Greetings,
Okay, this "movie" is a bit different from the others I am reviewing. I will be reviewing this as it appears on the DVD, and on the DVD, which is, in fact, entitled Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam, we get the titular short film as well as three others. All of it is technically referred to as a DC Showcase, so I thought I would talk about the whole collection featured here.
The first and longest of the short films is the one which shares the title with the DVD, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. The main focus of this story is on young Billy Batson and how he eventually learns to transform into the superhero Captain Marvel. We follow Billy as he randomly meets Clark Kent, who, as we all know, is Superman, and Billy happens to be a great admirer of Superman. What are the odds! And the villain here is, of course, Black Adam, whose power is based in magic, and magic is something to which Superman is vulnerable. Oh, so I guess if you want to fight Superman but don't like the color green, get yourself a magic wand. So, eventually, Superman teams up with Captain Marvel, whose power is also magic based, therefore, enabling him to be an equal to Black Adam. See, teamwork is awesome. Now I must be honest, though this is the longest and lead in short film of the collection, of the four, it is my least favorite. Still good, though. Moving on.
Next up, we have The Spectre. This little film is about the murder of a film executive named Foster Brenner and the investigation that follows. A detective named Jim Corrigan decides to check things out despite the fact that it's not his case, but he does so because he was once involved with Brenner's daughter, Aimee. Turns out, a bunch of people were mad at Brenner for not being including in his last film, which means that we've got a nice, long list of suspects. I hear cops either love it or hate it when they have one of those. Anyway, the dead Brenner starts showing up and morphing into The Spectre. That means that he's The Spectre, right? Well, maybe, but remember that even in a twelve minute short film, you can have a twist.
And while we are on the subject of guys who wear green hoodies, let's move on to our next story, Green Arrow. This one has the kind of plot that is oft ignored. Specifically, a plot of . . . kiddie assassination! No, really, someone tries to kill a kid in this thing. But she's royalty, and they tend to be targets for assassination. Basically, there's this guy named Count Vertigo (really?)who hires a guy named Merlyn (okay?) to kill Princess Perdita (come on!). AND Count Vertigo is the uncle of Perdita, who is technically now the queen, since her father has been killed . . . by Count Vertigo! Yeah, keep it all in the family there, people. Ironically, all of this goes down in an airport, where it just so happens Oliver Queen is waiting for his girlfriend to arrive. But, in the meantime, he manages to do his Green Arrow thing and tries to be the hero. By the way, we also get an appearance by Black Canary. No kidding. Oliver Queen mentions a girlfriend. Of course, it's her.
Finally, we have Jonah Hex. I must bring up the fact that I have seen the Jonah Hex live action film, and it was kind of not good. I feel like they tried really hard on that movie, and ended up trying too hard. This short film, however, is the opposite of that, in my opinion. The plot is a nice, compacted little thing about this madame at a bar who kills guys for their money, and Jonah Hex has to deal with her. It's like they were just trying to say, "Here's Jonah Hex, and here's what he does". Boom! Done! Thank you. That is all I need. And it is so much better than the complicated . . . whatever that the feature film was trying to do. So, if you like Jonah Hex, just watch this.
Now since I have not yet made mention of this, I'd like to say a word about the voice acting here. We get a lot of great people in this short films, like Neil McDonough, Thomas Jane, Michelle Trachtenberg, Linda Hamilton, Gary Cole, Jerry O'Connell and George Newbern, who reprises his Justice League role as Superman. Everyone was really good in these little mini movies.
So, while I mentioned, this isn't full on movie, I say check it out. Sometimes we just want a nice short film that doesn't take up too much time in our lives. You get that here, and you get something that is really worth the watch.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Justice League: Doom - Movie Review
Greetings,
It seems that people have an idea about cartoon shows, and they tend to put them at one extreme or the other. We have the ones that are strictly meant for children that can be left on to entertain them as their parents do other things, and then, we have the ones for the adults, where the children have no business watching them at all. Yet, somehow, I think they might be catching a few episodes. But what about the ones that fall somewhere in between? The cartoons that the kids can watch, but that also are interesting for adults. Specifically, I speak of the Justice League series.
The Justice League cartoon series began in 2001 and eventually morphed into Justice League Unlimited, which featured many more characters. This series was extremely well done. The production was great, the writing and the stories were fantastic, but what I loved most of all were the voice actors. So when I heard that they were making another of these animated films featuring most of the cast from the series, I was ecstatic.
In the 2012 film Justice League: Doom, we get back these fabulous actors and their characters: Kevin Conroy as Batman, Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman, Carl Lumbly as Martian Manhunter, and of course, my personal favorite, Michael Rosenbaum as The Flash. Rounding out the League and in addition to those series regulars, Superman is voiced by Tim Daly, who also portrayed him in Superman: The Animated Series, and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. Good times. Besides those, we also get a ton of other great actors lending their voices, like Olivia D'Abo, Alexis Denisof, Juliet Landau and many others. So good cast. Does that mean good movie? Let's see.
The plot of Doom is that a guy named Vandal Savage has an idea for a brand new fabulous civilization. Unfortunately, a massive portion of humanity must be done away with. Yeah, if this sounds familiar to you all who are well versed in the comic book stories, it should, since it is basically a story line that was done with Ra's al Ghul as the villain. I knew that, and I don't even read the comic books. I guess since Ra's was in Batman Begins, they didn't want to repeat an appearance.
Anyway, thanks to the Justice League, Vandal cannot accomplish this. Darn. So he has someone hack into Batman's computer system, using something he got from, where else, LexCorp. Why is this a problem? Well, as it happens, Batman was wise enough to devise contingency plans for each of the League members should any of them ever go rogue. It's a good idea, so long as none of this falls into the wrong hands. But, alas, it falls into the wrong hands. This leads to the main focus of the plot, wherein we follow each League member being attacked by these plans by way of other villains. And all the plans have been altered to not only be incapacitating, but lethal. It is done in a very clever way, and each member gets a chance to be shown, which is for what the fans would hope.
But what it comes down to really is that this is story about the cracks within the Justice League and whether or not they can trust each other. Particularly, they question Batman's loyalty, since he was the one who had the plans in the first place. So, through all this, we get to see some great character interactions, exactly what I wanted because that is another thing I always liked from the series. They carry it over well into this movie, like nothing had ever changed. And if anything did change, it was for the better.
So I suppose I would recommend this mostly to fans of the Justice League show, though I bet some of those fans might also find problems with this, such as the omission of Hawkgirl. I do kind of wish she was there, too. Everyone has an opinion. But I think this has a good story and takes us back to the time of the show. And, like I said, it was great to hear that cast together again. So, should these rumors of a Justice League live action film ever become a reality, I certainly hope they take a lesson from this, because if that possible future film is as good as this, I'll be pleased.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
It seems that people have an idea about cartoon shows, and they tend to put them at one extreme or the other. We have the ones that are strictly meant for children that can be left on to entertain them as their parents do other things, and then, we have the ones for the adults, where the children have no business watching them at all. Yet, somehow, I think they might be catching a few episodes. But what about the ones that fall somewhere in between? The cartoons that the kids can watch, but that also are interesting for adults. Specifically, I speak of the Justice League series.
