Greetings,
There will always be people in the world who do inexplicable things. Sometimes those people are, well, us. Seriously, we have all done things that we cannot explain, even to ourselves. My "what!" behavior has included . . . seeing every Twilight movie in the theater. And I did this for the final time yesterday.
Yes, I went to see Breaking Dawn: Part 2 on opening day. Now I did go for the early bird show, which is what I usually do when I go alone and in a professional capacity. Plus, I'm cheap and I don't like tons of people crowded around me. I did get in cheaply, that's for sure, but I had no luck in trying to avoid a crowd. I really thought all the local Twihards would have been at the previous night's midnight showing or at school since it was 11 AM. But, no. It would seem some parents thought it prudent to pull their kids from a day of school in order for them to see a movie that will be exactly the same at a viewing after 4 PM. And I did not expect to see so many little girls there, who looked about five years old. I may have assumed they were vampire children if these Twilight books and movies had not taught me that such a thing is illegal in the vampire world. So, what the heck? This was a film for young adults, not young children. Seriously, if your five year old can handle seeing decapitation and dismemberment than you have more problems on your plate than worries about a too soon crush on Robert Pattinson. And do not make me discuss the clapping and cheering at inappropriate times. If this experience proved anything, though, it was this. I am in complete agreement with something that Danielle Fishel said when she was hosting the fantastic and wrongfully cancelled show, The Dish. What did she say in the early stages of the Twilight phenomenon? Well, it was something like "I want to see this movie, but it's the audience I don't want to spend two hours with" But all things considered, I count my blessings that an annoying crowd was the worst thing with which I had to deal. Moving on.
Now I am not going to do a full on review of this movie. That seems more appropriate for one of my theme weeks. Maybe when this comes out on DVD or when we hear of the inevitable engagement or break up of Robsten. Yeah, I have no idea if they are together now or not, so I do not know what is coming next. But I figure I should give some not too spoilery thoughts about the film. Just because.
Okay, in general, it wasn't that bad. Not as good as the books, but the movie rarely is. That would probably make people think the movie was terrible since a lot of them think the books were bad. I'll discuss that in a minute. Back to the movie. It has its good parts and bad parts, as I expected. So let's dissect a little.
When it came to the good parts, I got to see my Twilight crush, who is, surprisingly, neither Edward nor Jacob. Nope, I love me some Charlie Swan a.k.a. Bella's dad. He is the best character, if not in the books, then certainly in the movies. That would explain why his part got smaller and smaller as they continued on. Because when Hollywood finds a lick of awesomeness they tend to take a huge dump on it. But rest assured, Billy Burke, I recognize your brilliance. Now thanks much to Mr. Burke's contribution, I can talk about the other good thing in this film. It actually had a lot of funny parts. A lot more than the other installments had. Considering how morbid this saga can be at times, I like a little comic relief. And as far as the acting abilities of the rest of the cast, don't expect a ton of surprises if you've seen the other movies. You already know which adult I consider the best, and, again, Taylor Lautner is the standout for the youngsters. Oh, but if you thought Michael Sheen had previously reached his limit of flamboyance, you are mistaken. That's not an insult, by the way. I enjoy his ability to be funny guy/bad dude. It takes a gift.
Okay, now on to the bad parts. It did have a lot of oopsies, but none more than the one near the end. I refuse to spoil it, but, good grief, what in all hecks was that? Look, I took the time to read the books. I should not be sitting in that theater more confused than people who did not. As soon as, let's call it, "the thing" started, I was very much not getting it. I mean, I thought I would have remembered events so pivotal taking place. Actually, I certainly would have since "the thing" in the movie was nonexistent in the book. And DO NOT get me started on how they explained it, or explained it away, more accurately, in the film. Look, I appreciate them trying to make this more cinematic, and I definitely understand that changes are necessary when it comes to adaptation. But NO, Movie! You cannot throw in a vicissitude THAT huge! I have a feeling that the super hardcore fans are either going to absolutely love it or absolutely hate it. I see no middle ground here. Still, nothing will stop them from seeing it. Probably multiple times. But once was plenty for me.
So what, if anything, have I gotten from my Twilight experience, both through movies and books? Well, I'm not a crazy, squealy fan, but I am also not a hater. I sort of like the movies, and I sort of like the books. No more, no less. I just don't take either of these things very seriously. For better or worse, there is some entertainment there. I know a lot of people have a problem with both for many reasons. I've heard Stephenie Meyer being criticized because her writing was "too juvenile". Um, HELLO! These books were written for the pre-teen to actual teen crowd. Just because a bunch of bored housewives got a hold of them does not mean they were meant for people who have been through college, marriage and motherhood. They are plenty good enough for their intended demographic, though, they are certainly not the best written books. And I will not fault her for promoting abstinence to the young crowds. How nice that so many teenagers fell in love with Edward Cullen because he wanted to wait to have sex until they were married. I NEVER thought I would see that happen. As far as the movies go, I consider them "Why the heck not?" films. You know, if someone asks me if I want to watch Twilight or one of its sequels, I'd probably say, "Why the heck not?" They can be enjoyable in places, and even I have to admit I cougared out on Rob Pattinson a little in the beginning. Subsequently, though, I realized that little fanciful fling was merely a source of inspiration for one of my short stories. And when I say, MY short story, I do NOT mean fan fiction. I have some integrity as an artist, believe it or not.
So, to the film makers and especially Ms. Meyer, I say hats off. You took a passion you had and created something with it. Most people don't care to take time to nurture their ideas and, therefore, let them die off. That was not done in this case. As a writer who loves to see anyone try to build on their gifts, I can't object to that ever.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Catfish 2 . 0 - Documentary Review
Greetings,
Back in July, I did a week's worth of documentary reviews. One of them was on a movie called Catfish. Now that is a film you can only say so much about before you reveal the twist of the story, so I was kind enough to only say enough to be informative but not enough to ruin it for anyone. However, I've been meaning to do a follow up wherein I could discuss the "after twist" section. It certainly did spark some debate between critics and viewers alike, mostly concerning the validity of what may or may not have actually happened. Plus, there's much to be said about what the "characters" go through as the story progresses. And this seems like as good a time as any to do this.
You see, MTV will soon be premiering a series based on the film, and it will be about people going to meet other people with whom they've had internet relationships. And yes, I am way more interested in the incidents where they will catch the people who have been lying. Of course, a nice happy ending might not be so bad either.
Okay, before I begin, I must say something, and I can't stress it enough, so I will be using caps to emphasize. DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE! Yeah, I had to yell, I'm sorry. Look, I do not want to ruin this film for anyone, because it's really good, and it should be seen. So, here's my advice. If you have not seen Catfish yet, check out my first review, then go see the movie, and finally, come back and read this. If you have seen it, keep reading and hopefully enjoy my synopsis of the second half. Okay, let's get started.
To recap what I went over in my first review, Catfish follows three guys from NYC. We've got 24 year-old Nev, a photographer, his brother, Rel, and their friend Henry. The two latter being filmmakers who are documenting Nev's interactions with an 8 year-old art prodigy named Abby, as well as her whole family. And her family includes mother, Angela, father, Vince, brother, Alex, and 19 year-old sister, Megan. Not to mention a load of family friends. Nev and Megan have developed a long distance romance, but he is beginning to discover that some things this family, including Megan, has been telling may not be completely true. So the boys head to Michigan to surprise them, and that is where I finished. Now it's time to get down and dirty.
I really did end my review when the boys decided to go to Michigan, but let me back up to the time they spent in Colorado, where they were attending a dance festival or something. It really was during this time that things started to unravel. So the boys are in their hotel room or whatever, "chatting" with Megan, asking her to sing songs for them. She sends them her version of "Tennessee Stud", which makes them reminisce about the other songs she has sent them. But while doing a search to find one of those songs, they discover a performance by someone else, and it is the exact one that Megan said she was singing herself. Yeah, so she kinda lied on that one. This begins to make the boys, especially Nev, a little curious and even uneasy. So they continue with their detective work.
Heading to the Google. they come to discover that a lot of what they've been told about little artist Abby was completely untrue. She hasn't been having shows at her own gallery in the building that they bought, because they never bought said building. And they also hit a dead end trying to find articles that would most likely be written about an 8 year-old artistic genius. So. though Nev is really wanting just to end this whole thing and go home, Rel and Henry convince him to go to Michigan to get the whole story.
First, they reach the farm that Megan said she bought for herself. Yes, she is 19 and said she bought her own farm. Hey, remember that episode of The Cosby Show where Theo bought a $90 shirt and Cliff said that the only time a 14 year-old boy should have $90 shirt is if he is onstage with his four brothers? Yeah, well, the only time a 19 year-old should own a huge farm is if she's been on a show called Hannah Montana. Maybe that should have been a clue that things weren't on the up and up, but Angela did claim that they were making quite a bit of money from Abby's paintings, so maybe that's where they said the farm money came from. Who knows? Needless to say, when they got there, in the middle of the night for some reason, Megan was nowhere to be found and neither were her horses.
After that fun night of trespassing, the boys headed to the home of Angela, Vince and Abby, along the way, passing the "gallery" of Abby's, which was clearly just an abandoned building. So when they reached the house, Nev and Rel approached the front door, leaving Henry in the getaway car. No, seriously, they were being very cautious about these people and prepared for, if needed, a quick escape. I can see why they felt this way, all things considered.
So they knock on the door and out comes . . . Angela? Yes, you can tell, even from a distance that THIS Angela is certainly not the Angela that they've been seeing in pictures and paintings over the past several months. Then, Vince walks up, and guess what? He's not Picture Vince either. Now you'd think, at this point, Angela would just give it up and say, "Okay, you caught me", but no. No, she tries to keep the charade going, even telling them that Megan is not there, but out at her farm. Apparently, she didn't know that they had been there and found bupkis. But the boys carefully play along, taking things one step at a time.
