Greetings,
Today is the birthday of a man who I've heard called the Court Jester of Rock and Roll. VH1 said it, and if he likes it, I agree. To whom am I referring? None other than Weird Al Yankovic. Still, the only person in the music industry who is a total joke because he means to be.
Weird Al has been around for about my whole life, and I've been a fan for as long as I can remember. Of course, in the beginning, I just found him really funny, and I still do, but as I've gotten older, I've learned to respect him as a true artist and musician. Because that is exactly what he is. And he is just so lovable. How else do you explain tons and tons of music acts, who spend a boat load of time protecting their images, allowing him to have some fun with exactly that? I think it may be because whatever Al has done, he does it because he likes and respects those artists, and it's his special way of paying homage to them. Not me. I've written parodies, Al Style, but I was trying to be straight up mean. 'Cause that's how I roll. But Weird Al is clearly a better person than I am. Still, he is one of the reasons why I wouldn't mind having one of my non-parody songs become something of a hit, just to have him put his magic touch on it. To have such a thing happen to an artist has literally become a badge of honor. As well it should be.
So, in honor of his birthday, I would like to share my top ten favorite Weird Al parodies. Just the parodies today, none of his original songs. They will most likely get their own list someday. Enough stalling. Let's get to it.
Honorable Mention: I just want to give a shout out to all of Al's Polka Medleys, where he takes hit songs and puts them together in one long hilarious polka song. Not exactly parody, but smile inducing enough to get a mention.
#10. "Jurassic Park" - So Al's thing is taking popular music and songs and making them his own through parody. But it's not just popular music that is useful to him. Take this song, where he took the biggest film of the day and made it downright hilarious with this version of "MacArthur Park", a song that was once an inexplicable hit. Yeah, you'd think the lyrics to THAT song were strange enough (Cake? What?!), but Al took it one step beyond. Oh, and apparently, Steven Spielberg approved of the song and video. Of course, he also approved of the ending of AI, which was...whatever. But when it comes to this song, I approve.
#9. "Party In the CIA" - You know how, lately, a lot of people have been doing these hilarious spoofs of the "Wrecking Ball" video by Miley Cyrus, and our responses have been like, "Well, at least, some good things are coming out of that mess!" Take it back a couple years to when Al did this version of Miley's former hit, "Party in the U.S.A". And much like how Betty White is more appealing to see on a wrecking ball than Miley, so is Al more appealing to hear singing this song. He can actually sing it without being sharper than a sword in a Tarentino movie. Congrats!
#8. "TMZ" - If there are two things most of us can't stand, it's famous people who complain about being famous and who have literally no sense of humor. I think Al took those things and totally ran with them on this one. It's like, look, if you want to be a celebrity, you're going to have to deal with some stuff, like people taking your picture. Yes, they have it so rough. And they really need to learn to laugh at themselves, because we already are. And this song just made doing so a lot easier.
#7. "The White Stuff" - This is probably one of the lesser known songs on the list, but I absolutely had to put it on here. Why? Because I love New Kids on the Block, and I love Oreos. Alfred Matthew Yankovic is my hero.
#6. "Amish Paradise" - Oooh, controversy. Yeah, we all know that there was some hoopla with this song. Al thought he had Coolio's permission to do the "Gansta's Paradise" parody, but, because of some miscommunication, he didn't. Funny thing, because it is, in fact, parody protected under fair use, Al didn't really need permission. He never does. Still, he is known for always asking for it from artists before covering their songs. Because that's the kind of guy he is. Anyway, I'm just going to say how much I get a kick out of this song, not mention the video. Oh, hi, Mrs. Brady!
#5. "Headline News" - Some people say that being a 'One Hit Wonder' isn't bad at all. Better than nothing. But what can make that one hit experience even sweeter would be if it becomes immortalized by Weird Al. Such was the case with the song "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by the Crash Test Dummies. Yeah, youngsters, this is a thing that actually happened. How perfect that Al took a flash in the pan song by a flash in the pan artist and centered his parody around flash in the pan news stories of the day. Genius.
