The Lego Movie

This is one exceedingly silly movie. I was hoping it would be along the lines of Wreck-It Ralph, which I absolutely loved and actually purchased, but it didn’t even come close. Meet Emmett (Chris Pratt), a run-of-the-mill dude who is accidentally mistaken as “The Special”, the one prophesied to prevent Legoland from being glued together and never changing again.  Assisting Emmet is the ridiculously named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Morgan Freeman’s performance as Master Builder Vitruvius was funny but the script overdid it a bit with the cutesiness factor and I got really tired of them relentlessly skewering Batman.  And let me tell you, the ‘Everything is Awesome’ song is one heck of an earworm which will insinuate itself into your subconscious and irritate you for weeks!  If you make the mistake of allowing your children to see this movie, they will be singing it for even longer, becoming the toy you gave them for Christmas that you soon repented of ever purchasing after hearing its annoying sound effects for the umpteenth time.  There were some amusing lines clearly for the benefit of adults in the audience and I did like the underlying ideas about creativity and what makes a person special. I kept thinking this was like a children’s allegorical version of Tron told through the medium of Legos instead of computers. But on the whole, I felt the whole thing was rather inane and largely simplistic as well as aiming unnecessarily pointed and rather preachy stuff at parents. With ‘Lord Business’ being the bad guy, many have assumed this is a slam on political conservatives.  Some people have also pointed out that since the movie implies it should be OK for the little boy to take apart his father’s carefully constructed Lego-City (because, you know, creativity!  And Legos should always be in motion changing from one thing to another…) then it should be perfectly all right to walk into a Legoland park and start taking apart their Lego creations in order to build something else.  For some reason, I don’t think that would fly too well with park personnel.  One of my main gripes with the film was the static quality of the characters.  Perhaps the problem was the same one Pixar had with the Cars movies. It’s difficult for characters to emote and connect with the audience when they don’t have expressive faces. I’d been excited to see this because everyone went on and on about how great it was. I suppose I should have known better, as these were the same critics who raved about The Wolf of Wall Street and trashed John Carter. There are some children’s movies that really are entertaining for persons of any age, but I think this one is best able to be enjoyed by the 12 and under crowd and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I just wish I’d known prior to watching that it wasn’t anywhere near the sophistication and broad appeal of Wreck-It Ralph or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. A perfectly acceptable animated movie but it just didn’t really resonate with me and I have no desire to watch it again. I’ve also just learned there is a sequel planned for 2018.  I could not be less excited.  – BETHANY

If you care, here’s more on this film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1490017/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Emmet, an ordinary but very enthusiastic average guy. (Chris Pratt)

Wyldstyle, Emmet and Vitruvius.

There’s an Abraham Lincoln Lego?

The Master Builders

Channing Tatum voices Superman ….

…who is always at odds with Batman (Will Arnett).

An uncharacteristic expression on Emmett.

Evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell)

Photos courtesy of Village Roadshow Pictures, Lego System A/S, Vertigo Entertainment,  Animal Logic, Warner Animation Group, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, The LEGO group, Lin Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and Roadshow Entertainment

Guardians of the Galaxy

What a quixotic, whimsical and offbeat adventure! This is a great space opera rather strongly reminiscent of Farscape. A bunch of misfits are thrown together and ultimately become stronger together, facing off against a great evil. Chris Pratt’s character Peter Quill, or as he really hopes to be called, ‘Star-Lord’, is our anchor in that he’s from Earth and makes many quips regarding our culture and society. The juxtaposition of troll dolls, great 1970s & 80s music and the “heroic epic” of Footloose against the world of aliens and spaceships is truly hilarious. Zoe Saldana is as fabulous in green as she was in blue in Avatar, proving she’s the ultimate woman of, er, color. Rocket, a genetically modified racoon, is a wise-cracking trash-talking little bomb of ebullience, tempered with a massive chip on his shoulder and a grudge against the universe (call him Ranger Rick at your peril). But my favorite character by far was Groot, a (mostly) gentle giant of the plant variety. It’s quite a trick to create a tree-based character that is in no way an Ent, and Groot’s child-like actions and expressions are as far from Treebeard as you can get. The good guys are great, but I’ve also got to give kudos to the bad guys, as what’s a story without a good villain? Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) is scary good as Nebula and Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) was chilling as fanatical nut job Ronan. With a very well-written script, scintillating and gorgeous visual effects, some incredibly original and creative technology (Ronan’s ship, the Dark Aster! – Yondu’s sentient arrow!), wry humor and genuine pathos, this whole movie radiated a sense of joy and optimism that I found very moving as well as richly entertaining. Easily my favorite Marvel movie to date, I’m delighted there will be more of these and plan to buy the DVD à l’instant. – BETHANY

To see more about this movie, drop by the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2015381/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a.k.a. Star-lord.