After we see the reality of the appearances of these people, we then are exposed to the reality of Angela's life, and it is far different from what she purported it to be. We find out that she has two stepsons from Vince's first marriage, who are severely handicapped. She also tells them that she has been diagnosed with cancer. And when we meet Abby, who surprisingly does exist, we discover that it is not she who paints but her mother, and that Abby never sees her sister, Megan. Doesn't even remember what she looks like, actually. Oh, it's just getting better and better, isn't it, boys?
So after spending some time with the family and making plans to meet them again for dinner, Nev, Rel and Henry, safe and alone, driving away in their car, begin to have their first deep discussion about just what in all heck is happening. The first words we hear spoken are Henry saying to Nev, "Angela's in love with you" to which Nev replies "Angela is in love with me" And as they peel away each layer of this internet onion, they come to fully realize the depths of the deception. It hits Nev that the person he's been having this online and over the phone relationship with was not the hot, model looking girl, Megan, but forty-something Angela. And when we recall the, let's say, intimate texts between Nev and Megan that he shared with us, we understand why big brother Rel was desperately trying to contain his laughter. Look, he has to make fun of his little brother. It's his job. Moving on. They begin to figure out that not only was Angela pretending to be Megan, but she was most likely behind every single person that the boys knew through her on Facebook. And there were more than a dozen people. Just think about that. She created all these Facebook accounts and kept them active just to keep this whole thing going. Why is this woman not a novelist? Clearly, she knows how to work with characters she has created. Anyway, they decide, very sympathetically, I might add, to confront Angela about the whole thing, in a way as to not embarrass her, making it clear that they didn't want to hurt the family. I actually found that quite endearing.
And so the next day, after getting messages from "Megan" explaining why she's not there, Nev tells Angela that they basically know everything and want to give her a chance to explain. It's then that pretty much everything comes out. Angela says that she does have a daughter named Megan, who has some issues of her own, but Nev has never spoken to her, and the girl in the pictures is just a friend of the family. Later, as Nev sits for Angela while she sketches his face, they begin to finally talk in depth about the whole ordeal. Nev even asks Angela to talk in the voice she did while pretending to be Megan. This scene caused a bit of controversy, but we'll get to that later. So they give Angela her time to explain herself and why she did what she did. I couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for her as well. After everything we find out about her real life, I could certainly see why she would be desperate for some kind of escape, not to mention that she really wanted someone to appreciate her art. And when Nev and the boys did so, she didn't want to lose that or the friendship she had developed with them, especially Nev.
As the movie ends, we follow the boys back to New York, where Nev has clearly been deeply affected by the whole situation. We also get some captioning that contains a bit of follow up info about Angela, including the fact that she doesn't have cancer and that one of her stepsons passed away. We also learn the identity of picture Megan, and that she is actually a 30 year-old photographer and model who is married and a mother of two named Aimee Gonzales. And Angela does not know her. Plus, we get some footage of Angela's husband, Vince, telling a story about how when they ship codfish from Alaska to China they put in a few catfish to keep the cod agile, so that they won't become basically useless on the way. And he says that there are people in life like that, who keep us alert and thinking and fresh. I actually thought that was a pretty clever metaphor and appropriate. It's also where the title of the movie came from. And that is pretty much where we end.
I may as well also mention some things concerning the people who were inadvertently included in the film. First of all, there is Amy Kuney, whose performance of a song called "All Downhill From Here" was one of the ones that "Megan" said was her own recording. It's actually a good song, and I've come to discover in the aftermath that Amy Kuney is a really great musician. Also, if you go to You Tube and search "Catfish: Meeting the Girl in the Picture", you can see some deleted scenes of Nev, Rel and Henry meeting Aimee Gonzales and her husband (that was a little awkward) and telling them this whole crazy story. Turns out, she was really sweet about the whole thing. A little weirded out, too, naturally, but both she and her husband were sympathetic to what Nev had gone through. In fact, in an interview I saw with the boys, they said that Aimee had actually apologized to Nev for breaking his heart, even though she had nothing to do with it. That is one very nice and classy lady.
Now as I mentioned in my first review, I believe that this movie is actually a true story. As true as a movie can be anyway. There are, however, a lot of people, critics included, that do not agree. In fact, some people go so far as to say that they were using Angela, even exploiting this woman who clearly has a lot of problems. I could agree with that if they were the ones who sought her out, but she was the one who started this whole thing. She was the one who contacted Nev in the first place and got this all off and running. That brings us to the scene I mentioned where Nev asked Angela to talk in the Megan voice. One critic said something to the effect of, "Look at the smile on his face. He's obviously excited to get this scene for the movie." My response to that would be, yes, look at the smile, then look at his eyes. To me, he is giving the type of smile one does in order to keep from crying. You can very easily see tears in his eyes that he is refusing to let fall, because he has been very hurt by this person. When asked in an interview why he wanted her to speak to him in that voice, he said he wanted her to understand how uncomfortable she had made him by her actions. For her to truly feel the effect of what she had done to him. I don't necessarily think there is anything all that wrong with his doing that, especially since he gave her chance after chance to come clean, and it wasn't until he full on confronted her that the truth came out.
One of the main reasons why people think this is fake is because they can't imagine that three guys in their twenties from New York City could fall for this and not be able to figure it out. First of all, they DID figure it out. That was kind of the point of the second half of the movie. Maybe they didn't figure it out all at once, but they followed the clues, if you will, and solved the puzzle. And remember, this woman was really determined to deceive them. And why does their age and especially their location factor into whether or not they could get fooled by someone. Assuming they are smart because they come from New York is like assuming someone is dumb because they come from the South. Frankly, I do think these guys are smart, for no other reason than that . . . they are. And on top of it all, people just can't believe that anyone could be so trusting, as Nev and his friends seemed to be. Look, unless you're on high alert at all times, expecting to be scammed, you're not going to be dissecting every little thing a person does or says. When Nev did have questions and expressed them to Angela/Megan, she always came up with some kind of explanation, and he chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. I think it was because he had been lonely and was happy to have this young woman in his life who potentially could have been "the one". He really didn't want to lose that. That's what makes the whole thing bittersweet to me.
But you know what? I can admit that I might be wrong. Maybe I, myself, have gotten "catfished"! But I don't think I have been. I certainly hope not.
Look, the bottom line is that this movie is good. Whether you believe it's legit or not, it is certainly a conversation starter, and that is something that art should be, but rarely is these days. And I'm sure this new series based on the film should be thought provoking as well. I'm definitely going to check it out and maybe eventually give my reaction once I see how they handle all the different situations they'll probably encounter.
Like I said before, I highly recommend this movie. I know I went way in depth as far as the story goes for this review, but that's probably because I prohibited myself so much with the first one. I just hope I can get you all thinking and talking, as this film did for me. That would be a joy.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Back in July, I did a week's worth of documentary reviews. One of them was on a movie called Catfish. Now that is a film you can only say so much about before you reveal the twist of the story, so I was kind enough to only say enough to be informative but not enough to ruin it for anyone. However, I've been meaning to do a follow up wherein I could discuss the "after twist" section. It certainly did spark some debate between critics and viewers alike, mostly concerning the validity of what may or may not have actually happened. Plus, there's much to be said about what the "characters" go through as the story progresses. And this seems like as good a time as any to do this.
You see, MTV will soon be premiering a series based on the film, and it will be about people going to meet other people with whom they've had internet relationships. And yes, I am way more interested in the incidents where they will catch the people who have been lying. Of course, a nice happy ending might not be so bad either.
Okay, before I begin, I must say something, and I can't stress it enough, so I will be using caps to emphasize. DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE! Yeah, I had to yell, I'm sorry. Look, I do not want to ruin this film for anyone, because it's really good, and it should be seen. So, here's my advice. If you have not seen Catfish yet, check out my first review, then go see the movie, and finally, come back and read this. If you have seen it, keep reading and hopefully enjoy my synopsis of the second half. Okay, let's get started.
To recap what I went over in my first review, Catfish follows three guys from NYC. We've got 24 year-old Nev, a photographer, his brother, Rel, and their friend Henry. The two latter being filmmakers who are documenting Nev's interactions with an 8 year-old art prodigy named Abby, as well as her whole family. And her family includes mother, Angela, father, Vince, brother, Alex, and 19 year-old sister, Megan. Not to mention a load of family friends. Nev and Megan have developed a long distance romance, but he is beginning to discover that some things this family, including Megan, has been telling may not be completely true. So the boys head to Michigan to surprise them, and that is where I finished. Now it's time to get down and dirty.
I really did end my review when the boys decided to go to Michigan, but let me back up to the time they spent in Colorado, where they were attending a dance festival or something. It really was during this time that things started to unravel. So the boys are in their hotel room or whatever, "chatting" with Megan, asking her to sing songs for them. She sends them her version of "Tennessee Stud", which makes them reminisce about the other songs she has sent them. But while doing a search to find one of those songs, they discover a performance by someone else, and it is the exact one that Megan said she was singing herself. Yeah, so she kinda lied on that one. This begins to make the boys, especially Nev, a little curious and even uneasy. So they continue with their detective work.
Heading to the Google. they come to discover that a lot of what they've been told about little artist Abby was completely untrue. She hasn't been having shows at her own gallery in the building that they bought, because they never bought said building. And they also hit a dead end trying to find articles that would most likely be written about an 8 year-old artistic genius. So. though Nev is really wanting just to end this whole thing and go home, Rel and Henry convince him to go to Michigan to get the whole story.