#4. "White and Nerdy" - This was big. This was huge! This was, believe it or not, the first song of Weird Al's to go Top Ten. Not bad at all for a comedy artist. Now whilst Al has had a fairly steady stream of success since the eighties, this song really put him back on top in a major way. I think a lot of that had to do with the video, which got tons of airplay in a time when people can barely remember what music videos are. And it had Donny Osmond. Seriously, what more could we want? Well, I guess, Marie. Maybe next time.
#3. "Trapped in the Drive Thru" - In 2005, R. Kelly began releasing chapters of what he called a "rap opera" entitled "Trapped in the Closet", and he kept releasing them for seven years. Some people thought it was genius while others thought it was the most pretentious and ridiculous thing they had ever witnessed. SEVEN YEARS!!! What did I think? Well, as soon as I saw it, I thought, "Yep, we are SO getting a Weird Al song out of this!" And we did. Interestingly enough, there are times when I think the original might be even funnier than Al's version, only because it wasn't meant to be funny. And that makes it downright hilarious.
#2. "Gump" - One of my favorite movies of all time is Forrest Gump. So I was overjoyed when I heard that Al had done a song about it. I mean, I have to love any song that makes a reference to a character played by my beloved Gary Sinise. Hey, I wonder if the Lt. Dan Band ever covers this one. If they don't, they should. No, wait! Even better! Weird Al should sit in with the band some time and do it. Seriously, somebody needs to make this happen!
#1. "The Saga Begins" - When I am asked one of the most important questions in life, that being 'Star Wars or Star Trek?', I admittedly have to go with Trek. It's just how I was raised. Not to say I don't respect the whole Star Wars thing. Actually, hearing about all the intricacies of the story and the mythology really impressed me as a writer. So, clearly, this one took a little research. Or not. Maybe Al just had to watch The Phantom Menace again, but really pay attention. That may even be worse than having to do homework style research. And a lot more boring. And agonizing. Need I remind you that it is in this film that Baby Darth Vader uttered the word "Whoopee!" Hate. HAAAATE!! But anyway, as per usual, Al made the world a better place by taking something that a lot of people thought was "Meh" at best, and turned it into one of the most entertaining and singalongable things he has ever composed. Good times, Weird Al. Good times, indeed.
And that concludes my list. So, yeah, I love Weird Al Yankovic. I think he is fun and funny and talented, but it's not just that. I have always believed that Al is just a straight up great person. I don't think I've ever really heard anyone say anything that bad about him, and everyone is at least a little but of a fan of his. He just seems like a nice guy who has been blessed with a great career, loyal friends, a loving family, and he always seems so incredibly grateful for all of it. Well, I am very grateful for him as well. May God continue to bless him with success, and many more songs to take and make even better!
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
15 and Pregnant - TV Movie Review
Greetings,
Guess what show I cannot stand? That's right, Teen Mom. Yeah, I just don't get why people find the show entertaining, and when you think of all the shenanigans and tabloid fodder concerning its "stars" that have followed, I still don't know how anyone ever could. But if you think all of this stuff began with MTV and their so-called reality show, you would be mistaken. We've had accounts of such situations in the media in the past, even some that have called upon some of the greats in Hollywood. I speak, of course, of the 1998 Lifetime Television Movie, 15 and Pregnant.
Ah, yes, Lifetime, the channel that has brought us women the finest moments of female driven entertainment we've ever had. It is, after all, television for women. And women just love their melodrama, apparently. Have no fear. This particular film certainly does not shy away from any of that. I mean, it's got pregnancy, a slightly dysfunctional family, mommy/daughter issues, cheating whatnots. And, again, women love that kind of stuff. So what is this movie about, besides what the title spoils for us? Let's see.
15 and Pregnant is about a girl who gets pregnant at 15. Sorry. We follow a girl named Tina as she, at 14, takes her relationship with her "I'll be with him forever" boyfriend, Ray, to the next level a.k.a the sex, and then, shortly after her 15th birthday discovers she is pregnant. And we go through the journey with her and her mother, Evie, and the rest of her family. Unfortunately, at this time, her family is on shaky ground, what with Evie and her husband, Cal, on the verge of splitting up. Then, there's the younger sister, Rachel, who has always been in Tina's shadow anyway, and the pregnancy just makes things worse. Also, there's a little brother named Adam. He exists. And he's kind of annoying. But he's probably just trying to fit in with a lot of the characters here. More on that later. Outside of the family, Tina has this friend, Laurie, who got pregnant herself, but at seventeen (What a twist!) and she's got a tough relationship with her own mother, Jane. Again, more on that later, as well. This movie, in short, takes us from conception to birth. Hey, why not?