Groot – Not an Ent.

An unlikely quintet: Peter Quill, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Groot (Vin Diesel).

Rocket really loves guns.

Karen Gillan as Nebula

Yondu and his sentient arrow, which he controls by whistling.

Capital of the Nova Empire, planet Xandar.

Benicio del Toro as The Collector and Glenn Close as Nova Prime

The Nova Corps defends Xandar.

Gamora and Peter totally ignore the spectacular scenery in front of them.  Well, to be fair it’s only a green screen.

Green and Blue – is there any color that doesn’t look good on this woman? (image found at genius.com)

Ronan’s ship, The Dark Aster.

 

 

Photos courtesy of Marvel Studios, Marvel Enterprises, Moving Picture Company (MPC) and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

White Collar

This is a decidedly sexy, stylish and deceptively simple show, featuring the White Collar division of New York’s FBI. Dedicated to chasing down criminals of the rich and powerful variety, agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) is hot on the trail of forger and thief extraordinaire, Neal Caffrey. Played by the the sinfully handsome Matt Bomer, Neal is a charming and charismatic smooth operator who puts the ‘artist’ in ‘con artist’, a true Renaissance man and social chameleon. When Burke nabs his man, the agent decides it would be a crime to waste Caffrey’s expertise in prison and promptly extorts, er, convinces, Neal to work for the bureau as a C.I. The heart of the show revolves around the relationship between Caffrey and Burke, a stuffed shirt versus the larcenous bon vivant who develop a very unlikely, if wary, partnership. Caffrey’s extensive working knowledge of the top tier criminal element helps Agent Burke and his FBI cohorts rise to dizzying heights of success. Each season’s story arc features elegant heists and elaborate stings, cleverly filmed to keep the viewer guessing.

Neal’s closest friend goes by the name of Mozzy, beautifully played by Willie Garson as an erratic paranoid genius who calls Agent Burke ‘Suit’ and his wife Elizabeth (played by Tiffani Thiessen) ‘Mrs. Suit’.  Like Neal, Mozzy has a contentious relationship with law enforcement, a taste for the finer things in life and a tendency to always come out of any given situation on top. He and Neal help with FBI investigations, but generally have some angle of their own that works to their advantage.  With exceptionally witty repartee, complex plots, a well-drawn cast of characters and rich interpersonal relationships, White Collar ran for six glorious seasons and was accorded the opportunity to actually wrap up the story instead of ending in a cliffhanger that will never be resolved. Intellectually challenging, it really makes you think about if the ends justify the means, ethical shades of grey and just how far outside the lines is too far. – BETHANY

For more on this slick show, visit the Internet Movie Database

The con man and the G-man, Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) and Peter Burke (Tim DeKay).

                       Neal is definitely a clothes horse, ever the fashion plate.

One of Neal’s many, many romantic partners (Hilarie Burton).

The maestro hard at work forging something that’s probably illegal.

The Suit and Mrs. Suit (Tim DeKay and Tiffany Thiessen).

Elizabeth, Neal and Peter.

Mozzy (Willie Garson) intent on solving the mysteries of the music box.

If this isn’t illegal already (impersonating an officer and all that), it should be against the law to look that good in a uniform.

Working on a case in Neal’s loft.

A truly great partnership and a genuine friendship.

Agent Diana Berrigan (Marsha Thomason) and Agent Clinton Jones (Sharif Atkins) go undercover for the White Collar division.