First, they reach the farm that Megan said she bought for herself. Yes, she is 19 and said she bought her own farm. Hey, remember that episode of The Cosby Show where Theo bought a $90 shirt and Cliff said that the only time a 14 year-old boy should have $90 shirt is if he is onstage with his four brothers? Yeah, well, the only time a 19 year-old should own a huge farm is if she's been on a show called Hannah Montana. Maybe that should have been a clue that things weren't on the up and up, but Angela did claim that they were making quite a bit of money from Abby's paintings, so maybe that's where they said the farm money came from. Who knows? Needless to say, when they got there, in the middle of the night for some reason, Megan was nowhere to be found and neither were her horses.
After that fun night of trespassing, the boys headed to the home of Angela, Vince and Abby, along the way, passing the "gallery" of Abby's, which was clearly just an abandoned building. So when they reached the house, Nev and Rel approached the front door, leaving Henry in the getaway car. No, seriously, they were being very cautious about these people and prepared for, if needed, a quick escape. I can see why they felt this way, all things considered.
So they knock on the door and out comes . . . Angela? Yes, you can tell, even from a distance that THIS Angela is certainly not the Angela that they've been seeing in pictures and paintings over the past several months. Then, Vince walks up, and guess what? He's not Picture Vince either. Now you'd think, at this point, Angela would just give it up and say, "Okay, you caught me", but no. No, she tries to keep the charade going, even telling them that Megan is not there, but out at her farm. Apparently, she didn't know that they had been there and found bupkis. But the boys carefully play along, taking things one step at a time.
After we see the reality of the appearances of these people, we then are exposed to the reality of Angela's life, and it is far different from what she purported it to be. We find out that she has two stepsons from Vince's first marriage, who are severely handicapped. She also tells them that she has been diagnosed with cancer. And when we meet Abby, who surprisingly does exist, we discover that it is not she who paints but her mother, and that Abby never sees her sister, Megan. Doesn't even remember what she looks like, actually. Oh, it's just getting better and better, isn't it, boys?
So after spending some time with the family and making plans to meet them again for dinner, Nev, Rel and Henry, safe and alone, driving away in their car, begin to have their first deep discussion about just what in all heck is happening. The first words we hear spoken are Henry saying to Nev, "Angela's in love with you" to which Nev replies "Angela is in love with me" And as they peel away each layer of this internet onion, they come to fully realize the depths of the deception. It hits Nev that the person he's been having this online and over the phone relationship with was not the hot, model looking girl, Megan, but forty-something Angela. And when we recall the, let's say, intimate texts between Nev and Megan that he shared with us, we understand why big brother Rel was desperately trying to contain his laughter. Look, he has to make fun of his little brother. It's his job. Moving on. They begin to figure out that not only was Angela pretending to be Megan, but she was most likely behind every single person that the boys knew through her on Facebook. And there were more than a dozen people. Just think about that. She created all these Facebook accounts and kept them active just to keep this whole thing going. Why is this woman not a novelist? Clearly, she knows how to work with characters she has created. Anyway, they decide, very sympathetically, I might add, to confront Angela about the whole thing, in a way as to not embarrass her, making it clear that they didn't want to hurt the family. I actually found that quite endearing.
And so the next day, after getting messages from "Megan" explaining why she's not there, Nev tells Angela that they basically know everything and want to give her a chance to explain. It's then that pretty much everything comes out. Angela says that she does have a daughter named Megan, who has some issues of her own, but Nev has never spoken to her, and the girl in the pictures is just a friend of the family. Later, as Nev sits for Angela while she sketches his face, they begin to finally talk in depth about the whole ordeal. Nev even asks Angela to talk in the voice she did while pretending to be Megan. This scene caused a bit of controversy, but we'll get to that later. So they give Angela her time to explain herself and why she did what she did. I couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for her as well. After everything we find out about her real life, I could certainly see why she would be desperate for some kind of escape, not to mention that she really wanted someone to appreciate her art. And when Nev and the boys did so, she didn't want to lose that or the friendship she had developed with them, especially Nev.
As the movie ends, we follow the boys back to New York, where Nev has clearly been deeply affected by the whole situation. We also get some captioning that contains a bit of follow up info about Angela, including the fact that she doesn't have cancer and that one of her stepsons passed away. We also learn the identity of picture Megan, and that she is actually a 30 year-old photographer and model who is married and a mother of two named Aimee Gonzales. And Angela does not know her. Plus, we get some footage of Angela's husband, Vince, telling a story about how when they ship codfish from Alaska to China they put in a few catfish to keep the cod agile, so that they won't become basically useless on the way. And he says that there are people in life like that, who keep us alert and thinking and fresh. I actually thought that was a pretty clever metaphor and appropriate. It's also where the title of the movie came from. And that is pretty much where we end.
I may as well also mention some things concerning the people who were inadvertently included in the film. First of all, there is Amy Kuney, whose performance of a song called "All Downhill From Here" was one of the ones that "Megan" said was her own recording. It's actually a good song, and I've come to discover in the aftermath that Amy Kuney is a really great musician. Also, if you go to You Tube and search "Catfish: Meeting the Girl in the Picture", you can see some deleted scenes of Nev, Rel and Henry meeting Aimee Gonzales and her husband (that was a little awkward) and telling them this whole crazy story. Turns out, she was really sweet about the whole thing. A little weirded out, too, naturally, but both she and her husband were sympathetic to what Nev had gone through. In fact, in an interview I saw with the boys, they said that Aimee had actually apologized to Nev for breaking his heart, even though she had nothing to do with it. That is one very nice and classy lady.
Now as I mentioned in my first review, I believe that this movie is actually a true story. As true as a movie can be anyway. There are, however, a lot of people, critics included, that do not agree. In fact, some people go so far as to say that they were using Angela, even exploiting this woman who clearly has a lot of problems. I could agree with that if they were the ones who sought her out, but she was the one who started this whole thing. She was the one who contacted Nev in the first place and got this all off and running. That brings us to the scene I mentioned where Nev asked Angela to talk in the Megan voice. One critic said something to the effect of, "Look at the smile on his face. He's obviously excited to get this scene for the movie." My response to that would be, yes, look at the smile, then look at his eyes. To me, he is giving the type of smile one does in order to keep from crying. You can very easily see tears in his eyes that he is refusing to let fall, because he has been very hurt by this person. When asked in an interview why he wanted her to speak to him in that voice, he said he wanted her to understand how uncomfortable she had made him by her actions. For her to truly feel the effect of what she had done to him. I don't necessarily think there is anything all that wrong with his doing that, especially since he gave her chance after chance to come clean, and it wasn't until he full on confronted her that the truth came out.
One of the main reasons why people think this is fake is because they can't imagine that three guys in their twenties from New York City could fall for this and not be able to figure it out. First of all, they DID figure it out. That was kind of the point of the second half of the movie. Maybe they didn't figure it out all at once, but they followed the clues, if you will, and solved the puzzle. And remember, this woman was really determined to deceive them. And why does their age and especially their location factor into whether or not they could get fooled by someone. Assuming they are smart because they come from New York is like assuming someone is dumb because they come from the South. Frankly, I do think these guys are smart, for no other reason than that . . . they are. And on top of it all, people just can't believe that anyone could be so trusting, as Nev and his friends seemed to be. Look, unless you're on high alert at all times, expecting to be scammed, you're not going to be dissecting every little thing a person does or says. When Nev did have questions and expressed them to Angela/Megan, she always came up with some kind of explanation, and he chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. I think it was because he had been lonely and was happy to have this young woman in his life who potentially could have been "the one". He really didn't want to lose that. That's what makes the whole thing bittersweet to me.
But you know what? I can admit that I might be wrong. Maybe I, myself, have gotten "catfished"! But I don't think I have been. I certainly hope not.
Look, the bottom line is that this movie is good. Whether you believe it's legit or not, it is certainly a conversation starter, and that is something that art should be, but rarely is these days. And I'm sure this new series based on the film should be thought provoking as well. I'm definitely going to check it out and maybe eventually give my reaction once I see how they handle all the different situations they'll probably encounter.
Like I said before, I highly recommend this movie. I know I went way in depth as far as the story goes for this review, but that's probably because I prohibited myself so much with the first one. I just hope I can get you all thinking and talking, as this film did for me. That would be a joy.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Friday, November 9, 2012
Top Ten Jeff Foxworthy "You Might Be a Redneck" Jokes
Greetings,
I so enjoy it when something comes along to remind me of how much I love a certain person. For example, this year a show premiered called The American Bible Challenge on GSN. I really like it, and not just because I am kind of smart when it comes to Bible stuff, but because of the host, Jeff Foxworthy. That's right. I love Jeff Foxworthy. I have for years, and I will, no doubt, continue doing so for years to come.
If you don't know who Jeff Foxworthy is, first of all, sad for you, and second, he is a comedian who became famous making fun of rednecks. And it's okay that he does this because, as he once said, and I quote (hopefully), "You can make fun of rednecks if you are one. And I are one." Or something like that. He also made it okay for us to laugh at the things they do,too. Out loud and in public. Thanks, friend!
So, to pay tribute to what pays his bills, I will share with you all my personal top ten of his his infamous "You Might Be a Redneck If . . ." jokes. Now I certainly hope there is no copyright infringement by my telling you these jokes, but to be safe, let me just say, these are jokes that Jeff Foxworthy owns. Like, for real. He OWNS these jokes! Ever seen him perform? If you have, you'll probably agree with me. Anywho, here are my favorites. I do hope I worded them all correctly. And, of course, I must preface my top ten by saying this:
"You might be a redneck if . . ."
#10 - "You have a home that is mobile, and fourteen cars that aren't" - One day he will shock his audiences by changing the word "home" to "phone". It may just cause a riot.
#9 - "You've ever used an ironing board as a buffet table" - And those "sophisticated" people that Jeff speaks of would probably call me a redneck because I have a table you can pull apart and add extra leaves to for when I have a buffet.
#8 - "You've ever stared at a can of orange juice because it said 'concentrate'" - This is the first one I ever heard from him, so it holds a special place in my heart. Plus, I love orange juice, so there you go.