Before I get into the cast, let me discuss all of these allusions I've been making to the fact that maybe the characters in this story aren't particularly likable. They're not. For the most part, anyway. Take Tina, our protagonist(?). She is about %70 of the time, a complete, spoiled, disrespectful brat, and with that percentage I believe I am being kind. I kid you not, you will, at least, AT LEAST, twice want to reach through your TV and smack her. She is just so mean to her mother, so much. I guess we could chalk it up to her having both teenager hormones and pregnancy hormones cranked up to 11, but I fail to see that as an excuse, especially since one of those things was kind of her own fault. And it is heavily implied that she was just as backtalky to her mom before the pregnancy. Oh, yes, the mother, Evie. She is easily my favorite character. Perhaps, it is because of how patient and long-suffering she is considering the state of her family. She struggles to hold everything together whilst her husband is absent and she has to deal with her children. Right, the non-pregnant kids. I already mentioned how annoying the son is, and the younger daughter is what we call a whiner. I mean, I get it. She was twelve or thirteen or something, and at that point in your life, everything is so dramatic and everything must be about "ME!ME!ME!ME!ME!", but, for real, she could have stood to grow up just a little. And speaking of the mother/daughter dynamic, I must mention friend, Laurie, and her mother, Jane. Whilst I can admit that Laurie is slightly more mature than Tina, being about 4 year older and in college, I think, it's really not by much. To prove that, all you have to do is look at how she treats her mother. Not very nicely. You can see how Jane is trying very hard to help her daughter because she loves her, but Laurie pretty much just won't have it. Really? She's got loving parents who want to help her, but she lets her pride or whatever stop her from accepting it. Seriously, if she was also singing and being pretentious, I'd think she was a character in Rent. Enough about the characters and whatnot. Let's talk cast.
To be fair, there are not a boatload of recognizable actors in this. It's pretty much carried by a mere two. We have, first, Kirsten Dunst as Tina, and this TV movie was made well into her big screen career. I know I complained a lot about the character of Tina,, but Kirstan was really good in this. I've actually always liked her as an actress, and the fact that she made me dislike her proves what talent she is. The mother, Evie, is played by Park Overall, best known for her role on Empty Nest. I don't know what it is about her, but I have always just loved Park Overall. She is so enjoyable to watch as an actress, and I can admit that how much I liked her helped a lot with how much I ended up liking her character. She did a fantastic job here. Now despite the face that the rest of the actors weren't overly well-known, it was still a very strong supporting cast, which is what every movie relies on. Oh, and for you fangirls and fanboys of Battlestar Galactica, Katee Sackoff also has a small role here.
Again, I know I had a lot of complaints about some aspects of 15 and Pregnant, but, to be honest, it's still pretty good. Every time it comes on, if I can watch it, I do. It may be a bit melodramatic, but it's still entertaining. It's well acted, and the story is not bad either. And isn't that more than what we can hope for when it comes to television movies? So, if you're channel surfing and see this, I say check it out. Fair warning, though, as I said, be prepared to hold back a slap or two.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Guess what show I cannot stand? That's right, Teen Mom. Yeah, I just don't get why people find the show entertaining, and when you think of all the shenanigans and tabloid fodder concerning its "stars" that have followed, I still don't know how anyone ever could. But if you think all of this stuff began with MTV and their so-called reality show, you would be mistaken. We've had accounts of such situations in the media in the past, even some that have called upon some of the greats in Hollywood. I speak, of course, of the 1998 Lifetime Television Movie, 15 and Pregnant.
Ah, yes, Lifetime, the channel that has brought us women the finest moments of female driven entertainment we've ever had. It is, after all, television for women. And women just love their melodrama, apparently. Have no fear. This particular film certainly does not shy away from any of that. I mean, it's got pregnancy, a slightly dysfunctional family, mommy/daughter issues, cheating whatnots. And, again, women love that kind of stuff. So what is this movie about, besides what the title spoils for us? Let's see.