The Justice League cartoon series began in 2001 and eventually morphed into Justice League Unlimited, which featured many more characters. This series was extremely well done. The production was great, the writing and the stories were fantastic, but what I loved most of all were the voice actors. So when I heard that they were making another of these animated films featuring most of the cast from the series, I was ecstatic.
In the 2012 film Justice League: Doom, we get back these fabulous actors and their characters: Kevin Conroy as Batman, Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman, Carl Lumbly as Martian Manhunter, and of course, my personal favorite, Michael Rosenbaum as The Flash. Rounding out the League and in addition to those series regulars, Superman is voiced by Tim Daly, who also portrayed him in Superman: The Animated Series, and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. Good times. Besides those, we also get a ton of other great actors lending their voices, like Olivia D'Abo, Alexis Denisof, Juliet Landau and many others. So good cast. Does that mean good movie? Let's see.
The plot of Doom is that a guy named Vandal Savage has an idea for a brand new fabulous civilization. Unfortunately, a massive portion of humanity must be done away with. Yeah, if this sounds familiar to you all who are well versed in the comic book stories, it should, since it is basically a story line that was done with Ra's al Ghul as the villain. I knew that, and I don't even read the comic books. I guess since Ra's was in Batman Begins, they didn't want to repeat an appearance.
Anyway, thanks to the Justice League, Vandal cannot accomplish this. Darn. So he has someone hack into Batman's computer system, using something he got from, where else, LexCorp. Why is this a problem? Well, as it happens, Batman was wise enough to devise contingency plans for each of the League members should any of them ever go rogue. It's a good idea, so long as none of this falls into the wrong hands. But, alas, it falls into the wrong hands. This leads to the main focus of the plot, wherein we follow each League member being attacked by these plans by way of other villains. And all the plans have been altered to not only be incapacitating, but lethal. It is done in a very clever way, and each member gets a chance to be shown, which is for what the fans would hope.
But what it comes down to really is that this is story about the cracks within the Justice League and whether or not they can trust each other. Particularly, they question Batman's loyalty, since he was the one who had the plans in the first place. So, through all this, we get to see some great character interactions, exactly what I wanted because that is another thing I always liked from the series. They carry it over well into this movie, like nothing had ever changed. And if anything did change, it was for the better.
So I suppose I would recommend this mostly to fans of the Justice League show, though I bet some of those fans might also find problems with this, such as the omission of Hawkgirl. I do kind of wish she was there, too. Everyone has an opinion. But I think this has a good story and takes us back to the time of the show. And, like I said, it was great to hear that cast together again. So, should these rumors of a Justice League live action film ever become a reality, I certainly hope they take a lesson from this, because if that possible future film is as good as this, I'll be pleased.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Wonder Woman - Movie Review
Greetings,
In the many decades since the comic book craze began, nearly every major character has had a shot at the big screen, and even some not so major characters. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. But there is one that has amazingly never been given a feature length film - Wonder Woman. It kind of stuns me to this day that she has never had a movie based on her, though I can understand the hesitation. We did get the fabulous 70's series starring Lynda Carter, who is the definitive Wonder Woman, not to mention about the most achingly beautiful lady I have ever seen. Then again, we also (almost) got a remake in 2011, which portrayed the beloved hero as some vicious, arrogant, insane, killing machine. I think that may have been a little different from how she was originally created. So hopes for a live action, big screen Wonder Woman film seem grim at best. Still, we do have a something that will, in my opinion, more than suffice until someone gets their act together there. That would be the 2009 animated movie entitled, what else, Wonder Woman.
I had heard about this one before it came out, and all I did hear was that they were making a Wonder Woman movie and it was going to star Keri Russell. My response to that was. "Wait, what?" Don't get me wrong. I do like Keri Russell, and I think she is a very underrated actress. However, based strictly on appearance, I never could have imagined her playing this role. Not even if they dyed her hair black. Then, I heard it was animated, which meant she was only going to be playing the voice. That's fine, since I thought, if anything, she could handle the acting quite well. Plus, she does really have a great voice. So enough back story. Let's get to the actual story.
This movie is what is commonly known as an origin story. You may be curious as to which one since Wonder Woman has had more than a few origins over time, based on who was the writer. In this case, it is apparently the origin written by George Perez in his 1987 reboot, particularly an arc called "Gods and Mortals"
The film begins before the "birth" of Wonder Woman, or Diana, as I will probably refer to her from now on, and takes us back centuries where the Amazon women were battling Ares and his army. The Amazons are being led by Hippolyta, who is voiced here by Virginia Madsen, and she does a phenomenal job, giving, with her voice, such the nobility we would expect of this character. Also, we have Alfred Molina as Ares, and it's Alfred Molina, so, of course, he's fantastic as well. There is such a violent edge to his performance, perfect for playing the god of war. Though Hippolyta and the Amazons are something of a success in this battle, she cannot kill him. So, Hera, portrayed through a Marg Helgenberger voice cameo, binds Ares' ability to draw power from death and violence. And this is how the Amazons gain their paradise known as Themyscira, where they will live forever and be isolated from men so they can concentrate on keeping Ares prisoner. Well, some of that sounds kind of okay. And this was their prize for defeating him? Whatever. Still, it seems as though Hippolyta is the one who got the real prize. She was able to have a child, created from the sand and her own blood. As so Princess Diana enters the world.
Cut to about a thousand years later, and who should crash land on the island but Steve Trevor, the dude of the story. Hey, wait, he's a DUDE! He can't be here. So, naturally, he is captured by the Amazons, including Artemis, who is played by Rosario Dawson. A tough, gorgeous woman portraying a tough, gorgeous woman. Perfect. And speaking of perfect, so is Nathan Fillion as Steve Trevor. He acts exactly as you would expect a guy stuck on an island full of women to act - like he's twelve. So they must take him back to the place from whence he came, and despite her mother's objections, Diana wins the honor. And this leads her to entering our world. In the meantime, through some major oopsies by some of the Amazon ladies, Ares escapes and also makes his way into our world.
While in New York, we see the beginnings of the up and down relationship between Diana and Steve as they investigate a lot of violent occurrences they think are being caused by Ares. There are actually some very amusing moments between them, as Steve full on realizes that Diana is less of the average woman than he ever imagined. There are also a few moments where Diana is troubled by the way that women, and especially young girls, are being treated. Like everyone assuming they can't fight. Well, that is proven wrong when this whole story culminates in a battle, of course, wherein some of the problems with the Amazon society come to light, but where they also show how powerful they are. And, in the aftermath, Diana is led to her true calling of being a warrior for humanity.
