about Supergirl 4.04 “Ahimsa” and Legends of Tomorrow 4.03 “Dancing Queen.”
Oh, boy was there a lot to talk about in this week’s Supergirl, starting with Kara in that helmet. Seriously, what were they thinking? Also, the fact that Alex has to remind J’onn that he has telepathic powers was a tad bit questionable. But we are so very excited about the introduction of Manchester Black and all of the possibilities he brings. And of course, there were tons of Alex and Lena feels to be talked about.
And then we have Legends of Tomorrow which never fails to entertain. We get to see Sara kick some butt, Ray get a tattoo, Zari being Zari (aka always awesome) and Mick’s hatred for Constantine and his tie!
Discussion Time Stamps: Intro: 00:00 Supergirl: 02:10 Legends of Tomorrow: 40:59
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Anna and The Apocalypse is a critically acclaimed Zombie Christmas musical, releasing in theatres on November 30, 2018. It is based on the BAFTA winning short film Zombie Musical, written and directed by Scottish director, Ryan McHenry.
Known for creating the popular vine Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat his Cereal, Ryan tragically passed in 2015 from late-stage bone cancer but dreamed of adapting Anna into a full-length feature – a feat accomplished with some help from his friends.
Coinciding with the film’s debut is a tie-in novel, co-authored by Katherine Turner and Barry Waldo. We got to interview the co-author, Barry Waldo last month, at NYCC 2018.
What inspired you to create this story?
Well, it’s a motion picture coming out November 30th. It’s a zombie Christmas Musical. And so the film itself, as we’ve been working on for a year and a half, starts getting in your blood. The team being the most amazing team I’ve ever worked with. One day we were sitting around the office and I said this really does belong in a YA book.
What makes your story different?
The musical element differentiates the film but when you’re writing a book the really challenge becomes:, there’s ten songs that communicate all kinds of emotions and story journeys. Once you take those out, you’re left with what’s printed here on the page. So our challenge as authors was to figure out how to bring out the same emotion those song deliver and feed them into the book. You have to be more descriptive character mindsets. Get inside deep with what they’re thinking in the moment. Now we did something unique because the film is a musical and we included a couple songs, very lightly – there’s a couple songs that are more comedic in nature which wrote themselves right into that moment in the story.
How much of the setting influences the nature of the story?
As we got deeper into it, we want to make sure that it gave the proper nod to Scotland. We wanted to make sure we kept the essence, and that’s very much the essence of the film. However, what we didn’t want to alienate the rest of the world… we wanted to make sure readers could relate to the story no matter where they were in the world, and so you’ll see several weather references in it. When you live in Scotland, pretty much what you talk about all the time is the weather, and we wanted to keep that element of it in the book.
What was it about the story that inspired you to get this made?
It all started with Ryan McHenry. Ryan passed away at an early age, and his friends saw this as a mission to take this vision forward and see the project reach its full fruition. I think that by spending so much time with the team, it also made me feel incredibly passionate… I never had the chance to meet Ryan, but I feel like I’m now as part of the team, carrying the burden of making sure we bring this to the world and show his vision and see it all the way through.
If you could leave a word of advice for any aspiring authors what would it be?
To get a book made is tough. I’ve been involved with several books before this but more from my corporate position, at Disney and Mattel, and when we created worlds and brands it was a bit easier with a heft of a corporation behind you to go out and talk to publishers. When you’re doing it from an independent label, you really have to believe more than anybody else on the face of the planet: that story deserves to be told, and that it’s going to be fascinating for the readers to submerge themselves into that world. I was lucky to meet the folks involved with this project prior to the script being shot – so I was on set with the actors. I was intimately involved with a lot of the discussions behind the scene. The story gets in your bloodstream and I could have sold it to almost anyone, because the uniqueness of the combinations of the Zombie/Christmas theme overlay, loving (being a big fan of Shawn of the Dead) and the genre, thinking there’s still this unique opportunity, (as) I had never read anything like it. You got to believe and never give up.
We were also given an advance copy of the book, which I’ve reviewed below.
‘Anna and The Apocalypse’ Review:
The ‘Anna and The Apocalypse’ novel elaborates and expands upon some of the backstories of its universe. Much like its movie predecessor, the story is about Anna, a girl growing up in a small town in Scotland, counting the days until she can graduate high school and leave her old life behind.
She has a best friend named John who is reluctantly in the ‘friendzone’, some overly affectionate friends Lisa and Chris – who are the ‘couple’ of the gang, and a new friend named ‘Steph’ much more culturally woke and mature than the rest of the gang.