15 and Pregnant is about a girl who gets pregnant at 15. Sorry. We follow a girl named Tina as she, at 14, takes her relationship with her "I'll be with him forever" boyfriend, Ray, to the next level a.k.a the sex, and then, shortly after her 15th birthday discovers she is pregnant. And we go through the journey with her and her mother, Evie, and the rest of her family. Unfortunately, at this time, her family is on shaky ground, what with Evie and her husband, Cal, on the verge of splitting up. Then, there's the younger sister, Rachel, who has always been in Tina's shadow anyway, and the pregnancy just makes things worse. Also, there's a little brother named Adam. He exists. And he's kind of annoying. But he's probably just trying to fit in with a lot of the characters here. More on that later. Outside of the family, Tina has this friend, Laurie, who got pregnant herself, but at seventeen (What a twist!) and she's got a tough relationship with her own mother, Jane. Again, more on that later, as well. This movie, in short, takes us from conception to birth. Hey, why not?
Before I get into the cast, let me discuss all of these allusions I've been making to the fact that maybe the characters in this story aren't particularly likable. They're not. For the most part, anyway. Take Tina, our protagonist(?). She is about %70 of the time, a complete, spoiled, disrespectful brat, and with that percentage I believe I am being kind. I kid you not, you will, at least, AT LEAST, twice want to reach through your TV and smack her. She is just so mean to her mother, so much. I guess we could chalk it up to her having both teenager hormones and pregnancy hormones cranked up to 11, but I fail to see that as an excuse, especially since one of those things was kind of her own fault. And it is heavily implied that she was just as backtalky to her mom before the pregnancy. Oh, yes, the mother, Evie. She is easily my favorite character. Perhaps, it is because of how patient and long-suffering she is considering the state of her family. She struggles to hold everything together whilst her husband is absent and she has to deal with her children. Right, the non-pregnant kids. I already mentioned how annoying the son is, and the younger daughter is what we call a whiner. I mean, I get it. She was twelve or thirteen or something, and at that point in your life, everything is so dramatic and everything must be about "ME!ME!ME!ME!ME!", but, for real, she could have stood to grow up just a little. And speaking of the mother/daughter dynamic, I must mention friend, Laurie, and her mother, Jane. Whilst I can admit that Laurie is slightly more mature than Tina, being about 4 year older and in college, I think, it's really not by much. To prove that, all you have to do is look at how she treats her mother. Not very nicely. You can see how Jane is trying very hard to help her daughter because she loves her, but Laurie pretty much just won't have it. Really? She's got loving parents who want to help her, but she lets her pride or whatever stop her from accepting it. Seriously, if she was also singing and being pretentious, I'd think she was a character in Rent. Enough about the characters and whatnot. Let's talk cast.
To be fair, there are not a boatload of recognizable actors in this. It's pretty much carried by a mere two. We have, first, Kirsten Dunst as Tina, and this TV movie was made well into her big screen career. I know I complained a lot about the character of Tina,, but Kirstan was really good in this. I've actually always liked her as an actress, and the fact that she made me dislike her proves what talent she is. The mother, Evie, is played by Park Overall, best known for her role on Empty Nest. I don't know what it is about her, but I have always just loved Park Overall. She is so enjoyable to watch as an actress, and I can admit that how much I liked her helped a lot with how much I ended up liking her character. She did a fantastic job here. Now despite the face that the rest of the actors weren't overly well-known, it was still a very strong supporting cast, which is what every movie relies on. Oh, and for you fangirls and fanboys of Battlestar Galactica, Katee Sackoff also has a small role here.