Now I have heard a few of the origin stories of Wonder Woman, but this one, I think, is one of the best. It really does cover everything we need to know, from who she is to where she comes from to where she is going. The story in this film is very well done, in my opinion. It tells just enough to keep us interested without giving us so much filler that we get bored. Also, I thought the animation was very well done, showing how things have progressed in the art but also having a familiar look and feel. And, as I mentioned many times, the voice acting is stellar, and everyone, from small parts to starring roles, is perfectly cast.
So while we may have to wait a while before we get a live action Wonder Woman film, if we ever get one, I think we can pleased to have this production. Very pleased. And, at the very least, it's nothing like the remake series.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
In the many decades since the comic book craze began, nearly every major character has had a shot at the big screen, and even some not so major characters. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. But there is one that has amazingly never been given a feature length film - Wonder Woman. It kind of stuns me to this day that she has never had a movie based on her, though I can understand the hesitation. We did get the fabulous 70's series starring Lynda Carter, who is the definitive Wonder Woman, not to mention about the most achingly beautiful lady I have ever seen. Then again, we also (almost) got a remake in 2011, which portrayed the beloved hero as some vicious, arrogant, insane, killing machine. I think that may have been a little different from how she was originally created. So hopes for a live action, big screen Wonder Woman film seem grim at best. Still, we do have a something that will, in my opinion, more than suffice until someone gets their act together there. That would be the 2009 animated movie entitled, what else, Wonder Woman.
I had heard about this one before it came out, and all I did hear was that they were making a Wonder Woman movie and it was going to star Keri Russell. My response to that was. "Wait, what?" Don't get me wrong. I do like Keri Russell, and I think she is a very underrated actress. However, based strictly on appearance, I never could have imagined her playing this role. Not even if they dyed her hair black. Then, I heard it was animated, which meant she was only going to be playing the voice. That's fine, since I thought, if anything, she could handle the acting quite well. Plus, she does really have a great voice. So enough back story. Let's get to the actual story.
This movie is what is commonly known as an origin story. You may be curious as to which one since Wonder Woman has had more than a few origins over time, based on who was the writer. In this case, it is apparently the origin written by George Perez in his 1987 reboot, particularly an arc called "Gods and Mortals"
The film begins before the "birth" of Wonder Woman, or Diana, as I will probably refer to her from now on, and takes us back centuries where the Amazon women were battling Ares and his army. The Amazons are being led by Hippolyta, who is voiced here by Virginia Madsen, and she does a phenomenal job, giving, with her voice, such the nobility we would expect of this character. Also, we have Alfred Molina as Ares, and it's Alfred Molina, so, of course, he's fantastic as well. There is such a violent edge to his performance, perfect for playing the god of war. Though Hippolyta and the Amazons are something of a success in this battle, she cannot kill him. So, Hera, portrayed through a Marg Helgenberger voice cameo, binds Ares' ability to draw power from death and violence. And this is how the Amazons gain their paradise known as Themyscira, where they will live forever and be isolated from men so they can concentrate on keeping Ares prisoner. Well, some of that sounds kind of okay. And this was their prize for defeating him? Whatever. Still, it seems as though Hippolyta is the one who got the real prize. She was able to have a child, created from the sand and her own blood. As so Princess Diana enters the world.
Cut to about a thousand years later, and who should crash land on the island but Steve Trevor, the dude of the story. Hey, wait, he's a DUDE! He can't be here. So, naturally, he is captured by the Amazons, including Artemis, who is played by Rosario Dawson. A tough, gorgeous woman portraying a tough, gorgeous woman. Perfect. And speaking of perfect, so is Nathan Fillion as Steve Trevor. He acts exactly as you would expect a guy stuck on an island full of women to act - like he's twelve. So they must take him back to the place from whence he came, and despite her mother's objections, Diana wins the honor. And this leads her to entering our world. In the meantime, through some major oopsies by some of the Amazon ladies, Ares escapes and also makes his way into our world.
While in New York, we see the beginnings of the up and down relationship between Diana and Steve as they investigate a lot of violent occurrences they think are being caused by Ares. There are actually some very amusing moments between them, as Steve full on realizes that Diana is less of the average woman than he ever imagined. There are also a few moments where Diana is troubled by the way that women, and especially young girls, are being treated. Like everyone assuming they can't fight. Well, that is proven wrong when this whole story culminates in a battle, of course, wherein some of the problems with the Amazon society come to light, but where they also show how powerful they are. And, in the aftermath, Diana is led to her true calling of being a warrior for humanity.
Now I have heard a few of the origin stories of Wonder Woman, but this one, I think, is one of the best. It really does cover everything we need to know, from who she is to where she comes from to where she is going. The story in this film is very well done, in my opinion. It tells just enough to keep us interested without giving us so much filler that we get bored. Also, I thought the animation was very well done, showing how things have progressed in the art but also having a familiar look and feel. And, as I mentioned many times, the voice acting is stellar, and everyone, from small parts to starring roles, is perfectly cast.
So while we may have to wait a while before we get a live action Wonder Woman film, if we ever get one, I think we can pleased to have this production. Very pleased. And, at the very least, it's nothing like the remake series.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Destination Truth: Memoirs of Monster Hunter by Josh Gates - Book Review
Greetings,
A while back, I did a top ten list of my favorite Destination Truth "Half-isodes", as I call them. So, naturally, now that I'm trying to catch up on my book reviews, I thought it prudent to talk about a book that was spawned from this fantastic show. And that particular work of literature that I will be discussing is entitled Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter by Joshua Gates, the host of said show.
Okay, if you don't know about Destination Truth, it is a SyFy series wherein Josh Gates and his team travel around the world to investigate strange creatures and phenomenon. They've looked for elves, ghosts, leprechauns, sea monsters, about ten different versions of Bigfoot, and a ton of other things. Do they ever find anything definitive or any solid proof? Well, someone does certainly always hear something. But even on a show with the word "destination" in the title, it's not the destination; it's the journey. Yeah, I've spoken to some people who watch this show, and, frankly, they don't mind the end part where the team takes a closer look at what they may or may not have found, but what really entertains them, and me, is everything leading up to that. I think I mentioned this in my previous post, but I find most enjoyable to travel aspect of the show, the way they get involved and learn from a new culture, and I also like the actual investigation part. That can also be quite interesting. So why not put all of that into book form? That is exactly what Josh Gates did.
Basically, if you are a fan of the show and especially a fan of Josh Gates, you will really like this book. But even you aren't either of those things, you will probably still enjoy it. What it basically is about is a written account of a lot of the things that have been seen on the show. So, if you've seen that, as you read, you'll remember them, but it's more from a personal and internal standpoint. You get more of what he was thinking as the events took place, and it is done in both an informative and entertaining way. And that is a big plus with the book - it's really funny. But, then again, Josh is a funny guy, so I didn't expect anything less.
Another aspect of the book is that Josh talks a lot about himself personally, how he got into what he does now and also how the show came to be. I found those parts just as interesting as the rest of the stories. Again, it has so much to do with how Josh writes it. He is obviously a very good storyteller. He makes things that may seem, otherwise, mundane kind of entertaining. Not that he included a ton of mundane things. Truth be told, all the stories are good in their own way.