#7 - "The most common phrase in your house is 'Someone go jiggle the handle'"/ "Directions to your house include 'Turn off the paved roads'" - Okay, here's the thing. I had to have a tie with these two, because they are the ones that, at one time or another, have hit closest to home with me. You understand now why I rarely had friends over as a child.
#6 - "You've ever taken a fishing pole to Sea World" - With this one, I don't think I ever actually heard Jeff say it, but someone made a list online and said it was his, and since I believe everything on the internet . . . Oh, and if you think this joke might offend Sea World, I suggest you watch Jaws 3-D. Then you will know that, at some point, they appeared to have little concern for their own reputation. "Come to Sea World! We've got killer sharks, and the guy who played Manimal!"
#5 - "Someone hollers 'hoedown' and your girlfriend hits the floor" - To make a Kardashian joke or to not make a Kardashian joke. And by merely posing the query, it seems I have chosen in the affirmative.
#4 - "You have a complete set of salad bowls, and they all say Cool Whip on the side" - I haven't seen salad bowls with that particular logo, but I have certainly seen it on tupperware.
#3 - "You've ever made change in the offering plate" - That's pretty bad. And yet, not nearly as bad as making change in the hand of a homeless person. That would be seriously messed up. And why do I fear that some people have done it?
#2 - "An episode of Walker, Texas Ranger ever changed your life" - It is precisely this joke that makes me hope Josh Holloway was cast on Lost, a show that "changed his life", because of his appearance on Walker, Texas Ranger. See, that way Hurley would be totally justified in calling him "Redneck Man" that one time.
#1 - "Your family tree does not fork" - And, if it forks too much, you might be a character on a soap opera!
Genius! Him, not me.
Now I know that some people hate on Jeff Foxworthy, because, I don't know, he doesn't say the F-word or something, but I still love him. Kidding aside, I like the fact that he's pretty much a very clean comic, and yet he still manages to be hilarious. He's also a good family man, and, from what Larry the Cable Guy tells me on our monthly frog gigging trips, he's a great friend. So I can't think of a reason not to like him.
Oh, and P.S., I don't really go on frog gigging trips with Larry. A girl can dream, though.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I so enjoy it when something comes along to remind me of how much I love a certain person. For example, this year a show premiered called The American Bible Challenge on GSN. I really like it, and not just because I am kind of smart when it comes to Bible stuff, but because of the host, Jeff Foxworthy. That's right. I love Jeff Foxworthy. I have for years, and I will, no doubt, continue doing so for years to come.
If you don't know who Jeff Foxworthy is, first of all, sad for you, and second, he is a comedian who became famous making fun of rednecks. And it's okay that he does this because, as he once said, and I quote (hopefully), "You can make fun of rednecks if you are one. And I are one." Or something like that. He also made it okay for us to laugh at the things they do,too. Out loud and in public. Thanks, friend!
So, to pay tribute to what pays his bills, I will share with you all my personal top ten of his his infamous "You Might Be a Redneck If . . ." jokes. Now I certainly hope there is no copyright infringement by my telling you these jokes, but to be safe, let me just say, these are jokes that Jeff Foxworthy owns. Like, for real. He OWNS these jokes! Ever seen him perform? If you have, you'll probably agree with me. Anywho, here are my favorites. I do hope I worded them all correctly. And, of course, I must preface my top ten by saying this:
"You might be a redneck if . . ."
#10 - "You have a home that is mobile, and fourteen cars that aren't" - One day he will shock his audiences by changing the word "home" to "phone". It may just cause a riot.
#9 - "You've ever used an ironing board as a buffet table" - And those "sophisticated" people that Jeff speaks of would probably call me a redneck because I have a table you can pull apart and add extra leaves to for when I have a buffet.
#8 - "You've ever stared at a can of orange juice because it said 'concentrate'" - This is the first one I ever heard from him, so it holds a special place in my heart. Plus, I love orange juice, so there you go.
#7 - "The most common phrase in your house is 'Someone go jiggle the handle'"/ "Directions to your house include 'Turn off the paved roads'" - Okay, here's the thing. I had to have a tie with these two, because they are the ones that, at one time or another, have hit closest to home with me. You understand now why I rarely had friends over as a child.
#6 - "You've ever taken a fishing pole to Sea World" - With this one, I don't think I ever actually heard Jeff say it, but someone made a list online and said it was his, and since I believe everything on the internet . . . Oh, and if you think this joke might offend Sea World, I suggest you watch Jaws 3-D. Then you will know that, at some point, they appeared to have little concern for their own reputation. "Come to Sea World! We've got killer sharks, and the guy who played Manimal!"
#5 - "Someone hollers 'hoedown' and your girlfriend hits the floor" - To make a Kardashian joke or to not make a Kardashian joke. And by merely posing the query, it seems I have chosen in the affirmative.
#4 - "You have a complete set of salad bowls, and they all say Cool Whip on the side" - I haven't seen salad bowls with that particular logo, but I have certainly seen it on tupperware.
#3 - "You've ever made change in the offering plate" - That's pretty bad. And yet, not nearly as bad as making change in the hand of a homeless person. That would be seriously messed up. And why do I fear that some people have done it?
#2 - "An episode of Walker, Texas Ranger ever changed your life" - It is precisely this joke that makes me hope Josh Holloway was cast on Lost, a show that "changed his life", because of his appearance on Walker, Texas Ranger. See, that way Hurley would be totally justified in calling him "Redneck Man" that one time.
#1 - "Your family tree does not fork" - And, if it forks too much, you might be a character on a soap opera!
Genius! Him, not me.
Now I know that some people hate on Jeff Foxworthy, because, I don't know, he doesn't say the F-word or something, but I still love him. Kidding aside, I like the fact that he's pretty much a very clean comic, and yet he still manages to be hilarious. He's also a good family man, and, from what Larry the Cable Guy tells me on our monthly frog gigging trips, he's a great friend. So I can't think of a reason not to like him.
Oh, and P.S., I don't really go on frog gigging trips with Larry. A girl can dream, though.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The One Seasoner's Club - My So-Called Life
Greetings,
As some of you may recall, I have lived in a few places in my life, all of which were coincidentally named "little town just outside of Pittsburgh". Now I have done some complaining about how living in this area as an artist is a bit difficult, since it's more focused on sports than the arts. But I do get a bit excited when this place gets attention. One of those times was when a new show came along that was set in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, it only lasted one season, so, therefore, it is time for another installment of The One Seasoner's Club as we discuss My So-Called Life.
There have been many shows that have lasted a mere one season, but only some of them have inspired fans to fight for the show's survival. My So-Called Life was one of those shows. Fans got very upset when it was reported that it was getting cancelled, so they started a huge letter writing campaign, because in 1995, people still wrote letters. Despite their passionate efforts, the show did not survive. And yet, somehow, it managed to leave a lasting impression on pop culture. So let's talk about what made this show so enjoyable.
My So-Called Life was centered around the, I guess, life of a 15-year-old girl named Angela Chase, who was played by 15-year-old Claire Danes. What? WHAT! A teenager actually playing a teenager on a TV show. Relax, though. All of her high school character counterparts are played by people well above the drinking age. So, anyway, Angela is your typical teenage girl, who lives her life, while giving a voice-over narration of how she's feeling. Don't we all do that. Actually, that was a big part of the show, those voice-overs. Angela was the supplier of them in every episode, since every episode was from her point of view, save two, where other characters took over. I'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, let us first discuss Angela's home life.
Angela has one of those bizarre families with a mom and a dad who are married and who seem to kind of like each other. Weird, right? She has a good, but sometimes strained relationship with her mother Patty (Bess Armstrong). When it comes to her dad, Graham (Tom Irwin), Angela seems closer to him, though they do have their moments of distance. And then we have a little sister, Danielle (Lisa Wilhoit), who fronts that she isn't crazy about her big sister, but who secretly wants to be just like her and have the same "exciting" life. That's something we find out in the episode "Weekend", where Danielle becomes one of the two characters who takes the voice-over duties from Angela. Well, that's home. Time for school.
In the pilot, we see that Angela has begun to hang around with some new friends, while becoming distant from an old one. The new friends are Rayanne and Rickie. Rayanne (A.J. Langer)is a bit of a wild child, to say the least, who we eventually find out comes from a single parent home and has some substance abuse problems, but she still seems to have a good heart. Rickie (Wilson Cruz)is a boy who likes to wear eyeliner and hang out in the girls room, and Angela's mom referred to him a being "very confused". Seriously, though, the kid was gay, but I don't recall anyone ever actually using that word on him. Maybe I missed it or maybe no one wanted to state the obvious. Now, the old friend and current neighbor of Angela's was Sharon (Devon Odessa). These two girls had been total BFF's, but, as it often happens when people begin to grow up, they grew apart. It stayed that way with them for awhile, but eventually they were able to be close again. Speaking of people who fill the role of both schoolmate and neighbor, we next have Brian (Devon Gummersall), the token geek who has an "obvious to everyone but her" crush on Angela. Also, in the episode "Life of Brian", he becomes the other character who gets to have his P.O.V. be ours for awhile. And then we have Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto), the crush of our protagonist. Just the protagonist. Not me. Not at all. Anywho, he's a good-looking, quiet loner who has a learning disability and can barely read. Say it with me - project! Of course, eventually, Angela got to have a "relationship" with Jordan, but it was a little... I guess 'awkward' would be the best word, in my opinion anyway. Maybe I was preoccupied with the fact that Claire Danes was 15 and Jared Leto was, like, 21 or 22 or something. Supposed felonies can be very distracting.