She also has an ex-fling named Nick, whom Anna loathes, and a father named Tony, who doesn’t seem to get her what-so-ever. He also doesn’t agree with her plans. Notably, the idea of Anna traveling for a year in lieu of attending college.
The beginning chapters set the stage for what happens later – as we meet the supporting characters and to-be villain, get a sense of what the characters experiences are like in high school, and bask in the timelessness that is Christmas – one last time before high school ends.
That is of course until a zombie apocalypse arrives and throws everyone’s world askew. Now Anna and friends must fight for their survival and see to it that they and their loved ones can escape in one piece – all while indulging in some Christmas pageantry and cracking some pop culture jokes along the way.
Liked:
Elements of the Book I thought worked well.
Anna’s voice reads like a teenager. She’s uncertain and prone to mistakes, but she’s trying her best to grow and change and move on – all of which are very coming to age and young adult in character. Plus, what better a motivator than the end of the world? She’s courageous against zombies and loves her father and her friends – even if they don’t always get along.
Steph is genuinely my favorite character. She reads as a modern teen in that she’s grounded and developed and cares about the truth and making a difference. I also like that she’s gay and *SPOILERS* survives in the end! Going against a much-hated trope in fiction.
Nick is that reformed bad boy you love to hate. He starts a tad cliché, but I like the fallout history between him and Anna – and how the book doesn’t go down that easy romance arc frequently overused in both the YA and Zombie genre. Instead, it’s complicated – which is a good thing.
Arthur Savage was an on-point representation of everyone’s one horrible high school teacher: holds good intentions, but you’ve always known they were a borderline psychopath. His arc was amusing in a hilarious but over the top sort of fashion – in that he’s menacing, but also silly, yet necessary for throwing conflict in the story. I also enjoyed his, what I’d consider, ‘boss fight’ scenarios.
The prose in the book is simple but showcases moments of floweriness. One of my favorite lines was at the bowling alley.
“The rank smell of feet blended with cheap alcohol and stale cigarettes to create a perfume that could only be found in bowling alleys worldwide.”
It is also here where the book picks up. As we then see a pageant show, which features some of the movie’s best musical numbers – which of course is a disaster. Figuratively and literally (zombies).
It’s YA friendly. A zombie apocalypse without the overabundance of blood and guts. Yes it’s there, but it’s a lot more sparse than you’d believe.
It’s fun, the jokes are funny, and there’s a right amount of pop culture references.
FYI: Anything involving the ball-pit is rather hilarious.
Less Liked:
Elements of the Book I thought were slightly off
Even though it’s written in third-person, it’s difficult to differ between limited and omniscient. The inner monologues and desires of different characters switch too haphazardly. Simply put, it moves to another person’s thoughts and feelings too quickly, jarring the flow of the read and breaking the intimacy with the scene’s main character.
The universe building felt off. Understandable that it’s a lighter zombie story, but there were moments of zombie gore intentionally ignored. Convenient for a film that needs to deliver an emotional beat for a scene, but somewhat anti-climactic and conveniently self-serving in the book, particularly this next point:
The Bite. One of the biggest tropes is getting bitten. The slow turn that happens when you least expect it. The book utilizes it well in some respects but, minus the spoilers, there are moments I’d expected zombies to go into full-on devour mode but opted for a bite and go. Once they’d bitten their unfortunate victim, they’d leave them entirely alone. Sort of like Tag, you’re dead, and that was it.
The infuriating relationship between John and Anna. He’s the best friend who never was her romance but we all rooted for. Especially, because he authentically cares. That said, there’s a lot of heart in this friend-zoned relationship. We see rounded people caring for one another, especially towards the end. And though the payoff isn’t what’s expected – it gives emotional beats needed for the story.
Consider this a love and hate point.
Overall:
Anna and the Apocalypse is a fun zombie book and musical. There are moments of courage and sacrifice, humor and festive Christmas themes. It’s a fun take on the zombie – not entirely nightmare before Christmas, as much as it is Glee and Shawn of the Dead. An entertaining read, and a movie I’m looking forward to seeing.
Released on October 23rd, you can find the ‘Anna and the Apocalypse’ book on Amazon, Books-A-Million, Powell’s, and Indie Bookstores.
This week Jen and I talked about Supergirl 4.03 “Man of Steel” and Legends of Tomorrow 4.02 “Witch Hunt”.