I think my only complaint about the book, other than my usual of "Hey, don't swear", is that it doesn't include enough pictures. There are only about eight pages worth of them in here, and it would have been nice to have some more. On the other hand, what I think would be a extremely good idea is to have a book of nothing but pictures from the adventures on this show with, of course, some captioning by the various team members who took part in them. I would enjoy that a lot, as much as I did this book. And I obviously enjoyed this very much.
So, again, if you are a fan of Destination Truth, I would say this book is a must have. If you haven't seen the show . . . well, go and watch it. They show reruns often on SyFy, and it is currently on Netflix. But if you're a person who likes to read about travel and other cultures or even the unusual or paranormal type stuff, I would recommend this book to you, as well. Either way, though, this is just a really good read. It's funny and you even learn a little about some stuff. I really liked it, and I trust others will as well.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
A while back, I did a top ten list of my favorite Destination Truth "Half-isodes", as I call them. So, naturally, now that I'm trying to catch up on my book reviews, I thought it prudent to talk about a book that was spawned from this fantastic show. And that particular work of literature that I will be discussing is entitled Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter by Joshua Gates, the host of said show.
Okay, if you don't know about Destination Truth, it is a SyFy series wherein Josh Gates and his team travel around the world to investigate strange creatures and phenomenon. They've looked for elves, ghosts, leprechauns, sea monsters, about ten different versions of Bigfoot, and a ton of other things. Do they ever find anything definitive or any solid proof? Well, someone does certainly always hear something. But even on a show with the word "destination" in the title, it's not the destination; it's the journey. Yeah, I've spoken to some people who watch this show, and, frankly, they don't mind the end part where the team takes a closer look at what they may or may not have found, but what really entertains them, and me, is everything leading up to that. I think I mentioned this in my previous post, but I find most enjoyable to travel aspect of the show, the way they get involved and learn from a new culture, and I also like the actual investigation part. That can also be quite interesting. So why not put all of that into book form? That is exactly what Josh Gates did.
Basically, if you are a fan of the show and especially a fan of Josh Gates, you will really like this book. But even you aren't either of those things, you will probably still enjoy it. What it basically is about is a written account of a lot of the things that have been seen on the show. So, if you've seen that, as you read, you'll remember them, but it's more from a personal and internal standpoint. You get more of what he was thinking as the events took place, and it is done in both an informative and entertaining way. And that is a big plus with the book - it's really funny. But, then again, Josh is a funny guy, so I didn't expect anything less.
Another aspect of the book is that Josh talks a lot about himself personally, how he got into what he does now and also how the show came to be. I found those parts just as interesting as the rest of the stories. Again, it has so much to do with how Josh writes it. He is obviously a very good storyteller. He makes things that may seem, otherwise, mundane kind of entertaining. Not that he included a ton of mundane things. Truth be told, all the stories are good in their own way.
I think my only complaint about the book, other than my usual of "Hey, don't swear", is that it doesn't include enough pictures. There are only about eight pages worth of them in here, and it would have been nice to have some more. On the other hand, what I think would be a extremely good idea is to have a book of nothing but pictures from the adventures on this show with, of course, some captioning by the various team members who took part in them. I would enjoy that a lot, as much as I did this book. And I obviously enjoyed this very much.
So, again, if you are a fan of Destination Truth, I would say this book is a must have. If you haven't seen the show . . . well, go and watch it. They show reruns often on SyFy, and it is currently on Netflix. But if you're a person who likes to read about travel and other cultures or even the unusual or paranormal type stuff, I would recommend this book to you, as well. Either way, though, this is just a really good read. It's funny and you even learn a little about some stuff. I really liked it, and I trust others will as well.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Top Ten Eagles Songs
Greetings,
I was driving home the other day and happened upon some Eagles music on my radio. I then thought to myself that one thing I have yet to do is make a list of my top ten favorite Eagles songs. So, I decided to do it, and you all are getting it today.
Let me just say that I have been a great admirer of the Eagles for quite some time. Most importantly, obviously, it is because they have created such wonderful music, but also love bands like this so much. By that, I mean, every person in the group is a great singer and they make songs wherein the harmonies are so perfected and intricate that anyone with any remote singing ability can find a way to sound good. Since I am a person with some remote singing ability, I am quite grateful for this gift.
Now this band was formed in 1971, and in all the years that they were in existence, there have been a total of seven members. Past members include Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon, who were also two of the founding members, and also Don Felder. I am no way undermining the obvious talent that these men possessed, but, unfortunately, none of them come to my mind personally when I think of the Eagles. I suppose I could attribute this to my age, but when I think of the Eagles I think Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit and, of course, my favorite, Joe Walsh. Yeah, Joe, you are my favorite. You are a fantastic musician, you were hilarious on The Drew Carey Show and you gave the world your daughter, Lucy, a person and artist about whom I am crazy. Anyway, as I was saying, despite the fact that this is the lineup I go to, I would never take anything away from the other past members. Everyone who was ever a part of this band made their contributions and need the recognition. I'm sure that each of them have left fingerprints on this list of mine. Oh, yeah, my top ten list. Let's get to that.
#10. "Life in the Fast Lane" - When a lot of people think of the Eagles and some of their more famous compositions, it may come to their minds that this band, though considered rock, often portrayed a slightly mellower side. But with this song, they managed to show off the fact that they could be full on rockers. I'm guessing this had a lot to do with Joe being so involved. It may just be my imagination, but he always seemed like the least mellow of the guys. At least, when it came to the music. Sweet guitar playing, my friend.
#9. "Love Will Keep Us Alive" - This song kind of has an interesting history. During the late eighties/early nineties time, Timothy was planning to start up a new band with one of its writers. That never happened, so, when it came time for the 1994 Eagles reunion tour, they decided to sing it for those shows and put it on the new album. This is a very lovely song, but what I most love about it is that it lets Timothy shone as a singer, and he does have a beautiful voice.
#8. "Tequila Sunrise" - Well, I am a morning person, so, of course, this song will make the list. But, then again, I don't really drink much. Never even had any tequila. So it can't really rank any higher. Kidding aside, I do really like the lyrics in this song. Lyric snob that I am, that means a lot.
#7. "Desperado" - I like when songs stick on albums, despite never being released as a single. Such is the case with this one. No, seriously. Even though it was the title track on its album, it was not a single. That baffles me. But I guess sometimes people just don't always know their own greatness.
#6. "Hotel California" - Yeah, no kidding. Look, I can turn this entry on the list into my opportunity to explain what I think the song is about, but I just refuse. Those poor boys who wrote it, an their fans alike, have had plenty of that. I'll just say this. Great song, made the list, I'm done.
#5. "New Kid In Town" - You know, in this musical world, we have plenty of "I will love you forever" songs. Those are nice. But sometimes we just need a "I love you right now, but - Hey, did a new person just move in who is much hotter and better for me than you? Gotta go" kind of song. Okay, maybe they weren't that harsh, but it does remind us that not every single relationship will last forever, so enjoy each one while they do.