Again, I know I had a lot of complaints about some aspects of 15 and Pregnant, but, to be honest, it's still pretty good. Every time it comes on, if I can watch it, I do. It may be a bit melodramatic, but it's still entertaining. It's well acted, and the story is not bad either. And isn't that more than what we can hope for when it comes to television movies? So, if you're channel surfing and see this, I say check it out. Fair warning, though, as I said, be prepared to hold back a slap or two.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Monday, October 14, 2013
The One Seasoner's Club - Now and Again
Greetings,
Let me apologize for this post before I really begin. See, the show I am going to discuss today was cancelled in the year 2000. Thirteen years ago. And I have not seen it for thirteen years. Thus, I can only tell you things based on my weak memories as well as synopses one can find on the internet. I guess you may be wondering why I'm even bothering to do this, but I feel like good things that aren't recognized should be. This is how I do my part. Ladies and gentlemen, Now and Again.
Now and Again was a show that first aired in 1999 on CBS, and I would say it fell into the sci-fi category. Still, it also tried to mix in a heavy dose of humanity with that aspect. Actually, though there is a heavy sci-fi plot at the core with this one, the emotional side of it is more of a driving force due to how the story begins, continues and eventually ends. So what is the story here?
The show is centered around a man named Michael Wiseman, who is your average, everyday guy who works in an office and has a wife and teenage daughter. And he is played by John Goodman. I know you're all thinking "Yay!" on that one, but don't get too attached. The wonderful Mr. Goodman is with us only for the pilot as well as an occasional flashback later in the series. Why? In the first episode, he gets hit by a subway train. Snap. But he's not gone entirely. We've still got his brain. Weird enough for you yet? Well, hold on, we're going to go even further.
Turns out that there is this secret government project (of course there is) wherein they are trying to create the "perfect" human body, which they did, except they needed a brain, as you do. Oh, hey, look we found one. Yes, they put John Goodman's brain into the body of the man who would take over the role for the duration of the series, Eric Close. So, the good news is that he is technically still alive. The bad news is that, since this is a secret project, Michael can never see his wife or daughter again. And, of course, he follows that rule to the letter. Right. No, that, in fact, is where the emotional and human drive of the show lies. Michael knows he must follow the rules to keep himself and those he loves out of danger, but he can't bear to be away from his family. That is the thing that holds the show together throughout, whilst the episodes individually deal with the government using him to deal with issues of terrorism and criminals and other stuff. That is, after all, what he was created to do. But who he really is always lingers. And that is the basic plot of the show. Now let's talk about the characters and actors.
As I already mentioned, our official leading man is Eric Close. I thought he did a really good job of portraying this superhuman...human, but, at the same time, he was always conveying something more grounded in, well, for lack of a word I've overused, humanity. He was almost like a machine with a heart, and those are the best kind, aren't they? Then, we have the family consisting of Michael's wife, Lisa, played by the wonderful Margaret Colin, and his daughter, Heather, played by Heather Matarazzo, who I always thought was kind of an underrated actress in her youth. The story line with their characters is pretty much about this family trying to adjust and move on after losing its husband and father, and I seem to recall a lot of heartbreaking moments where that is concerned. Then, there is Gerrit Graham, who plays Roger Bender, Michael's business partner and good friend, who inadvertently gets mixed up in the whole mess when Michael starts spying on his family. Finally, we have Dennis Haysbert as Dr. Theodore Morris, who is the head of this whole perfect human project. Initially, he and Michael expectantly have issues with each other, but they eventually become close, almost friends. There were also a few good guest stars on the shows, such as Chad Lowe, Kim Chan and Christine Baranski. But even with all of this greatness, the show didn't manage to get a second season, even finishing with the dreaded cliffhanger ending. Why?
Needless to say, the answer to the question of the hour, did the show deserve a second season, is yes. And I am very sure that I am not the only person who would feel that way. Now I seem to remember the show getting a lot of good reviews from both critics and the public. I personally gravitated toward it because it reminded me a lot of my beloved The Pretender. And it was a really good show. The acting was solid and the plots kept you coming back, so I was almost certain it would continue to a second season. But no such luck. The only official reason for the cancellation is that the show was an "unjustifiable expense". Need I remind you that this is the same network that had previously given two seasons to a cartoon based on Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Priorities, people. Priorities.