I should also give some shout-outs to people who were on the show more sporadically. We got Mary Kay Place as Sharon's mom, Camille, Patti D'Arbanville as Rayanne's mom, Amber, and Jeff Perry as Mr. Katimski, a teacher that showed up and helped Rickie out in the last few episodes. And there were several great guest stars, like Roger Rees, Laura Innes, Tracy Melchior, Paul Dooley and I think even Jared Leto's brother, Shannon, had a bit part a couple of times. Well, that's what IMBD told me, and they are never wrong. Like, ever.
Now sometimes, when shows like this last only one year, it can actually make the time almost stretch out. That one year, to me, seems like about three. Well, a lot did happen in this short time. We got good times, bad times, romances, betrayals, parties, even an overdose and a heart attack. That's a lot. But it was all done quite well. Actually, to this day, I have no idea why this show got cancelled. Obviously, it had a strong fan base, and it was critically acclaimed. I guess you just never know what the networks want. Apparently, they did not want this show. Sadly.
So what has happened to the cast of My So-Called Life since the mid-90's? I think we all know what has happened to Claire Danes. She's had a pretty good career, as has Jared Leto. Yeah, I love when those Tiger Beat-style, teen heart throbs can make their way to being legitimate and well-respected actors. It's rare, but it happens. I saw both Devon Gummersall and Tom Irwin on episodes of CSI, and I have heard some work from Lisa Wilhoit. I say "heard" because she has apparently done a voice on Family Guy for some time. All I know about A.J. Langer now is that she has become a Lady. Like she's an actual Lady, because she is married to a Lord, son of the Earl of Devon, to be precise. I am not making this up. As far as the rest of the cast goes, I really don't know what they're up to. I just hope they're doing well with whatever they're doing.
Besides location, there is another reason why I liked this show so much. I was 14 when it started, and it made me really anticipate turning 15. The show gave me the impression that a lot can happen in that particular year of someone's life. They weren't wrong, at least, not as far as I was concerned. The year I turned 15 was truly a milestone one for me, and I look back on it with much fondness, even reverence. It was a year that changed my life, in the best possible way. I did not, however, get to make out with Jared Leto. All in good time.
So did it deserve a second season? Of course, it did. I know some of the people on the show have gone on to other things, but the finale was so open ended, I would have liked to see what would have happened with the characters. And since the twentieth (wow!) anniversary of the show will be happening in 2014, I'm hoping for a reunion or even a movie based on it. I'm hoping very much actually. It's probably false hope, but I am a dreamer.
Now if you haven't seen this show and would like to, it is available on DVD for purchase or rental, by way of Netlix. They are so good to us, aren't they? There are only nineteen episodes, so it shouldn't take long to get through them. But you might enjoy them quite a bit. I know I still do.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
As some of you may recall, I have lived in a few places in my life, all of which were coincidentally named "little town just outside of Pittsburgh". Now I have done some complaining about how living in this area as an artist is a bit difficult, since it's more focused on sports than the arts. But I do get a bit excited when this place gets attention. One of those times was when a new show came along that was set in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, it only lasted one season, so, therefore, it is time for another installment of The One Seasoner's Club as we discuss My So-Called Life.
There have been many shows that have lasted a mere one season, but only some of them have inspired fans to fight for the show's survival. My So-Called Life was one of those shows. Fans got very upset when it was reported that it was getting cancelled, so they started a huge letter writing campaign, because in 1995, people still wrote letters. Despite their passionate efforts, the show did not survive. And yet, somehow, it managed to leave a lasting impression on pop culture. So let's talk about what made this show so enjoyable.
My So-Called Life was centered around the, I guess, life of a 15-year-old girl named Angela Chase, who was played by 15-year-old Claire Danes. What? WHAT! A teenager actually playing a teenager on a TV show. Relax, though. All of her high school character counterparts are played by people well above the drinking age. So, anyway, Angela is your typical teenage girl, who lives her life, while giving a voice-over narration of how she's feeling. Don't we all do that. Actually, that was a big part of the show, those voice-overs. Angela was the supplier of them in every episode, since every episode was from her point of view, save two, where other characters took over. I'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, let us first discuss Angela's home life.
Angela has one of those bizarre families with a mom and a dad who are married and who seem to kind of like each other. Weird, right? She has a good, but sometimes strained relationship with her mother Patty (Bess Armstrong). When it comes to her dad, Graham (Tom Irwin), Angela seems closer to him, though they do have their moments of distance. And then we have a little sister, Danielle (Lisa Wilhoit), who fronts that she isn't crazy about her big sister, but who secretly wants to be just like her and have the same "exciting" life. That's something we find out in the episode "Weekend", where Danielle becomes one of the two characters who takes the voice-over duties from Angela. Well, that's home. Time for school.
In the pilot, we see that Angela has begun to hang around with some new friends, while becoming distant from an old one. The new friends are Rayanne and Rickie. Rayanne (A.J. Langer)is a bit of a wild child, to say the least, who we eventually find out comes from a single parent home and has some substance abuse problems, but she still seems to have a good heart. Rickie (Wilson Cruz)is a boy who likes to wear eyeliner and hang out in the girls room, and Angela's mom referred to him a being "very confused". Seriously, though, the kid was gay, but I don't recall anyone ever actually using that word on him. Maybe I missed it or maybe no one wanted to state the obvious. Now, the old friend and current neighbor of Angela's was Sharon (Devon Odessa). These two girls had been total BFF's, but, as it often happens when people begin to grow up, they grew apart. It stayed that way with them for awhile, but eventually they were able to be close again. Speaking of people who fill the role of both schoolmate and neighbor, we next have Brian (Devon Gummersall), the token geek who has an "obvious to everyone but her" crush on Angela. Also, in the episode "Life of Brian", he becomes the other character who gets to have his P.O.V. be ours for awhile. And then we have Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto), the crush of our protagonist. Just the protagonist. Not me. Not at all. Anywho, he's a good-looking, quiet loner who has a learning disability and can barely read. Say it with me - project! Of course, eventually, Angela got to have a "relationship" with Jordan, but it was a little... I guess 'awkward' would be the best word, in my opinion anyway. Maybe I was preoccupied with the fact that Claire Danes was 15 and Jared Leto was, like, 21 or 22 or something. Supposed felonies can be very distracting.
I should also give some shout-outs to people who were on the show more sporadically. We got Mary Kay Place as Sharon's mom, Camille, Patti D'Arbanville as Rayanne's mom, Amber, and Jeff Perry as Mr. Katimski, a teacher that showed up and helped Rickie out in the last few episodes. And there were several great guest stars, like Roger Rees, Laura Innes, Tracy Melchior, Paul Dooley and I think even Jared Leto's brother, Shannon, had a bit part a couple of times. Well, that's what IMBD told me, and they are never wrong. Like, ever.
Now sometimes, when shows like this last only one year, it can actually make the time almost stretch out. That one year, to me, seems like about three. Well, a lot did happen in this short time. We got good times, bad times, romances, betrayals, parties, even an overdose and a heart attack. That's a lot. But it was all done quite well. Actually, to this day, I have no idea why this show got cancelled. Obviously, it had a strong fan base, and it was critically acclaimed. I guess you just never know what the networks want. Apparently, they did not want this show. Sadly.
So what has happened to the cast of My So-Called Life since the mid-90's? I think we all know what has happened to Claire Danes. She's had a pretty good career, as has Jared Leto. Yeah, I love when those Tiger Beat-style, teen heart throbs can make their way to being legitimate and well-respected actors. It's rare, but it happens. I saw both Devon Gummersall and Tom Irwin on episodes of CSI, and I have heard some work from Lisa Wilhoit. I say "heard" because she has apparently done a voice on Family Guy for some time. All I know about A.J. Langer now is that she has become a Lady. Like she's an actual Lady, because she is married to a Lord, son of the Earl of Devon, to be precise. I am not making this up. As far as the rest of the cast goes, I really don't know what they're up to. I just hope they're doing well with whatever they're doing.
Besides location, there is another reason why I liked this show so much. I was 14 when it started, and it made me really anticipate turning 15. The show gave me the impression that a lot can happen in that particular year of someone's life. They weren't wrong, at least, not as far as I was concerned. The year I turned 15 was truly a milestone one for me, and I look back on it with much fondness, even reverence. It was a year that changed my life, in the best possible way. I did not, however, get to make out with Jared Leto. All in good time.
So did it deserve a second season? Of course, it did. I know some of the people on the show have gone on to other things, but the finale was so open ended, I would have liked to see what would have happened with the characters. And since the twentieth (wow!) anniversary of the show will be happening in 2014, I'm hoping for a reunion or even a movie based on it. I'm hoping very much actually. It's probably false hope, but I am a dreamer.
Now if you haven't seen this show and would like to, it is available on DVD for purchase or rental, by way of Netlix. They are so good to us, aren't they? There are only nineteen episodes, so it shouldn't take long to get through them. But you might enjoy them quite a bit. I know I still do.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, November 3, 2012
A Very Brady Christmas -TV Movie Review
Greetings,
Okay, I know I did these TV movie reviews for Halloween week, but, like I said, I don't do Halloween. Know what else I'm not that into? Christmas. So put all that together and it seemed only natural to review what could possibly be the most infamous TV movie of all time. A little. Here it is, A Very Brady Christmas. Oh, yeah.
Okay, this TV movie aired in 1988, about seven years after we had gotten anything new from the Brady camp, that thing being The Brady Brides. I do not believe The Brady Brides was much of a hit . . . at all, so it might make you wonder why they could not have left well enough alone, letting us simply enjoy reruns of the original show. I always assumed it was because the upcoming year would mark the twentieth anniversary of the debut of The Brady Bunch, but who knows. What I do know is that this thing was REALLY big! Seriously, it was one of the most watched TV movies ever, and I give most credit to my assumption that people's curiosity just got the better of them. They just wanted to see what the current state of the Brady family was. They certainly got to see that. Yes, we get present-day Mr. and Mrs. Brady, present-day Alice and present-day Brady kids - all of them. I'm talking Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, Cin- hey, hold it the heck up! That is not Cindy Brady! Yeah, for reasons that I have yet to discover, the actress who played the original Cindy did not take part in this, so they got a replacement who was . . . look, I'm not going to say she was bad, but they could have at least gotten someone with a lisp so we could close our eyes and pretend. It's kind of ironic, since the whole point of this movie is that it's been years since all the kids came home for the holidays at the same time, and the goal is to make it happen. So, technically . . . plan fail! PLAN FAIL! Anyway, speaking of which, let's move on to the plot.