#4. "The Sad Cafe" - And, oh, don't we all have our own little sad cafe. I certainly do, and all of mine pretty much exist in my own head. Then again, I don't think the place in this song is exactly real either. I sense a metaphor here, in a big way. I think it may be talking about a place, or maybe a person, to which one always returns, even if it makes you depressed. But we artists definitely don't mind a little depression every now and then. Some of us welcome it.
#3. "Best of My Love" - Congratulations are in order on this song, since it was their first number one hit. It's no wonder considering that this is one that certainly can appeal to the masses. It's just a straight up beautiful love song. Sometimes that's all we need.
#2. "Hole in the World" - This is the newest song on the list having been released in 2003. It proved beyond any doubt that these guys still had it. Everything that always made the Eagles superb showed up in this song. The lyrics and harmonies were so emotional and moving that I wouldn't have a problem saying that it is near perfect.
#1. "Take It To the Limit" - You know what's really crazy about my having this song as my absolute favorite? It was originally sung by Randy Meisner. Yeah, one of those guys I mentioned before who was in the Eagles, but who I don't necessarily always think of. I guess when it comes to this band I just listen without thinking about who may be singing. Still, I love that I can give the top spot to the one song that this guy sang. Oh, and all that stuff I said about sounding good singing these songs because of the harmonies and what not? Well, that is no more evident than it is here, for me anyway. Out of any song by any artist, this is one of my best with which to harmonize. So, thank you, boys, for the fantastic song and for making it easier for me to convince myself that I am a good singer.
So there you have it, my top ten Eagles songs list. Sure, a lot of these choices may have been obvious and predictable, but I can't help that they were just that good. Look, you're not going to find many bands that are as amazing as this one, so may express my gratitude again for all this music. It has been a joy and will continue to be.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I was driving home the other day and happened upon some Eagles music on my radio. I then thought to myself that one thing I have yet to do is make a list of my top ten favorite Eagles songs. So, I decided to do it, and you all are getting it today.
Let me just say that I have been a great admirer of the Eagles for quite some time. Most importantly, obviously, it is because they have created such wonderful music, but also love bands like this so much. By that, I mean, every person in the group is a great singer and they make songs wherein the harmonies are so perfected and intricate that anyone with any remote singing ability can find a way to sound good. Since I am a person with some remote singing ability, I am quite grateful for this gift.
Now this band was formed in 1971, and in all the years that they were in existence, there have been a total of seven members. Past members include Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon, who were also two of the founding members, and also Don Felder. I am no way undermining the obvious talent that these men possessed, but, unfortunately, none of them come to my mind personally when I think of the Eagles. I suppose I could attribute this to my age, but when I think of the Eagles I think Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit and, of course, my favorite, Joe Walsh. Yeah, Joe, you are my favorite. You are a fantastic musician, you were hilarious on The Drew Carey Show and you gave the world your daughter, Lucy, a person and artist about whom I am crazy. Anyway, as I was saying, despite the fact that this is the lineup I go to, I would never take anything away from the other past members. Everyone who was ever a part of this band made their contributions and need the recognition. I'm sure that each of them have left fingerprints on this list of mine. Oh, yeah, my top ten list. Let's get to that.
#10. "Life in the Fast Lane" - When a lot of people think of the Eagles and some of their more famous compositions, it may come to their minds that this band, though considered rock, often portrayed a slightly mellower side. But with this song, they managed to show off the fact that they could be full on rockers. I'm guessing this had a lot to do with Joe being so involved. It may just be my imagination, but he always seemed like the least mellow of the guys. At least, when it came to the music. Sweet guitar playing, my friend.
#9. "Love Will Keep Us Alive" - This song kind of has an interesting history. During the late eighties/early nineties time, Timothy was planning to start up a new band with one of its writers. That never happened, so, when it came time for the 1994 Eagles reunion tour, they decided to sing it for those shows and put it on the new album. This is a very lovely song, but what I most love about it is that it lets Timothy shone as a singer, and he does have a beautiful voice.
#8. "Tequila Sunrise" - Well, I am a morning person, so, of course, this song will make the list. But, then again, I don't really drink much. Never even had any tequila. So it can't really rank any higher. Kidding aside, I do really like the lyrics in this song. Lyric snob that I am, that means a lot.
#7. "Desperado" - I like when songs stick on albums, despite never being released as a single. Such is the case with this one. No, seriously. Even though it was the title track on its album, it was not a single. That baffles me. But I guess sometimes people just don't always know their own greatness.
#6. "Hotel California" - Yeah, no kidding. Look, I can turn this entry on the list into my opportunity to explain what I think the song is about, but I just refuse. Those poor boys who wrote it, an their fans alike, have had plenty of that. I'll just say this. Great song, made the list, I'm done.
#5. "New Kid In Town" - You know, in this musical world, we have plenty of "I will love you forever" songs. Those are nice. But sometimes we just need a "I love you right now, but - Hey, did a new person just move in who is much hotter and better for me than you? Gotta go" kind of song. Okay, maybe they weren't that harsh, but it does remind us that not every single relationship will last forever, so enjoy each one while they do.
#4. "The Sad Cafe" - And, oh, don't we all have our own little sad cafe. I certainly do, and all of mine pretty much exist in my own head. Then again, I don't think the place in this song is exactly real either. I sense a metaphor here, in a big way. I think it may be talking about a place, or maybe a person, to which one always returns, even if it makes you depressed. But we artists definitely don't mind a little depression every now and then. Some of us welcome it.
#3. "Best of My Love" - Congratulations are in order on this song, since it was their first number one hit. It's no wonder considering that this is one that certainly can appeal to the masses. It's just a straight up beautiful love song. Sometimes that's all we need.
#2. "Hole in the World" - This is the newest song on the list having been released in 2003. It proved beyond any doubt that these guys still had it. Everything that always made the Eagles superb showed up in this song. The lyrics and harmonies were so emotional and moving that I wouldn't have a problem saying that it is near perfect.
#1. "Take It To the Limit" - You know what's really crazy about my having this song as my absolute favorite? It was originally sung by Randy Meisner. Yeah, one of those guys I mentioned before who was in the Eagles, but who I don't necessarily always think of. I guess when it comes to this band I just listen without thinking about who may be singing. Still, I love that I can give the top spot to the one song that this guy sang. Oh, and all that stuff I said about sounding good singing these songs because of the harmonies and what not? Well, that is no more evident than it is here, for me anyway. Out of any song by any artist, this is one of my best with which to harmonize. So, thank you, boys, for the fantastic song and for making it easier for me to convince myself that I am a good singer.