It was personally very difficult to watch Supergirl’s origin story of a white supremacist the day after the Pittsburgh shooting, so Jen does more of the talking for that first section. But then my voice comes back in full swing for Legends though as we get a singing evil fairy godmother AND an Ava/Nate storyline! Link to this episode is below
Discussion Time Stamps: Intro: 00:00 Supergirl: 00:53 Legends of Tomorrow: 24:15
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Be sure to follow Supertrash and the hosts on Twitter:
There’s something magical about live performances. The electricity in the air is invigorating, as the band comes on stage, and the intro kicks in – just as the melody gets in rhythm. The harmony. The building up into a crescendo. The refrain of lyrics that the audience sings along to – forgetting just for a moment, every problem in the world. At this moment is congruence. The energy of the performance that synchs with the crowd. Strangers coming together as fans become a melting pot of friends, sharing at this place and time: the moment.
Concerts are one of the most compelling of human experiences. Reminding us what it feels like to be alive in the now. Queen had that sort of impact on people.
Which is precisely what you get from 20th Century Fox’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
This movie, does a fantastic job of capturing that magic on the screen. And maybe it’s not the sharpest story, as it’s one that often skips over gritty details for glamorous beats – but man does it have charisma.
Driven by a powerful soundtrack of some of Queen’s greatest hits, the music moves the story forward with style and panache, leading to a nearly identical recreation of their Live Aid performance in Wembley, known as one of the greatest concerts of all time.
We follow the journey of Freddie Mercury, portrayed by Rami Malek – his misfit roots with his family as a British Indian Parsi man, his rise to prominence with his bandmates, and his closeted interpersonal struggles while acting as the front man of the larger than life band, Queen.
And sure, the pacing is very fast as there is a lot of time skipping. The entire first act, moving so haphazardly forward with little resistance, that I started to question where at all the conflict would even begin. Though it’s there. But this is a movie where the writing falls secondary to the acting.
Also, the creative process comes too easily. With classic Queen hits being constructed with such matter-of-fact effort, you question if the writers had done any research into the blood, sweat, and tears about how difficult it is to make music. Pacing is a problem with this movie, but that’s because they tried encapsulating the band’s history in a short time frame. It’s less about the in-between moments and more the overarching narrative that was Queen, though mostly through the life of Freddie Mercury.
And then there’s the whole issue regarding Mercury’s sexuality. With many critics, judging the movie for belittling Mercury’s struggle with his sexuality by not showcasing enough engagement with Freddie and his sexual partners. Everything seems to be implied and behind closed doors – though in the movie’s defense, so was much of Freddie Mercury’s personal life.
His bisexuality plays a critical narrative role and emphasizes some of his conflict regarding his isolation and alienation of his friends. Critics thought they could have done better. The conflict, more on par with something reminiscent of a Hallmark movie. Which is to say they touch on it, but only in brief moments and the conflicts resolve often quickly for sake of moving the story forward.
But the music? And the performances? Those are electric. If you’re a fan of Queen’s music there is so much for you to enjoy in this film. Likewise, the funny bits of the nonsensical and non-traditional approaches Queen had in making music, and the attempt of originality in the face of adversity – is nothing shy of heart-wrenchingly warm. Which can be an issue for many die-hard music historians, as the movie really skips through some of the darker moments of the band. But if you’re looking for positive Hollywood fun and glorification of this larger than life band, look no further.
Even though it’s campy, it was so hard for me to dislike this movie. With audiences in the theatre even singing and stomping along to songs we’ve all heard, many times before. Queen does that to a crowd.
Rami Malek excels as Freddie Mercury. Holding his charisma, but also, conveying a bit of his oddities and eccentricities. Lucy Boynton does a convincing job portraying the heartwarming Mary Austin, Mercury’s reluctant ex-wife and best friend. Likewise, the band played by Gwilym Lee (as Brian May), Ben Hardy (Roger Taylor) and Joseph Mazzello (John Deacon), is nothing shy but lovable in every way. With Aiden Gillen as manager John Reed, pulling a performance that would put Littlefinger to shame. Finally, Mike Myers is a delight as Ray Foster, playing an executive hindering the release of bohemian rhapsody, when the actor himself had glorified it in his 90’s hit Wayne’s World.
Overall, Bohemian Rhapsody is the story of Freddie Mercury and friends – the happy version. Take what you will from it, the music is a marvel to watch on screen, and there is plenty of justification for Malek’s Oscar contention – the performance is just that good.
You can watch ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in theatres now.
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