     

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Jeff Eastin & Warrior George Productions, Fox Television Studios and USA network (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)

Gotham

If you thought Gotham was a mess even with Batman’s crime fighting presence, this show explores the idea that before the Dark Knight’s appearance, the troubled city was even worse. Corruption, conspiracy and level upon level of rot going to the highest echelons of government, “ethical” is not in Gotham’s vocabulary. With the ambiance appropriately sinister, dark and gritty, the time period is ambiguous – it could be the 1920s or yesterday. While the story seemingly settles around idealistic Jim Gordon trying to track down who really killed Thomas and Martha Wayne right in front of their son, Bruce, it’s also about the origins of the villains. Some are obvious while others evince only the slightest hint of things to come. Penguin is a real standout as you actually tend to root for him. Articulate with a devious mind and thirst for recognition and influence, he’s a real person not a comic strip denizen. Jada Pinkett Smith is downright chilling as Fish Mooney, a ruthlessly ambitious nightclub owner waiting in the wings for her chance at real power. She speaks in measured enunciated tones, rarely raising her voice, but still manages to be exceedingly scary and unnerving. Casting Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock was a genius move as he captures the character perfectly. He’s already world weary at this point, a washed out detective who’s seen far too much to have any degree of idealism or even optimism left. Another great move was casting Sean Pertwee, son of Jon Pertwee (Classic Doctor Who) as Alfred Pennyworth. He nails the refined butler with the soul of a brawler and quietly underscores his odd relationship with “Master Bruce” – he’s a figure of authority for the young boy but also an employee of what’s left of the Wayne family, namely Bruce. Gotham is already full of complicated mental chess matches, metaphorical poker games and all sorts of psychological manipulation -it didn’t really need the bisexual subplot in order to be edgy and its inclusion not only slows down the story, but feels gratuitous. The first season is a solid four stars, although I have a feeling this will grow into a show worthy of all five. – BETHANY

For more on this dark Batman spin-off (minus the Batman), visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3749900/?ref_=nv_sr_1

                                                        Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee)

Det. James Gordon (Ben Mackenzie) and partner Det. Harvey Bullock (in the hat), played by Donald Logue.

Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), an eager to please but socially awkward forensic scientist working for Gotham PD.

Young Selina “Cat” Kyle (Camren Bicondova), a savvy Gotham street rat.

Always well-dressed and ingratiating Oswald Cobblepott (Robin Lord Taylor), better known by his nickname “Penguin”.

Can’t have Gotham without Arkham Asylym.

Young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) meeting Cat Kyle.

Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), an ostensible lieutenant of Don Falcone and nightclub owner.

A couple shots of an appropriately dark Gotham.

Photos courtesy of Primrose Hill Productions, DC Comics, Warner Bros. Television and Fox

TURN: Washington’s Spies

An excellent show with the narrative set right smack in the middle of the American Revolution, following the formation of a cloak and dagger network of spies passing along information about the British to General Washington. In a modern context, the issues faced by the characters seem they should be more black and white, but everything was much more complicated in real life than in the history books. At the time, it was inconceivable that the colonial cause could possibly hope to win against the might of the British Empire, and those who struggled against it knew very well if they were caught, it meant losing their lives. Many of Long Island’s residents were staunch supporters of the Crown and those with leanings toward the other side had to be very quiet about it. By putting faces and names to the plot, the story becomes very real to the viewer and I for one got thoroughly sucked in. I watch each episode on the edge of my seat, because even though you know how the war eventually ends, you have no idea what will happen to each character. Most of the actors actually are Brits and those that aren’t do an excellent job adopting the accents appropriate to the times (if you can understand everyone in Pirates of the Caribbean, you should have no problems here.  The comparison is appropriate as the actor who plays Judge Woodhull also plays Joshamee Gibbs in the Pirates movies).

The one thing that makes the show a little hard to watch for me is that I hate rooting against the English and the Scots. It’s true that while they are America’s close friends now, they weren’t always. But the writers have done an excellent job drawing their characters so well as to make some of them sympathetic.  You care about them and flinch when bad things happen to them and it’s always a bit mentally jarring when you remember they’re on the wrong side.  Other than that, I love everything else about the show and can hardly wait to see what happens with Abe Woodhull and the nascent spies of the Revolution. Amazing costumes, attention to historical detail and an incredible script made this my favorite new show of 2014 and the second season was even better than the first. – BETHANY

For more on TURN, visit the Internet Movie Database

Abraham Woodhull (Jamie Bell), a cabbage farmer from Setauket.

The truly vile Capt. Simcoe (Samuel Roukin), terrorizing the residents of Setauket.