So there you have it, my top ten Eagles songs list. Sure, a lot of these choices may have been obvious and predictable, but I can't help that they were just that good. Look, you're not going to find many bands that are as amazing as this one, so may express my gratitude again for all this music. It has been a joy and will continue to be.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Newsies - Movie Musical Review
Greetings,
Yes, we are going to go there today. We are going to talk about my all-time favorite Christian Bale movie, Newsies. Now some of you may know about how much I love Batman, and, therefore, you may be wondering why one of those films isn't my favorite. Well, I do love Batman, but I also love music. So if you put together music and the man who would eventually portray the Dark Knight, you get magic. In my world, you do, anyway. Seriously, though, I have always been one to come to the defense of this film. Initially, it was a major failure, both commercially and critically, but it has become very much appreciated in the years since its release. I think for a long time it was just basically forgotten, but then, once Christian Bale got a lot of success, people wanted to go back and see what else he had been in. It may have been then when they discovered Newsies and realized that it was not nearly as bad as so many have said. Is it perfect? Of course, not. But is it good? Well, let's find out, shall we?
Newsies is a 1992 Disney movie musical based loosely (VERY loosely) on the 1899 Newsboys Strike, wherein young newspaper sellers went up against Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst to get compensated appropriately for their child labor. That strike lasted about two weeks and was somewhat successful. But can "somewhat successful" lead us to the full on happy ending that we want? Probably not, so we better add some music.
So after a brief "history" lesson, our musical begins in a orphanage of sorts, where the young boys who live there sing of their upcoming day of newspaper selling in "Carrying the Banner". Here, we are introduced to some of the characters like Racetrack Higgins and Crutchy, who is called that because he has a crutch, so what else the heck are we going to call him? And, of course, we see, for the first time, Jack Kelly as portrayed by the aforementioned Christian Bale. He is something of a leader amongst the boys and has dreams of one day traveling to Santa Fe to be a cowboy. Sure, why not? And if he doesn't make this dream clear enough, he eventually does an entire musical number called "Santa Fe". He was fine at the acting part of this performance, naturally, but the singing? Yeah, let me just sum it up by saying this. I would wager that Christian got on quite well with Gerard Butler when they filmed Reign of Fire, since they obviously had some things in common. Point made. Let's move on.
Now the boys go out to buy their papers from Mr. Wiesel, or Weasel, as he is often called, played by Michael Lerner, a wonderful character actor who I think is one of the best things about this film. While there, Jack meets a new newsboy named David and his little brother, Les, who are working instead of going to school because their father is injured and can't work. Jack takes them under his wing, and by that I mean he wants to partner up with them because he thinks that cute little Les could help sell more papers. He's probably right. So David agrees to this and then, after the three of them are chased by a cop, they go to Irving Hall to see a performance by Medda "Swedish Meadowlark" Larkson. Whatever. She's played by Anne-Margaret because she was available. Honestly, I never got what the point of this character was. I suppose she may have been there to serve as something of a surrogate mother for all these orphaned Newsies, but, if that is what they were going for, I don't think it worked. Anyway, after the show, David and Les bring Jack home to meet the family, which includes a mom and a dad and a sister named Sarah who will, of course, not be a forced love interest for Jack, at all. Yeah.
All of that is the personalized aspects of the plot. Now we get to the historical, sort of, stuff. As I said, the newsboys had to buy the papers to sell, but when what they are charged goes up, they decide to strike. They lay out their plan in "The World Will Know" and solidify it in "Seize the Day". I guess I should take this opportunity to mention the actor playing our nemesis, Joseph Pulitzer. It is none other than Robert Duvall. Yep. Wonderful, honor worthy, "warm my heart with your greatness" Robert Duvall is in this movie. Obviously, I love this man, and in moments, his superb acting does shine through, but other times, not so much. Yeah, he made some odd choices in this role that I just don't understand. But, whatever, it's Robert Duvall. Can't stay mad at him for long. Moving on.
So, the Newsies continue on with the strike and even get some help from a reporter named Bryan Denton played by, the man, Bill Pullman. He gets the boys some headlines of their own, and that certainly gets them excited. So much so that they sing another song, of course, called "King of New York". They also enlist the help of newsboys from other parts of New York, even - GASP! - Brooklyn! I guess this was before Brooklyn was cool. Now there is a bit of a plot line where Jack turns his back on his friends, but it doesn't really last long enough to matter. It's called "padding", and every movie needs some.
But, in the end, we get exactly what we were expecting. They win. Just like they did in real life. Kind of. I suppose it's close enough to the truth, but not too close that we go into scary Gangs of New York territory. Can't go there. Gotta keep it nice and clean for the kids. Although, despite all of the glaring inaccuracies when it comes to the actual history of the Newsboys and New York itself at the time, I still really like this movie. And I have liked it for twenty years. I didn't just jump on some "Christian Bale is cool now, so that means Newsies is, too" bandwagon. I was faithful.
Seriously, though, like I said, this is film is far from perfect, but it is still quite entertaining to watch. The boys they hired to play the titular characters were actually pretty talented, especially with the singing and dancing. And, speaking of the music, I thought it was very well written. Again, not perfect, but still really good. And, yes, I do own the soundtrack to which I sing along often. In fact, should I ever meet the star of this film, it will probably take all of my self-control to not start singing one of these songs in his presence.
Look, however it came to be, I am just happy that Newsies is getting some recognition for being better than what people originally thought and said. It became so subsequently popular that it even got a Broadway show based on it. That's saying something. You know who else said something about Newsies? Mr. Christian Bale himself. He once said that "You say something bad about Newsies and you have an awful lot of people to answer to". You are correct, sir. Very correct.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Yes, we are going to go there today. We are going to talk about my all-time favorite Christian Bale movie, Newsies. Now some of you may know about how much I love Batman, and, therefore, you may be wondering why one of those films isn't my favorite. Well, I do love Batman, but I also love music. So if you put together music and the man who would eventually portray the Dark Knight, you get magic. In my world, you do, anyway. Seriously, though, I have always been one to come to the defense of this film. Initially, it was a major failure, both commercially and critically, but it has become very much appreciated in the years since its release. I think for a long time it was just basically forgotten, but then, once Christian Bale got a lot of success, people wanted to go back and see what else he had been in. It may have been then when they discovered Newsies and realized that it was not nearly as bad as so many have said. Is it perfect? Of course, not. But is it good? Well, let's find out, shall we?
Newsies is a 1992 Disney movie musical based loosely (VERY loosely) on the 1899 Newsboys Strike, wherein young newspaper sellers went up against Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst to get compensated appropriately for their child labor. That strike lasted about two weeks and was somewhat successful. But can "somewhat successful" lead us to the full on happy ending that we want? Probably not, so we better add some music.