So the good news is that, for those of us who got the chance to watch it, Now and Again was a really good and original show. Unfortunately, if you missed it on the first go round, you're out of luck. As far as I know, it hasn't been released on DVD, and it's nowhere in reruns. Strange, since I assumed this show may have had a bit of a cult following. Maybe not to the extent of shows like My So-Called Life or Freaks and Geeks, but still, I can't help to believe that there are some fans out there who might enjoy watching it again. I was a fan, and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it again. Oh, well. Here's hoping that one of the former stars will use their clout to get this thing to us, be it through DVDs or an occasional run on SyFy. Like I said, I wrote this not so much to recommend this show, since that almost seems pointless under current circumstances, but more to give it the credit that it's due for what a great show it was. So, despite the outcome, I say congrats on a job well done for all those involved.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Let me apologize for this post before I really begin. See, the show I am going to discuss today was cancelled in the year 2000. Thirteen years ago. And I have not seen it for thirteen years. Thus, I can only tell you things based on my weak memories as well as synopses one can find on the internet. I guess you may be wondering why I'm even bothering to do this, but I feel like good things that aren't recognized should be. This is how I do my part. Ladies and gentlemen, Now and Again.
Now and Again was a show that first aired in 1999 on CBS, and I would say it fell into the sci-fi category. Still, it also tried to mix in a heavy dose of humanity with that aspect. Actually, though there is a heavy sci-fi plot at the core with this one, the emotional side of it is more of a driving force due to how the story begins, continues and eventually ends. So what is the story here?
The show is centered around a man named Michael Wiseman, who is your average, everyday guy who works in an office and has a wife and teenage daughter. And he is played by John Goodman. I know you're all thinking "Yay!" on that one, but don't get too attached. The wonderful Mr. Goodman is with us only for the pilot as well as an occasional flashback later in the series. Why? In the first episode, he gets hit by a subway train. Snap. But he's not gone entirely. We've still got his brain. Weird enough for you yet? Well, hold on, we're going to go even further.
Turns out that there is this secret government project (of course there is) wherein they are trying to create the "perfect" human body, which they did, except they needed a brain, as you do. Oh, hey, look we found one. Yes, they put John Goodman's brain into the body of the man who would take over the role for the duration of the series, Eric Close. So, the good news is that he is technically still alive. The bad news is that, since this is a secret project, Michael can never see his wife or daughter again. And, of course, he follows that rule to the letter. Right. No, that, in fact, is where the emotional and human drive of the show lies. Michael knows he must follow the rules to keep himself and those he loves out of danger, but he can't bear to be away from his family. That is the thing that holds the show together throughout, whilst the episodes individually deal with the government using him to deal with issues of terrorism and criminals and other stuff. That is, after all, what he was created to do. But who he really is always lingers. And that is the basic plot of the show. Now let's talk about the characters and actors.
As I already mentioned, our official leading man is Eric Close. I thought he did a really good job of portraying this superhuman...human, but, at the same time, he was always conveying something more grounded in, well, for lack of a word I've overused, humanity. He was almost like a machine with a heart, and those are the best kind, aren't they? Then, we have the family consisting of Michael's wife, Lisa, played by the wonderful Margaret Colin, and his daughter, Heather, played by Heather Matarazzo, who I always thought was kind of an underrated actress in her youth. The story line with their characters is pretty much about this family trying to adjust and move on after losing its husband and father, and I seem to recall a lot of heartbreaking moments where that is concerned. Then, there is Gerrit Graham, who plays Roger Bender, Michael's business partner and good friend, who inadvertently gets mixed up in the whole mess when Michael starts spying on his family. Finally, we have Dennis Haysbert as Dr. Theodore Morris, who is the head of this whole perfect human project. Initially, he and Michael expectantly have issues with each other, but they eventually become close, almost friends. There were also a few good guest stars on the shows, such as Chad Lowe, Kim Chan and Christine Baranski. But even with all of this greatness, the show didn't manage to get a second season, even finishing with the dreaded cliffhanger ending. Why?
Needless to say, the answer to the question of the hour, did the show deserve a second season, is yes. And I am very sure that I am not the only person who would feel that way. Now I seem to remember the show getting a lot of good reviews from both critics and the public. I personally gravitated toward it because it reminded me a lot of my beloved The Pretender. And it was a really good show. The acting was solid and the plots kept you coming back, so I was almost certain it would continue to a second season. But no such luck. The only official reason for the cancellation is that the show was an "unjustifiable expense". Need I remind you that this is the same network that had previously given two seasons to a cartoon based on Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Priorities, people. Priorities.