Angus Macfadyen as Major Robert Rogers of the Queen’s Rangers.

                                             I love this actor so much and his character might be one of the most interesting on the show.

The man himself, General George Washington (Ian Kahn), who still has all his teeth.

Major Benjamin Tallmadge (Seth Numrich), childhood friend of Abe and instigator of the Culper spy ring.

Anna Strong (Heather Lind), Abraham’s one-time love.  She is in the unenviable position of carefully rebuffing the constant advances of creepy Capt. Simcoe.

Daniel Henshall as Lieutenant Caleb Brewster, a smuggler and courier for the Culper Ring, also a childhood friend of Abe and Ben.

The Woodhull household with the honorable Judge Richard Woodhull (Kevin McNally, seated) and Abe’s wife, Mary Woodhull (Meegan Warner, center).

General Benedict Arnold (Owain Yeoman, The Mentalist) – is it a spoiler to tell you this guy is a turncoat?

                                    JJ Feild as Major John André, incredibly shrewd head of intelligence for the British.

Peggy Shippen (Ksenia Solo), a staunch Tory and member of Philadelphia’s high society.

*whistling Yankee Doodle*

Burn Gorman on his character, Major Hewlett.

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of AMC Studios (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)

Midnight in Paris

An unusual but very enjoyable movie that doesn’t follow the typical path of a romantic comedy. I loved the premise, how the story unfolded, all the vast array of historical cameos, as well as several rather profound theories about the present, the past and human perception. Owen Wilson stars as Gil Pender, a struggling writer who has come to Paris with his fiancée, Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her parents on vacation.  Naturally because he’s already engaged, he’s all set to find his perfect match elsewhere.  Apparently in order to find The One, you must be with the Wrong, at least according to Hollywood.  It’s obvious from the beginning that his relationship with Inez isn’t great, as their outlooks on life are radically different.  Paul (Michael Sheen), a friend of Inez, is particularly unpleasant, described as “pedantic and a pseudo-intellectual”.  So out of boredom or just wanting to get away from his irksome companions, Gil takes to walking the streets of Paris and that’s when things get interesting. Naturally everything revolves around the clock striking midnight, announcing the arrival of a mysterious car whose occupants dressed in old-fashioned clothing urge Gil to join them.  The rest of the story is a lazy waltz through time where Gil meets various historical luminaries like F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates), Cole Porter, Joséphine Baker (Sonia Rolland), Salvador Dalí (Adrien Brody), T.S. Eliot, Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin, Edgar Degas and Pablo Picasso.  (It seems the only artist left out is Vincent Van Gogh, which is a bit odd considering the movie poster.) Marion Cotillard and Léa Seydoux also star and the narrative is pure magic that will have great appeal to those fond of literature and art in particular.

But in spite of all that was great about this movie there was one pernicious aspect to it that all but ruined it for me (thus only two stars). Hollywood seems utterly incapable of making movies that do not have a political agenda and I’m sick of the constant demonization of the Republican party and its ideology. The protagonist is almost invariably a Democrat and all the “bad” characters are naturally Republicans. Perhaps Hollywood feels if it can just show America enough stories portraying Republicans as the bad guys it might have an impact come election day and influence the minds of the next generation. (Whether this works or not is dubious at best) I wouldn’t mind politics being part of the story if it weren’t for the constant slant towards the left that is ubiquitous in the entertainment industry. This movie, for all its magic and imagination, couldn’t seem to put politics aside and just tell a good story. In fact, it was possible to tell which characters you were supposed to dislike because of their right wing views. I found the “Cheap is cheap” line to be particularly revolting and just for the record, conservatives do not universally equate dollar signs with value. A gift from the heart does not need to be expensive to be treasured. Enough with the constant misrepresentations and stereotypes! For any potential viewers whose beliefs incline towards the conservative, you might want to take some anti-nausea medication before watching this movie. Fabulous music, exquisite costumes, just enough bitterness to keep the sweetness from cloying and spectacular views of Paris, this movie could have been so much better if politics had just been left out of it. – BETHANY

For more on the impressive cast of this dreamy movie, drop by the Internet Movie Database

Could this place be any more gorgeous?  Gil (Owen Wilson) with Inez (Rachel McAdams).

All alone in the City of Love.

Who wouldn’t want to join this party?