As you may recall, The Brady Bunch, when it came to storytelling, was fairly simple and straight forward. This time, they thought they'd amp it up a bit. For example, before we get to the main plot, we get this, sort of, mini-episode with a mini-hijink. First, Alice comes back to the Brady home after leaving Sam (Yes, she married the butcher!), then both Mr. and Mrs. Brady secretly and separately tell her that they each are planning a trip, one to Japan and one to Greece, using the money in their savings account. But they don't just tell Alice. They tell all six kids, too. Really? Look, I appreciate the loyalty to their parents, but come on! When the surprises are basically spoiling each other, SAY SOMETHING! Fear not, though. Both Papa and Mama Brady discover the surprise the other was planning, at the travel agency of all places, so the whole thing was like a reference to "The Gift of the Magi". And in case you couldn't have figured that out on your own, they literally point it out. So, thanks? Anyway, they decide to forego both trips and use the money to fly everyone home for Christmas.
Okay, this brings us to the main plot, which is that everyone is coming home for Christmas. It is also at this point when we begin to realize that the movie suffers from two conflicting problems. First, that main plot is a tad too basic and generic, but then we have to deal with the fact that EVERY Brady kid has a reason why they kind of don't want to go home. So we have six subplots to keep straight. And they range from marriages falling apart to people losing their jobs to "Hey, I wanna go skiing with my friends over Christmas because I'm in college and that's what college kids do, and I'm not the real Cindy Brady anyway, so why the heck do I have to be there?" Yeah, those kind of problems. Look, I refuse to go into full on detail of all these subplots, because it would just take too long. Plus, my poor little head couldn't handle it. And on top of all that, we actually do, in my opinion, get two endings. And I have to talk about them, so spoilers ahead.
First, we get the red herring one. Everyone sits around at the table for Christmas dinner, and the secrets come out, one by one. You'd think that, when the last one is revealed, it is the end of the movie. Well, no. The phone rings and we find out that one of the buildings Mr. Brady designed has collapsed, trapping some men inside, so he has to go and help get them out. Yeah, because when buildings collapse, the first person you run to is the guy who designed it to go in and rescue the people trapped inside. And if he happens to be in his sixties, isn't that just the cherry on the sundae! Well, the initial victims get out, but then the building collapses some more, leaving Mr. Brady stuck in there alone. You know, since he was the one who designed this death trap, maybe he's getting what's coming to him. But, alas, the family arrives and we get our obligatory Christmas miracle, not to mention a flashback of the infamous "Mrs. Brady Loses Her Voice at Christmas" episode. (P.S. If you hired a fake Cindy, do not show the real one at any time.) Remember how in that episode, she sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful"? Well, she sings it here, too, and the whole crowd of onlookers joins in. And it is that which gives Mr. Brady the fortitude to get himself out of the collapsed building. And may I say that had they sung any other song, we would not have had such a prominent deus in this this deus ex machina. Oh, and we can't forget the news reporter pointing out what street on which this miracle just happened to take place. If the number 34 is coming to your mind, you are heading in the right direction! Then, they all go home to finally have Christmas dinner, and it's over. No, hold on. Someone's at the door. Who could it be? It's Sam, dressed up as Santa, because they couldn't get the original actor for that part either but didn't want us to know. Anyway, he's back to ask Alice for forgiveness, which she gives, and they're back together. The End. For real, this time. Well . . .
No, really, that was the end of that movie, but the reverberations continued on for years. First, the success of this thing parlayed it into a series called The Bradys, which brought the original Cindy back, but we had to deal with a fake Marcia. Amazingly, it lasted for six whole episodes. I think the problem was that they tried to make this, not a comedy like the original Brady Bunch, but a drama, in the vein of Thirtysomething, dealing with heavier issues. No, for real, in those six short episodes we get Mr. Brady going into politics, Marcia turning into an alcoholic, Jan adopting, Cindy romancing an older man, Peter breaking up with his fiance, and Bobby, continuing his race car driver subplot from the Christmas movie, getting into a wreck that paralyzes him, then he marries Martha Quinn. Whew! That was A LOT with which to deal, especially from the Bradys.
But things began to look up in 1995 with the release of The Brady Bunch Movie, and in 1996, with A Very Brady Sequel. Both of them, I think, were really good movies. They really grabbed on to every single cliche attached to the original show and made the most of it, therefore, solidifying the legacy of the Bradys even more. So, thumbs up. And all of this spawned. I think, from the success of A Very Brady Christmas.
So, as far as my opinion of this classic TV movie, I'd say that it's not great, but it's not too bad. It's just kind of . . . there, and you can certainly have a little fun with it. I suggest you watch it at least once, just so you can say you did. Good luck trying to find it, though. It was released on VHS back in the day, but I don't think it's ever gotten a DVD release. I couldn't find it on You Tube, which kind of surprised me. Your best bet is to keep your eyes open around the holiday season, and you might just catch an airing. And you might just get a kick out of it.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Okay, I know I did these TV movie reviews for Halloween week, but, like I said, I don't do Halloween. Know what else I'm not that into? Christmas. So put all that together and it seemed only natural to review what could possibly be the most infamous TV movie of all time. A little. Here it is, A Very Brady Christmas. Oh, yeah.
Okay, this TV movie aired in 1988, about seven years after we had gotten anything new from the Brady camp, that thing being The Brady Brides. I do not believe The Brady Brides was much of a hit . . . at all, so it might make you wonder why they could not have left well enough alone, letting us simply enjoy reruns of the original show. I always assumed it was because the upcoming year would mark the twentieth anniversary of the debut of The Brady Bunch, but who knows. What I do know is that this thing was REALLY big! Seriously, it was one of the most watched TV movies ever, and I give most credit to my assumption that people's curiosity just got the better of them. They just wanted to see what the current state of the Brady family was. They certainly got to see that. Yes, we get present-day Mr. and Mrs. Brady, present-day Alice and present-day Brady kids - all of them. I'm talking Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, Cin- hey, hold it the heck up! That is not Cindy Brady! Yeah, for reasons that I have yet to discover, the actress who played the original Cindy did not take part in this, so they got a replacement who was . . . look, I'm not going to say she was bad, but they could have at least gotten someone with a lisp so we could close our eyes and pretend. It's kind of ironic, since the whole point of this movie is that it's been years since all the kids came home for the holidays at the same time, and the goal is to make it happen. So, technically . . . plan fail! PLAN FAIL! Anyway, speaking of which, let's move on to the plot.
As you may recall, The Brady Bunch, when it came to storytelling, was fairly simple and straight forward. This time, they thought they'd amp it up a bit. For example, before we get to the main plot, we get this, sort of, mini-episode with a mini-hijink. First, Alice comes back to the Brady home after leaving Sam (Yes, she married the butcher!), then both Mr. and Mrs. Brady secretly and separately tell her that they each are planning a trip, one to Japan and one to Greece, using the money in their savings account. But they don't just tell Alice. They tell all six kids, too. Really? Look, I appreciate the loyalty to their parents, but come on! When the surprises are basically spoiling each other, SAY SOMETHING! Fear not, though. Both Papa and Mama Brady discover the surprise the other was planning, at the travel agency of all places, so the whole thing was like a reference to "The Gift of the Magi". And in case you couldn't have figured that out on your own, they literally point it out. So, thanks? Anyway, they decide to forego both trips and use the money to fly everyone home for Christmas.
Okay, this brings us to the main plot, which is that everyone is coming home for Christmas. It is also at this point when we begin to realize that the movie suffers from two conflicting problems. First, that main plot is a tad too basic and generic, but then we have to deal with the fact that EVERY Brady kid has a reason why they kind of don't want to go home. So we have six subplots to keep straight. And they range from marriages falling apart to people losing their jobs to "Hey, I wanna go skiing with my friends over Christmas because I'm in college and that's what college kids do, and I'm not the real Cindy Brady anyway, so why the heck do I have to be there?" Yeah, those kind of problems. Look, I refuse to go into full on detail of all these subplots, because it would just take too long. Plus, my poor little head couldn't handle it. And on top of all that, we actually do, in my opinion, get two endings. And I have to talk about them, so spoilers ahead.
First, we get the red herring one. Everyone sits around at the table for Christmas dinner, and the secrets come out, one by one. You'd think that, when the last one is revealed, it is the end of the movie. Well, no. The phone rings and we find out that one of the buildings Mr. Brady designed has collapsed, trapping some men inside, so he has to go and help get them out. Yeah, because when buildings collapse, the first person you run to is the guy who designed it to go in and rescue the people trapped inside. And if he happens to be in his sixties, isn't that just the cherry on the sundae! Well, the initial victims get out, but then the building collapses some more, leaving Mr. Brady stuck in there alone. You know, since he was the one who designed this death trap, maybe he's getting what's coming to him. But, alas, the family arrives and we get our obligatory Christmas miracle, not to mention a flashback of the infamous "Mrs. Brady Loses Her Voice at Christmas" episode. (P.S. If you hired a fake Cindy, do not show the real one at any time.) Remember how in that episode, she sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful"? Well, she sings it here, too, and the whole crowd of onlookers joins in. And it is that which gives Mr. Brady the fortitude to get himself out of the collapsed building. And may I say that had they sung any other song, we would not have had such a prominent deus in this this deus ex machina. Oh, and we can't forget the news reporter pointing out what street on which this miracle just happened to take place. If the number 34 is coming to your mind, you are heading in the right direction! Then, they all go home to finally have Christmas dinner, and it's over. No, hold on. Someone's at the door. Who could it be? It's Sam, dressed up as Santa, because they couldn't get the original actor for that part either but didn't want us to know. Anyway, he's back to ask Alice for forgiveness, which she gives, and they're back together. The End. For real, this time. Well . . .