So the good news is that, for those of us who got the chance to watch it, Now and Again was a really good and original show. Unfortunately, if you missed it on the first go round, you're out of luck. As far as I know, it hasn't been released on DVD, and it's nowhere in reruns. Strange, since I assumed this show may have had a bit of a cult following. Maybe not to the extent of shows like My So-Called Life or Freaks and Geeks, but still, I can't help to believe that there are some fans out there who might enjoy watching it again. I was a fan, and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it again. Oh, well. Here's hoping that one of the former stars will use their clout to get this thing to us, be it through DVDs or an occasional run on SyFy. Like I said, I wrote this not so much to recommend this show, since that almost seems pointless under current circumstances, but more to give it the credit that it's due for what a great show it was. So, despite the outcome, I say congrats on a job well done for all those involved.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Happythankyoumoreplease - Movie Review
Greetings,
Earlier this year, I did a review of a great film called Liberal Arts. It starred and was directed and written by Josh Radnor, so I made mention of another really good movie he made, namely Happythankyoumoreplease. Again, not a typo, but kind of a significant part of the plot. Well, 'plot' might be a strong word to attach to this film. To be honest, it strikes me more of a character study type of story. It's something where we follow a group of people through the struggles of their everyday lives, struggles that others most likely deal with, but we see how different people can make similar situations unique.
The main character is Sam played by Josh Radnor, who as mentioned is also the writer and director. Sam is also a writer, and one day, he unexpectedly meets a little boy named Rasheen, played by Michaal Algieri, who has been abandoned on the subway. He tries to figure out what to do with the kid, which proves more difficult than one may think once Sam discovers that Rasheen has some special artistic talent. While Sam is the connective thread for the story, we also get a look at the lives of the people he knows and loves. First, there is his best friend Annie, played by Malin Ackerman in arguably the best performance of her career. Annie is a beautiful, spirited woman who also has Alopecia and pretty much just wants to live her life and feel worthy to be loved. And she also gets to say the dialogue from which we get our fantastic title. Speaking of which, I love this character, because she's the type of person you may meet in real life that makes you appreciate everything much more than you probably do. Then, there's Mary Catherine and Charlie, a couple contemplating whether or not to move from New York to Los Angeles. Who would want to do that? Sorry, I love New York. Anyway, these characters are played by Zoe Kazaan, who is so cute that it's almost annoying, but because she's so cute I can't be annoyed, and Pablo Schreiber, who is amazing, as per usual, because that is what he, as an actor, gets hired to do. He's kind of known for it, and I am fairly certain that he is not going to stop doing that any time soon. We also have Sam #2, played by the wonderful Tony Hale, who is one of the suitors for Annie, and he is just a delight. Finally, we get a great performance by another adorable soul, Kate Mara, as Mississippi. That's her name. Stop arguing with me. Yes, it is. Anyway, Mississippi is a waitress and a singer waiting for her big break, and she also serves as the object of affection for Sam. And to add on to her wonderful acting performance, Kate Mara also does her own singing in this. Very good. And I would be remiss not to mention the appearance of Richard Jenkins, who is always incredible, so no surprise there.
As I mentioned, this is not exactly a heavily plot driven film, so there's not a ton I can say about it where that is concerned. It's more about the characters, which is fine with me. Better than fine, actually. I really enjoy movies that are very much about the characters. Maybe it's because I'm a writer, I don't know. Come to think of it, it may be even more difficult to write a story like this and do it well. What we're seeing in films like this is just regular people living there lives and dealing with everyday things. As we all do. But when it is superbly written and acted, it can be something extremely entertaining and moving, even heartbreaking at times. Happythankyoumoreplease is not a movie with some crazy, twisty plot that you have to take notes on to understand. It's an effortless, beautiful story of life in it's simplest form. And life in it's simplest form is all of us struggling, loving, thinking and living through each day. It's just all of us trying to figure things out. That is something for which Josh Radnor has a real talent. He manages to capture the essence of ordinary lives and how people respond when things come into them or go out of them. That is certainly something I appreciate.