Zelda (Alison Pill) and F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Tom Hiddleston is almost unrecognizable but the look suits him.

Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) – appropriately rumpled and misanthropic.

Adrianna (Marion Cotillard) and Gil discuss things near and dear to his heart.  Nice, er,  display of stuffed birds.  (Aflac!)

A very animated Salvador Dalí (Adrien Brody) gives liberal and unsolicited advice to Gil.

Moral of the story:  Good things happen when you wander the streets of Paris. (And vote Democrat) *gag*

Oooops, wrong movie shot of Paris.  So much for the Champs-Élysées, but at least the Arc de Triomphe is still standing!  (Photo from the movie Armageddon, courtesy of Touchstone Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Valhalla Motion Pictures)

 

 

Photos courtesy of Gravier Productions, Mediapro, Pontchartrain Productions, Televisió de Catalunya (TV3), Versátil Cinema and Sony Pictures Classic (unless otherwise noted or credited in clickable form)

The Goldbergs

Like the great Nora Ephron said, “When you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you. But when you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it’s your laugh.” Based on the real life experiences of one Adam F. Goldberg, this show takes some epic childhood embarrassment and turns it into hilarious entertainment. It simultaneously pokes fun at the 80s but also revels in everything good about it. Tinged with a sweet nostalgia, we get to see the world through the eyes of a proto-nerd who narrates the proceedings while dispensing life lessons. Adam’s family has a dysfunctional dynamic but it’s never truly malicious. “In my family, we fight, scream and make horrible mistakes that go way too far. But an hour later, we’re fine. That’s what it means to be a Goldberg”. Undeniably cheesy but with a sardonic edge, the show has a sort of innocence to it that is utterly charming.

While the curmudgeonly father (who has a distressing habit of walking around in his underwear) is great, the most entertaining character has got to be his wife, Beverly. Calling her a helicopter mom doesn’t even begin to cover it. She’s passive aggressive, totally intrusive with no sense of appropriate boundaries, overly protective of her children and with massively over-teased hair that should have its own zip code. Born in 1978, I grew up smack in the middle of the 80s. The decade was a hoot and a half and this show capitalizes on every silly fad and pop culture phenomenon. It’s heartfelt while gamely mocking itself, a totally winning formula. I tend to laugh out loud while watching, cringe at some of the jabs and thoroughly enjoy myself. Thanks Mr. Goldberg, for allowing us to laugh with you and relive the 80s glory days. Now let’s see, where did I leave that Debbie Gibson album … – BETHANY

For every conceivable pertinent detail about this show, visit the Internet Movie Database

Sean Giambrone portraying the real Adam Goldberg’s younger self, the hub of the show which is based on Adam’s actual videotapes shot when he was younger.

                       Each episode ends with a few clips from Goldberg’s collection, showing the real people upon whom the story was based.

Beverly Goldberg (Wendi McLendon-Covey), a guilt trip expert who staunchly believes her children are beyond perfect (despite evidence to the contrary).  Don’t let her smile fool you, there’s a super-villain caliber mind behind it whose sole purpose in life is to further the interests of her offspring.

Erica Goldberg (Hayley Orrantia) with Charlie Sheen reprising his role in a salute to a seminal 80’s movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Murray Goldberg (Jeff Garlin) in his favorite chair.  Be grateful that in this picture his pants are on, as his usual first move upon coming in the door is to remove them.

Barry Goldberg (Troy Gentile), a fair to middling teen with the self-bestowed nickname “Big Tasty” and delusions of greatness.  Is it just me or is it funny to have a guy with the last name ‘Gentile’ starring on a show about an obviously Jewish family?

Erica and best friend Lainey (AJ Michalka) attempt to start a girl band with limited success.

Adam at the premiere of Return of the Jedi.

Adam enlisting help to film his own version of TRON.

Barry gets excited about The Hulk.

Super cool, understanding and the perpetual voice of reason, George Segal plays “Pops”, Beverly’s father.

Let’s be honest.  Pretty much every kid growing up in the 80s has a photo like this somewhere.

Ah, remember Roller Rinks?  What a fashion show!

       The accuracy of parallels between the real thing and the re-created version in the show is astonishing.  Good for Adam for having the guts to own up to this picture.