So after a brief "history" lesson, our musical begins in a orphanage of sorts, where the young boys who live there sing of their upcoming day of newspaper selling in "Carrying the Banner". Here, we are introduced to some of the characters like Racetrack Higgins and Crutchy, who is called that because he has a crutch, so what else the heck are we going to call him? And, of course, we see, for the first time, Jack Kelly as portrayed by the aforementioned Christian Bale. He is something of a leader amongst the boys and has dreams of one day traveling to Santa Fe to be a cowboy. Sure, why not? And if he doesn't make this dream clear enough, he eventually does an entire musical number called "Santa Fe". He was fine at the acting part of this performance, naturally, but the singing? Yeah, let me just sum it up by saying this. I would wager that Christian got on quite well with Gerard Butler when they filmed Reign of Fire, since they obviously had some things in common. Point made. Let's move on.
Now the boys go out to buy their papers from Mr. Wiesel, or Weasel, as he is often called, played by Michael Lerner, a wonderful character actor who I think is one of the best things about this film. While there, Jack meets a new newsboy named David and his little brother, Les, who are working instead of going to school because their father is injured and can't work. Jack takes them under his wing, and by that I mean he wants to partner up with them because he thinks that cute little Les could help sell more papers. He's probably right. So David agrees to this and then, after the three of them are chased by a cop, they go to Irving Hall to see a performance by Medda "Swedish Meadowlark" Larkson. Whatever. She's played by Anne-Margaret because she was available. Honestly, I never got what the point of this character was. I suppose she may have been there to serve as something of a surrogate mother for all these orphaned Newsies, but, if that is what they were going for, I don't think it worked. Anyway, after the show, David and Les bring Jack home to meet the family, which includes a mom and a dad and a sister named Sarah who will, of course, not be a forced love interest for Jack, at all. Yeah.
All of that is the personalized aspects of the plot. Now we get to the historical, sort of, stuff. As I said, the newsboys had to buy the papers to sell, but when what they are charged goes up, they decide to strike. They lay out their plan in "The World Will Know" and solidify it in "Seize the Day". I guess I should take this opportunity to mention the actor playing our nemesis, Joseph Pulitzer. It is none other than Robert Duvall. Yep. Wonderful, honor worthy, "warm my heart with your greatness" Robert Duvall is in this movie. Obviously, I love this man, and in moments, his superb acting does shine through, but other times, not so much. Yeah, he made some odd choices in this role that I just don't understand. But, whatever, it's Robert Duvall. Can't stay mad at him for long. Moving on.
So, the Newsies continue on with the strike and even get some help from a reporter named Bryan Denton played by, the man, Bill Pullman. He gets the boys some headlines of their own, and that certainly gets them excited. So much so that they sing another song, of course, called "King of New York". They also enlist the help of newsboys from other parts of New York, even - GASP! - Brooklyn! I guess this was before Brooklyn was cool. Now there is a bit of a plot line where Jack turns his back on his friends, but it doesn't really last long enough to matter. It's called "padding", and every movie needs some.
But, in the end, we get exactly what we were expecting. They win. Just like they did in real life. Kind of. I suppose it's close enough to the truth, but not too close that we go into scary Gangs of New York territory. Can't go there. Gotta keep it nice and clean for the kids. Although, despite all of the glaring inaccuracies when it comes to the actual history of the Newsboys and New York itself at the time, I still really like this movie. And I have liked it for twenty years. I didn't just jump on some "Christian Bale is cool now, so that means Newsies is, too" bandwagon. I was faithful.
Seriously, though, like I said, this is film is far from perfect, but it is still quite entertaining to watch. The boys they hired to play the titular characters were actually pretty talented, especially with the singing and dancing. And, speaking of the music, I thought it was very well written. Again, not perfect, but still really good. And, yes, I do own the soundtrack to which I sing along often. In fact, should I ever meet the star of this film, it will probably take all of my self-control to not start singing one of these songs in his presence.
Look, however it came to be, I am just happy that Newsies is getting some recognition for being better than what people originally thought and said. It became so subsequently popular that it even got a Broadway show based on it. That's saying something. You know who else said something about Newsies? Mr. Christian Bale himself. He once said that "You say something bad about Newsies and you have an awful lot of people to answer to". You are correct, sir. Very correct.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Erbe, Eames, Excellence
Greetings,
If you've ever read my blog before, you may have noticed that there are things I love, things that I love so much that they make many appearances in what I post. Two of those things are Vincent D'Onofrio and the magical television show on which he appeared, Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Now I can fully admit that he was the reason I really wanted to start watching that show, but is he the reason why I continued to watch it? Well, yeah, a little. A lot. However, he is certainly not the only reason why I did so. Sure, D'Onofrio is a great actor and his character, Robert Goren, was one of the best ever on television, but need I remind you all of who I have always considered his better half as far as this show is concerned? That's right. I am talking about the wonderfully gifted Kathryn Erbe and the compelling character she created, Alexandra Eames. Since her co-star has such an overwhelming presence, I feel as though she has always been, if not shoved aside, certainly overshadowed by him. So I have decided to give this great actress and her character a bit of a tribute today. It's been a long time coming, Ms. Erbe/Eames, but you deserve it.
Kathryn Erbe was born in the fine state of Massachusetts, which is, of course, most famous for having a Bee Gees song named after it. Right? She is the oldest of three children and the daughter of Elizabeth Magnarelli and Dr. Richard Erbe. Yeah, I do my research. When she was older, she attended New York University, and when she was an undergraduate student, she got cast in a television series with Lynn Redgrave called Chicken Soup. I may have heard of that, but my brain can't seem to find the file. Although, if I can locate some episodes, it may be a candidate for my "One Sesoner's Club". Moving on.
After the experience of that series, Kathryn got involved with some theater work. In fact, she became a member of the Steppenwolf Theater Company. You know the Steppenwolf, right? It's that place that produces future acting stars as easily as a rainbow produces colors. She was in several productions, including A Streetcar Named Desire and The Grapes of Wrath, and then eventually garnered a Tony nomination for her role as Mary in The Speed of Darkness. Good times. But, like a lot of theater actors, Kathryn decided to move on to other ventures.
Though her movie resume isn't what I would call ginormous, Kathryn did have a few roles that people may remember. She was in D2: The Mighty Ducks. Meh. (Sorry, not a fan of the "Ducks"!), and she was also in a great film which I have always felt was very underrated, Stir of Echoes. That is one that should be checked out. And, of course, she was in the film that contained the greatest performances by both Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, What About Bob? That movie is awesome, and hats off to Kathryn for being about twenty six years old, but still convincingly playing a girl who I am pretty sure was supposed to be a teenager. Hard to believe she never honed those talents on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Kathryn also did some more television work before her time on L&O:CI. Apparently, she had a recurring role on Oz, a show that I tried to watch, but it proved to be too much for me. She also appeared on one of my other favorite shows, Homicide: Life on the Street, so, major points on that. And she was also in the excellent TV movie, George Wallace, alongside her Steppenwolf alum and my favorite actor, Gary Sinise. But whatever about all of that. Let's get to the meat of this post and talk about Kathryn Erbe's run as Detective Alexandra Eames on Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
So Law and Order: Criminal Intent debuted in September of 2001. Like I said and like many other people, I was drawn to the show because of D'Onofrio, and as the years went on, he kind of overtook the show. But thankfully, some of us, who are not blind to superb acting talents, certainly noticed how amazing Kathryn Erbe was as Alex Eames. I was wise enough to notice that the character of Eames was just as complex and compelling as that of Goren, even if it was in a more subtle and quiet way. She had a great back story, and she had a lot of depth. Frankly, Eames was the absolute perfect partner for Goren. She was a bit more grounded and relatable, and she certainly had the gift of wrangling him when necessary, and it was necessary quite a bit. And whilst Goren didn't often care about what people thought of him or his methods, he did seem to care about what Eames thought of him. That means a lot. And yet, somehow, in amongst all that phenomenal presence, Alex Eames was often forced to play second fiddle in a lot of people's minds. Well, you know what? Not in mine.