No, really, that was the end of that movie, but the reverberations continued on for years. First, the success of this thing parlayed it into a series called The Bradys, which brought the original Cindy back, but we had to deal with a fake Marcia. Amazingly, it lasted for six whole episodes. I think the problem was that they tried to make this, not a comedy like the original Brady Bunch, but a drama, in the vein of Thirtysomething, dealing with heavier issues. No, for real, in those six short episodes we get Mr. Brady going into politics, Marcia turning into an alcoholic, Jan adopting, Cindy romancing an older man, Peter breaking up with his fiance, and Bobby, continuing his race car driver subplot from the Christmas movie, getting into a wreck that paralyzes him, then he marries Martha Quinn. Whew! That was A LOT with which to deal, especially from the Bradys.
But things began to look up in 1995 with the release of The Brady Bunch Movie, and in 1996, with A Very Brady Sequel. Both of them, I think, were really good movies. They really grabbed on to every single cliche attached to the original show and made the most of it, therefore, solidifying the legacy of the Bradys even more. So, thumbs up. And all of this spawned. I think, from the success of A Very Brady Christmas.
So, as far as my opinion of this classic TV movie, I'd say that it's not great, but it's not too bad. It's just kind of . . . there, and you can certainly have a little fun with it. I suggest you watch it at least once, just so you can say you did. Good luck trying to find it, though. It was released on VHS back in the day, but I don't think it's ever gotten a DVD release. I couldn't find it on You Tube, which kind of surprised me. Your best bet is to keep your eyes open around the holiday season, and you might just catch an airing. And you might just get a kick out of it.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Friday, November 2, 2012
Camp Cucamonga - TV Movie Review
Greetings,
When we are youngsters, there are many things that can prepare us for our adult lives. Even the people in the world of TV movies do their part to help out. Occasionally, we would get one of their movies aimed to a younger crowd, and, in September of 1990, we got Camp Cucamonga. Yeah, I don't know why they aired a movie about summer camp in September either, but let's just try and have fun with this one.
Camp Cucamonga was one of those star studded movies with all the television luminaries of the day that they could gather. And, boy, was this one just chock full. Buckle your seat belts. I'm going to go through the list, telling you who is here and who they played. We'll get to the story later. This upcoming paragraph may be a long one.
Okay, first, we have John Ratzenberger of Cheers playing Marvin Schector, Dorothy Lyman, fresh from the finale of Mama's Family playing his wife, Millie, and Jennifer Aniston playing their daughter, Ava, who, at the time, was on some sad series based on Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Then, there was a counselor named Roger who was played by Brian Robbins of Head of the Class, who went on to produce pretty much every show on Nickelodeon and the CW. Let's move on to the campers, who are all teenagers being played by actual teenagers. I can't believe this came out the same year 90210 debuted. First, there's Candace Cameron from Full House playing the un-DJ Tanner-like Amber, Chad Allen, before Dr. Quinn and during My Two Dads, as Frankie, who actually has a lot of girls fighting over him in this. Then, we have two - count 'em!- two stars from The Wonder Years, Josh Saviano as Max, the camp nerd (that must have been tough) and Danica McKellar as Lindsay, a sort of goth girl who wears no make up, but she's got the 'tude and the heavy metal posters to prove it. We also get, Urkel from Family Matters himself, Jaleel White, as Dennis, not really a super-nerd in this one, and I must mention an actress named Tasha Scott who plays Jennifer. I don't know who the actress is, but she's playing one of the kids in the core group, so I had to say something and she's pretty good. There are also some other campers, but they're kind of not all that important, so the only one I'll mention is a pre-Clueless Breckin Meyer as a skateboard guy. It's like looking in a crystal ball on that one. Then, there's Sherman Hemsley, who was on Amen at the time, playing Herbert Himmel, a repairman, and, finally, my personal favorite, we have the character of Howard Sloan as portrayed by G. Gordon Liddy. I am not kidding about that. For you kids who don't know who that is, ask your parents or Google "Watergate". And that's it for the cast. Let's get the story, which will promise to be much less complicated.
It's summertime, and a group of excited kids are returning to, or coming to for the first time, Camp Cucamonga. It is run by Marvin Schector and his wife, Millie. Their daughter, Ava, is one of the counselors, and it only takes about five minutes into the movie for her to meet Roger, another counselor who is kind of a gigolo. She can't stand him, and I'm sure she won't have a change of heart, forcing them to end up together. Yeah. Anyway, the Schectors are concerned that they won't get camp accreditation, so they hired a repairman to fix things up before an inspector comes. I cannot see a single hijink coming from that. Certainly not when the repairman comes dressed in a suit because he came straight from a family wedding, and the inspector comes all dirty and disheveled because he had to change a flat tire on the way. Nope. I cannot see one ounce of confusion being spawned from that scenario. But what really keeps Col. Marv, as the youngsters call him, and his family going are the great kids at the camp. I told you who plays them; now I'll tell you a little more about who they are.
Like I said, there are six main characters, as far as the campers go. The kids returning after having been at camp the previous summer are these: Frankie, your typical blonde, popular, athletic guy, who has been reunited with his summer girlfriend, Amber, your typical blonde, popular "mean girl". Then, there's Max, a tall, skinny, not good at sports guy, who we still need, because we always need one of those, and Jennifer, the nice girl who is, for some reason, very good friends with the mean girl. Then, we have the newcomers in the group: Dennis, who is kind of a tiny, little ladies' man that makes friends quite easily, and Lindsay, who sooooo does not want to be at camp but her mom is forcing her to be there. Hmmm? I wonder if she'll eventually soften up and be friends with everyone. I do wonder.
This whole thing is filled to the brim with summer camp shenanigans from the kids, including the obligatory getting lost in the woods at night and their misbehavior amplifying the camp's problems. But they really are good kids at heart and want to help Col. Marv. So what do we get from the kids when they try to save the camp by making it look good? Remember, it's the early nineties, so they produce the one thing that always works when you're trying to bring down the man - a rap video! And it is FAN-TASTIC! The only thing more fantastic is the climax of the plot. It is complete with humiliation, an attempted escape from one of the campers, and a race to see if the kids will make it back to play in the very important baseball game! Do they succeed? Right! Like I'm going to spoil it for you! But I will tell you that it ends with the one thing on which all teen movies, and life itself apparently, end - a dance! What else!
Look, obviously, this movie is a serious cheese-fest, but when I watch it, I get a little enjoyment out of it, nostalgic, though it may be. It kind of reminds me of my childhood, and it is always fun to revisit those things that seemed so totally cool at the time but now just make us laugh. Hey, whatever works, I say, and makes us feel something other than sad! Right?
Oh, and this fun bit of television cinematic awesomeness is available on DVD! Buy, buy, buy!
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
When we are youngsters, there are many things that can prepare us for our adult lives. Even the people in the world of TV movies do their part to help out. Occasionally, we would get one of their movies aimed to a younger crowd, and, in September of 1990, we got Camp Cucamonga. Yeah, I don't know why they aired a movie about summer camp in September either, but let's just try and have fun with this one.
Camp Cucamonga was one of those star studded movies with all the television luminaries of the day that they could gather. And, boy, was this one just chock full. Buckle your seat belts. I'm going to go through the list, telling you who is here and who they played. We'll get to the story later. This upcoming paragraph may be a long one.
Okay, first, we have John Ratzenberger of Cheers playing Marvin Schector, Dorothy Lyman, fresh from the finale of Mama's Family playing his wife, Millie, and Jennifer Aniston playing their daughter, Ava, who, at the time, was on some sad series based on Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Then, there was a counselor named Roger who was played by Brian Robbins of Head of the Class, who went on to produce pretty much every show on Nickelodeon and the CW. Let's move on to the campers, who are all teenagers being played by actual teenagers. I can't believe this came out the same year 90210 debuted. First, there's Candace Cameron from Full House playing the un-DJ Tanner-like Amber, Chad Allen, before Dr. Quinn and during My Two Dads, as Frankie, who actually has a lot of girls fighting over him in this. Then, we have two - count 'em!- two stars from The Wonder Years, Josh Saviano as Max, the camp nerd (that must have been tough) and Danica McKellar as Lindsay, a sort of goth girl who wears no make up, but she's got the 'tude and the heavy metal posters to prove it. We also get, Urkel from Family Matters himself, Jaleel White, as Dennis, not really a super-nerd in this one, and I must mention an actress named Tasha Scott who plays Jennifer. I don't know who the actress is, but she's playing one of the kids in the core group, so I had to say something and she's pretty good. There are also some other campers, but they're kind of not all that important, so the only one I'll mention is a pre-Clueless Breckin Meyer as a skateboard guy. It's like looking in a crystal ball on that one. Then, there's Sherman Hemsley, who was on Amen at the time, playing Herbert Himmel, a repairman, and, finally, my personal favorite, we have the character of Howard Sloan as portrayed by G. Gordon Liddy. I am not kidding about that. For you kids who don't know who that is, ask your parents or Google "Watergate". And that's it for the cast. Let's get the story, which will promise to be much less complicated.