 

 

Photos courtesy of Adam F. Goldberg Productions, Happy Madison Productions, Sony Pictures Television and ABC

Castle

Castle is a comedic take on crime noir dramas, with shades of the buddy cop show that thankfully never descends to fatuous slapstick. Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), a successful mystery writer, initially helps the NYPD chase down a copycat killer modeling crimes on his books but finds he enjoys being a real sleuth so much, gets permanently attached to the unit by means of a friendship with the mayor. His bulletproof vest says Writer rather than Police and he promptly starts a whole new series based on the beautiful but complicated Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). With his rather extreme out of the box thinking and quips by the dozen, Castle certainly manages to ruffle feathers. But he’s just so darned charming and glib with a Peter Pan complex and vivid imagination, and although he tends to speculate wildly about cases, he does speak fluent ‘murder’ and applies principles of writing a good narrative to solving crimes.

The collaboration between author and detective produces dramatic results and Castle becomes a fixture at the police precinct. The show is pure fun, peppered with authentic personalities and relationships. There’s some serious romantic tension between Beckett and Castle, and the writers beautifully capture various other characters like Richard’s mother (Susan Sullivan), a diva of an actress with a good heart, and his conscientious and well-behaved daughter, Alexis (Molly C. Quinn). With fast paced action, rapidly moving investigations and subplots, the rollicking adventurous tone belies the rather gruesome task of investigating homicides. Alternately deadly serious and downright hilarious, Castle is always richly entertaining. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, as evidenced by the occasionally altered credits tailored to match a particular episode and the result is pretty much the perfect TV show, perfectly balancing intellectual smarts with understated comedic genius. I’ve absolutely loved all the seasons to date (7 thus far) and hope it continues for decades to come. – BETHANY

For more on this brilliant show, stop by the Internet Movie Database

A photo of Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) for one of his books.

                                       So where did he get this?  It’s not like there’s a huge market for custom-made bulletproof vests.  Is there?

Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) in one of her many, many different hairstyles.

Beckett is annoyed at Castle for basing a book character on her named Nikki Heat.  I’d be annoyed too – what a name rife with innuendo!

Castle has a wonderful relationship with his well-adjusted daughter, Alexis (Molly C. Quinn), a rarity in TV shows and movies.

Detectives Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Esposito (Jon Huertas).

Working a case with the whiteboard.

After finding a falcon feather on a body, Castle launches into a wild theory while ME Dr. Lanie Parish (Tamala Jones) and Beckett listen with resigned skepticism.  Episode “Murder Most Fowl”. *groan*

In episode “The Wrong Stuff” Castle and Beckett investigate when someone is murdered inside a NASA-style experiment.

Murder at a sci-fi convention.  Castle’s response?  “Shiny!”

Not so shiny, running into your teenage daughter in a very skimpy costume.

Noir themed episode “The Blue Butterfly”.

Esposito and Ryan in episode “That 70s Show”.

Infiltrating a Western “Cowboy Experience” ranch.

Castle‘s homage to classic film Rear Window.

It’s probably best not to ask.  Detective Ryan and ME Lanie.

                               Castle’s mother, Martha Rogers (Susan Sullivan) never misses an opportunity to make a dramatic sartorial statement.  Seen here hamming it up in “That 70’s Episode”.

This show looks like a riot on set.  Here are some bloopers from season 1.  No spoilers, I promise!

 

Photos courtesy of Beacon Pictures, Experimental Pictures, ABC Studios, Experimental Pictures, The Barry Schindel Company, Milmar Pictures and ABC (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)

Rango

Although Rango is an animated film, the plot seems to come straight out of a Clint Eastwood movie. A fish out of water tale (literally in the case of the goldfish from Rango’s terrarium) where a city slicker winds up way out of his element in the West. He meets many interesting characters, but it’s the prickly damsel in distress who beautifully voices her disgust. “Get your slimy, webbed phalanges off ma boots!” After his ignominious introduction to the town of Dirt, (yes, they really named the town Dirt. Enough said.), he claims to be a deadly gunslinger to garner some respect. But when there’s a crisis of water shortage, everyone looks to Rango to solve their problems before the town goes bust. He learns a great deal about himself and slowly becomes the hero they all believe him to be. So what if all the characters are desert animals, and Rango himself is a chameleon, this is a great comedic western any way you slice it. I especially liked the gloomy mariachi band of owls serving as a sort of Greek Chorus, commenting on the proceedings and frequently making dire predictions.