There is one particular episode where Eames is upset with Goren, and she says something like, "Oh, I get it. You're the genius, and I just carry your water". Somehow, in those few words, she summed up my own personal annoyance about how unappreciated Alex Eames was as a character, as well as Kathryn Erbe as an actress. There was always this thing about Goren being Sherlock Holmes or something, which, I suppose, meant that Eames was the Watson, or the sidekick, or the person who hangs around while the brilliant dude figures everything out. Well, to that, I say, no! No, Alex, you were not that. You were never "less than". If people want to call Goren Sherlock Holmes, so be it. But let me take this opportunity to dub you, Alexandra Eames, the grown-up Nancy Drew! And if you know anything about me, that is highest honors. Congratulations!
And so there it is, my tribute to the amazing Kathryn Erbe and her alter ego, Alex Eames. I must say, few things make me angrier than actors and actresses who are underrated, and she is one of them. This woman should be named alongside the greatest of our female thespians. I see that, and I know all of her fans feel the same way. I pray that one day she will be thought of that highly by the masses. I also hope that she continues to produce more entertaining work for us to enjoy. And should Kathryn Erbe ever happen upon this blog post, I hope it only serves to remind her of just how much she is loved by myself and many, many others.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
If you've ever read my blog before, you may have noticed that there are things I love, things that I love so much that they make many appearances in what I post. Two of those things are Vincent D'Onofrio and the magical television show on which he appeared, Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Now I can fully admit that he was the reason I really wanted to start watching that show, but is he the reason why I continued to watch it? Well, yeah, a little. A lot. However, he is certainly not the only reason why I did so. Sure, D'Onofrio is a great actor and his character, Robert Goren, was one of the best ever on television, but need I remind you all of who I have always considered his better half as far as this show is concerned? That's right. I am talking about the wonderfully gifted Kathryn Erbe and the compelling character she created, Alexandra Eames. Since her co-star has such an overwhelming presence, I feel as though she has always been, if not shoved aside, certainly overshadowed by him. So I have decided to give this great actress and her character a bit of a tribute today. It's been a long time coming, Ms. Erbe/Eames, but you deserve it.
Kathryn Erbe was born in the fine state of Massachusetts, which is, of course, most famous for having a Bee Gees song named after it. Right? She is the oldest of three children and the daughter of Elizabeth Magnarelli and Dr. Richard Erbe. Yeah, I do my research. When she was older, she attended New York University, and when she was an undergraduate student, she got cast in a television series with Lynn Redgrave called Chicken Soup. I may have heard of that, but my brain can't seem to find the file. Although, if I can locate some episodes, it may be a candidate for my "One Sesoner's Club". Moving on.
After the experience of that series, Kathryn got involved with some theater work. In fact, she became a member of the Steppenwolf Theater Company. You know the Steppenwolf, right? It's that place that produces future acting stars as easily as a rainbow produces colors. She was in several productions, including A Streetcar Named Desire and The Grapes of Wrath, and then eventually garnered a Tony nomination for her role as Mary in The Speed of Darkness. Good times. But, like a lot of theater actors, Kathryn decided to move on to other ventures.
Though her movie resume isn't what I would call ginormous, Kathryn did have a few roles that people may remember. She was in D2: The Mighty Ducks. Meh. (Sorry, not a fan of the "Ducks"!), and she was also in a great film which I have always felt was very underrated, Stir of Echoes. That is one that should be checked out. And, of course, she was in the film that contained the greatest performances by both Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, What About Bob? That movie is awesome, and hats off to Kathryn for being about twenty six years old, but still convincingly playing a girl who I am pretty sure was supposed to be a teenager. Hard to believe she never honed those talents on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Kathryn also did some more television work before her time on L&O:CI. Apparently, she had a recurring role on Oz, a show that I tried to watch, but it proved to be too much for me. She also appeared on one of my other favorite shows, Homicide: Life on the Street, so, major points on that. And she was also in the excellent TV movie, George Wallace, alongside her Steppenwolf alum and my favorite actor, Gary Sinise. But whatever about all of that. Let's get to the meat of this post and talk about Kathryn Erbe's run as Detective Alexandra Eames on Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
So Law and Order: Criminal Intent debuted in September of 2001. Like I said and like many other people, I was drawn to the show because of D'Onofrio, and as the years went on, he kind of overtook the show. But thankfully, some of us, who are not blind to superb acting talents, certainly noticed how amazing Kathryn Erbe was as Alex Eames. I was wise enough to notice that the character of Eames was just as complex and compelling as that of Goren, even if it was in a more subtle and quiet way. She had a great back story, and she had a lot of depth. Frankly, Eames was the absolute perfect partner for Goren. She was a bit more grounded and relatable, and she certainly had the gift of wrangling him when necessary, and it was necessary quite a bit. And whilst Goren didn't often care about what people thought of him or his methods, he did seem to care about what Eames thought of him. That means a lot. And yet, somehow, in amongst all that phenomenal presence, Alex Eames was often forced to play second fiddle in a lot of people's minds. Well, you know what? Not in mine.
There is one particular episode where Eames is upset with Goren, and she says something like, "Oh, I get it. You're the genius, and I just carry your water". Somehow, in those few words, she summed up my own personal annoyance about how unappreciated Alex Eames was as a character, as well as Kathryn Erbe as an actress. There was always this thing about Goren being Sherlock Holmes or something, which, I suppose, meant that Eames was the Watson, or the sidekick, or the person who hangs around while the brilliant dude figures everything out. Well, to that, I say, no! No, Alex, you were not that. You were never "less than". If people want to call Goren Sherlock Holmes, so be it. But let me take this opportunity to dub you, Alexandra Eames, the grown-up Nancy Drew! And if you know anything about me, that is highest honors. Congratulations!
And so there it is, my tribute to the amazing Kathryn Erbe and her alter ego, Alex Eames. I must say, few things make me angrier than actors and actresses who are underrated, and she is one of them. This woman should be named alongside the greatest of our female thespians. I see that, and I know all of her fans feel the same way. I pray that one day she will be thought of that highly by the masses. I also hope that she continues to produce more entertaining work for us to enjoy. And should Kathryn Erbe ever happen upon this blog post, I hope it only serves to remind her of just how much she is loved by myself and many, many others.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
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