It's summertime, and a group of excited kids are returning to, or coming to for the first time, Camp Cucamonga. It is run by Marvin Schector and his wife, Millie. Their daughter, Ava, is one of the counselors, and it only takes about five minutes into the movie for her to meet Roger, another counselor who is kind of a gigolo. She can't stand him, and I'm sure she won't have a change of heart, forcing them to end up together. Yeah. Anyway, the Schectors are concerned that they won't get camp accreditation, so they hired a repairman to fix things up before an inspector comes. I cannot see a single hijink coming from that. Certainly not when the repairman comes dressed in a suit because he came straight from a family wedding, and the inspector comes all dirty and disheveled because he had to change a flat tire on the way. Nope. I cannot see one ounce of confusion being spawned from that scenario. But what really keeps Col. Marv, as the youngsters call him, and his family going are the great kids at the camp. I told you who plays them; now I'll tell you a little more about who they are.
Like I said, there are six main characters, as far as the campers go. The kids returning after having been at camp the previous summer are these: Frankie, your typical blonde, popular, athletic guy, who has been reunited with his summer girlfriend, Amber, your typical blonde, popular "mean girl". Then, there's Max, a tall, skinny, not good at sports guy, who we still need, because we always need one of those, and Jennifer, the nice girl who is, for some reason, very good friends with the mean girl. Then, we have the newcomers in the group: Dennis, who is kind of a tiny, little ladies' man that makes friends quite easily, and Lindsay, who sooooo does not want to be at camp but her mom is forcing her to be there. Hmmm? I wonder if she'll eventually soften up and be friends with everyone. I do wonder.
This whole thing is filled to the brim with summer camp shenanigans from the kids, including the obligatory getting lost in the woods at night and their misbehavior amplifying the camp's problems. But they really are good kids at heart and want to help Col. Marv. So what do we get from the kids when they try to save the camp by making it look good? Remember, it's the early nineties, so they produce the one thing that always works when you're trying to bring down the man - a rap video! And it is FAN-TASTIC! The only thing more fantastic is the climax of the plot. It is complete with humiliation, an attempted escape from one of the campers, and a race to see if the kids will make it back to play in the very important baseball game! Do they succeed? Right! Like I'm going to spoil it for you! But I will tell you that it ends with the one thing on which all teen movies, and life itself apparently, end - a dance! What else!
Look, obviously, this movie is a serious cheese-fest, but when I watch it, I get a little enjoyment out of it, nostalgic, though it may be. It kind of reminds me of my childhood, and it is always fun to revisit those things that seemed so totally cool at the time but now just make us laugh. Hey, whatever works, I say, and makes us feel something other than sad! Right?
Oh, and this fun bit of television cinematic awesomeness is available on DVD! Buy, buy, buy!
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Friends 'Til the End - TV Movie Review
Greetings,
I'm going to talk for a moment to those of you in my age bracket, who grew up in the days of the original Beverly Hills, 90210. Remember how, over the course of the first four years, people started to hate the character of Brenda Walsh, and then, in turn, they began to not be so fond of Shannen Doherty? Well, I can agree that Brenda Walsh got a little annoying, and maybe Shannen did a few crazy things when she was out and about, but I always liked Ms. Doherty. Maybe it's because she's one of the few celebrities brave enough to say she's a Republican, or maybe it's because, according to tabloids, she has thrown things at Paris Hilton in night clubs. That would make anyone a candidate to be my best friend. No, I think there is another reason. Despite the shenanigans that Shannen Doherty may or may not have been involved in, you can't deny that she is a really good actress. So I thought this week I would do a review of one of her TV movies, my favorite of hers actually, Friends 'Til the End.
Our movie begins backstage at a kiddie talent show. Don't worry. It only lasts for a few minutes. We see a dark haired girl with a very supportive, loving mother sitting next to a blonde girl with a mother who is, let's say, a bit critical. Despite the encouraging words of the brunette, blondie still goes on stage and chokes. Then, the other girl gets up and sings, "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries", because that is what the cool kids sing. As the music fades, we transition into the future and see the dark haired girl all grown up, and she's Shannen Doherty. I was shocked at this reveal. Okay, no, I wasn't. Anyway, she is Heather Romely, a student in college, a popular sorority girl and the lead singer of a band which she is in with her boyfriend, Simon, played by Jason London, not to be confused with his twin brother, Jeremy, who was in Mallrats, also with Shannen. Heather also writes songs with the drummer named Nick played by a guy named John Livingston, who I've only seen in this movie. Keep that whole songwriting thing in mind, though, because it is important. Anyway, we first see Heather (grown up) at a sorority party, then at a gig with her band, all the while being watched by a blonde girl. I can already feel the wheels in your minds turning, but don't get ahead of me.
So then we see Heather in class, desperately looking for her paper that is due at that very moment. And who should come to her rescue but the blonde girl, handing her the assignment with the flimsy excuse of, "Hey, I think you dropped this is the club. Good thing I coincidentally picked it up, so now you owe me, and you better be my best friend." Or something like that. Turns out, the blond girl is Zanne Armstrong played by Jennifer Blanc, who I cannot believe is not an uber-famous actress. Now Zanne is wearing glasses so that means she's a shy, unpopular nerd. Right? Well, Heather takes her under her wing, getting her into the sorority, helping her to be pretty and even letting her join the band after hearing how well she can sing.
Things seem great at first, but then Zanne starts to "inadvertantly" sabotage Heather, but always in a way that makes it seem like she didn't really mean it. And everyone falls for it. As the plot begins to crescendo, Heather uncovers a lot about Zanne's very dark past, including her real name and the connection the two young women have. So, quickly, Zanne's new life begins to crumble, one thing at a time. And all of this culminates in a - what! - battle of the bands. Oh, man. I thought Shannen was from 90210, not Saved By The Bell. And you'll never guess which girl comes out on top.
Let me take this opportunity to speak about the music in this TV movie. There are only a few songs, and frankly . . . they're kind of good. No lie. I actually liked them. And while I'm not sure about Jennifer Blanc, I am pretty sure that Shannen Doherty did her own singing. As for that, she's not Whitney or Mariah, but I thought she did a decent job. So, since music was an important part of this movie, I'm glad they actually took enough time to make it listenable.
Now this TV movie still airs from time to time, probably LIFEtime, to be exact, but, again, it can also currently be found on You Tube. So if you're looking for some good late nineties nostalgia, music, fashion and all, try to check this one out.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I'm going to talk for a moment to those of you in my age bracket, who grew up in the days of the original Beverly Hills, 90210. Remember how, over the course of the first four years, people started to hate the character of Brenda Walsh, and then, in turn, they began to not be so fond of Shannen Doherty? Well, I can agree that Brenda Walsh got a little annoying, and maybe Shannen did a few crazy things when she was out and about, but I always liked Ms. Doherty. Maybe it's because she's one of the few celebrities brave enough to say she's a Republican, or maybe it's because, according to tabloids, she has thrown things at Paris Hilton in night clubs. That would make anyone a candidate to be my best friend. No, I think there is another reason. Despite the shenanigans that Shannen Doherty may or may not have been involved in, you can't deny that she is a really good actress. So I thought this week I would do a review of one of her TV movies, my favorite of hers actually, Friends 'Til the End.
Our movie begins backstage at a kiddie talent show. Don't worry. It only lasts for a few minutes. We see a dark haired girl with a very supportive, loving mother sitting next to a blonde girl with a mother who is, let's say, a bit critical. Despite the encouraging words of the brunette, blondie still goes on stage and chokes. Then, the other girl gets up and sings, "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries", because that is what the cool kids sing. As the music fades, we transition into the future and see the dark haired girl all grown up, and she's Shannen Doherty. I was shocked at this reveal. Okay, no, I wasn't. Anyway, she is Heather Romely, a student in college, a popular sorority girl and the lead singer of a band which she is in with her boyfriend, Simon, played by Jason London, not to be confused with his twin brother, Jeremy, who was in Mallrats, also with Shannen. Heather also writes songs with the drummer named Nick played by a guy named John Livingston, who I've only seen in this movie. Keep that whole songwriting thing in mind, though, because it is important. Anyway, we first see Heather (grown up) at a sorority party, then at a gig with her band, all the while being watched by a blonde girl. I can already feel the wheels in your minds turning, but don't get ahead of me.
So then we see Heather in class, desperately looking for her paper that is due at that very moment. And who should come to her rescue but the blonde girl, handing her the assignment with the flimsy excuse of, "Hey, I think you dropped this is the club. Good thing I coincidentally picked it up, so now you owe me, and you better be my best friend." Or something like that. Turns out, the blond girl is Zanne Armstrong played by Jennifer Blanc, who I cannot believe is not an uber-famous actress. Now Zanne is wearing glasses so that means she's a shy, unpopular nerd. Right? Well, Heather takes her under her wing, getting her into the sorority, helping her to be pretty and even letting her join the band after hearing how well she can sing.
Things seem great at first, but then Zanne starts to "inadvertantly" sabotage Heather, but always in a way that makes it seem like she didn't really mean it. And everyone falls for it. As the plot begins to crescendo, Heather uncovers a lot about Zanne's very dark past, including her real name and the connection the two young women have. So, quickly, Zanne's new life begins to crumble, one thing at a time. And all of this culminates in a - what! - battle of the bands. Oh, man. I thought Shannen was from 90210, not Saved By The Bell. And you'll never guess which girl comes out on top.
Let me take this opportunity to speak about the music in this TV movie. There are only a few songs, and frankly . . . they're kind of good. No lie. I actually liked them. And while I'm not sure about Jennifer Blanc, I am pretty sure that Shannen Doherty did her own singing. As for that, she's not Whitney or Mariah, but I thought she did a decent job. So, since music was an important part of this movie, I'm glad they actually took enough time to make it listenable.
Now this TV movie still airs from time to time, probably LIFEtime, to be exact, but, again, it can also currently be found on You Tube. So if you're looking for some good late nineties nostalgia, music, fashion and all, try to check this one out.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
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