Rango, voiced by the nonpareil Johnny Depp, provides much of the comedy through his actions and also by the juxtaposition of his cluelessness against the hard bitten residents of Dirt. The plot moves along at a rapid pace, the dialogue is snappy and crisp, and there are some truly hilarious bits as Rango stumbles about causing chaos (after a robbery, he calls on the townsfolk to form a “possum”). I particularly liked the chase scene set to Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries’, but played on banjos. Priceless! Definitely a movie to be enjoyed by persons of all ages with something good to say about finding your courage and doing the right thing. “No man can walk out of his own story.”

There was some controversy over the rather pervasive smoking throughout the movie (an anti-smoking organization said there were at least 60).  For this reason, there was a petition to change the rating to R, but nothing came of it and it remained rated PG. There’s also some rather distressing visuals of an armadillo being run over on a highway (see below), but since it doesn’t appear to do him irreparable harm, I’ll let it pass.  Highly entertaining, cute but not trite, this movie has depth to it and richly deserved its 2012 Oscar. – BETHANY

For more on this quirky and unique animated film, visit the Internet Movie Database

Rango and Roadkill (Alfred Molina) – don’t worry, he’ll be just fine.

Beans (Isla Fisher) doesn’t take too kindly to being accosted.

The doleful Mariachi band

Priscilla (Abigail Breslin), one of the most cynical inhabitants of Dirt.

Yeah, I don’t think the hawk is going to think you’re a cactus, Rango.

Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy).

Rango leading the possum, er, posse.

Like any respectable Western, you have to have a shot framed by the sunset.

Hillbilly chase scene

Angelique the Fox (Claudia Black), the Mayor of Dirt’s receptionist.

                           A bunch of no-good varmints, headed by Bad Bill (Ray Winstone).

Rango and the Mayor, voiced by Ned Beatty, who plies him with water.

The Spirit of the West (Timothy Olyphant).  Let’s see, what famous Hollywood gunslinger does he most resemble?

 

 

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Blind Wink Productions, Industrial Light & Magic and GK Films (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)

Man Seeking Woman

Although avant-garde darlings of art house film festivals have long been lauded for their use of metaphor to convey something profound, this is the first time the idea has been taken literally. Call it a metaphorical reality TV show, if you like. Meet Josh Greenberg, played as an adorable dork by the equally adorkable Jay Baruchel. He stumbles along through life seeking a real relationship, but everything is taken to hilarious lengths by portraying things around him as metaphors come to life. Think your blind date is a troll? Here she’s actually a Troll who lives in a garbage can. Your friends say you’re irrationally jealous when your ex-girlfriend starts dating an older man, what better way to illustrate your instant hatred of the new man than by making him literally Adolf Hitler. Score a girl’s phone number? It’s headline news across the nation and you get calls from places like the White House to congratulate you.

While the real life metaphors are funny in and of themselves, what really makes this show downright hilarious is that only Josh sees the ludicrous bizarro world things as they are. All the other characters consider the wackiness to be completely normal. They must have to do a million takes of each scene because the actors are laughing so hard they can’t keep a straight face. While this is one heck of a gimmick, I hope the show develops some actual depth or the novelty factor will wear thin quickly. It should also be noted this is highly adult-oriented and often raunchy humor, worthy of a solid R rating if it were a movie. So with all that in mind, take a break from serious shows and see what fun can be had when drama becomes pure comedy. – BETHANY

For some extra information on Man Seeking Woman, visit The Internet Movie Database

Josh’s ex-girlfriend Maggie (Maya Erskine) with her new boyfriend.

Ever feel like a third wheel?  Try going dancing with friends.  Ice dancing, that is.

Josh’s sister Liz (Britt Lower) creates the perfect man.

When couples get way too close.  As in surgically conjoined close.

At a wedding in hell.  Literally.

Whitney (Minka Kelly) and her friend (and Penis Monster!!) Tanaka.

                                                             I’m not going to explain this picture, other than to identify Josh’s friend Mike (Eric André).  I will also not make the photo a link so you can see it in an even larger size.  Blech!

Again, I have no explanation.  What, don’t you ever have arrows sticking out of your sofa?

 

 

Photos courtesy of Broadway Video, FX Productions and the FXX channel (unless otherwise noted in clickable form)