So, in case it's not obvious, I highly recommend this movie. I know it might not be to everyone's taste, but it's a really good film with fine acting, writing and directing, I say give it a shot.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Earlier this year, I did a review of a great film called Liberal Arts. It starred and was directed and written by Josh Radnor, so I made mention of another really good movie he made, namely Happythankyoumoreplease. Again, not a typo, but kind of a significant part of the plot. Well, 'plot' might be a strong word to attach to this film. To be honest, it strikes me more of a character study type of story. It's something where we follow a group of people through the struggles of their everyday lives, struggles that others most likely deal with, but we see how different people can make similar situations unique.
The main character is Sam played by Josh Radnor, who as mentioned is also the writer and director. Sam is also a writer, and one day, he unexpectedly meets a little boy named Rasheen, played by Michaal Algieri, who has been abandoned on the subway. He tries to figure out what to do with the kid, which proves more difficult than one may think once Sam discovers that Rasheen has some special artistic talent. While Sam is the connective thread for the story, we also get a look at the lives of the people he knows and loves. First, there is his best friend Annie, played by Malin Ackerman in arguably the best performance of her career. Annie is a beautiful, spirited woman who also has Alopecia and pretty much just wants to live her life and feel worthy to be loved. And she also gets to say the dialogue from which we get our fantastic title. Speaking of which, I love this character, because she's the type of person you may meet in real life that makes you appreciate everything much more than you probably do. Then, there's Mary Catherine and Charlie, a couple contemplating whether or not to move from New York to Los Angeles. Who would want to do that? Sorry, I love New York. Anyway, these characters are played by Zoe Kazaan, who is so cute that it's almost annoying, but because she's so cute I can't be annoyed, and Pablo Schreiber, who is amazing, as per usual, because that is what he, as an actor, gets hired to do. He's kind of known for it, and I am fairly certain that he is not going to stop doing that any time soon. We also have Sam #2, played by the wonderful Tony Hale, who is one of the suitors for Annie, and he is just a delight. Finally, we get a great performance by another adorable soul, Kate Mara, as Mississippi. That's her name. Stop arguing with me. Yes, it is. Anyway, Mississippi is a waitress and a singer waiting for her big break, and she also serves as the object of affection for Sam. And to add on to her wonderful acting performance, Kate Mara also does her own singing in this. Very good. And I would be remiss not to mention the appearance of Richard Jenkins, who is always incredible, so no surprise there.
As I mentioned, this is not exactly a heavily plot driven film, so there's not a ton I can say about it where that is concerned. It's more about the characters, which is fine with me. Better than fine, actually. I really enjoy movies that are very much about the characters. Maybe it's because I'm a writer, I don't know. Come to think of it, it may be even more difficult to write a story like this and do it well. What we're seeing in films like this is just regular people living there lives and dealing with everyday things. As we all do. But when it is superbly written and acted, it can be something extremely entertaining and moving, even heartbreaking at times. Happythankyoumoreplease is not a movie with some crazy, twisty plot that you have to take notes on to understand. It's an effortless, beautiful story of life in it's simplest form. And life in it's simplest form is all of us struggling, loving, thinking and living through each day. It's just all of us trying to figure things out. That is something for which Josh Radnor has a real talent. He manages to capture the essence of ordinary lives and how people respond when things come into them or go out of them. That is certainly something I appreciate.
So, in case it's not obvious, I highly recommend this movie. I know it might not be to everyone's taste, but it's a really good film with fine acting, writing and directing, I say give it a shot.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Monday, October 7, 2013
The Pull of Pushing Daisies
Greetings,
As much as I hate a really good show only getting one season, sometimes it's almost worse when we get only two. I can only speak for myself, of course, but when I come across an amazing show, I often spend the whole first season worried that it might not get picked up. But once I get a second season, I ease into things, because I have been lured into a sense of security. Sometimes it's a false sense of security, because that second season ends up being the last. Such was the case with the wonderful, and much too short-lived show I want to talk about today, Pushing Daisies.
If someone asked me to describe television these days in one word, I'm pretty sure it would be 'unoriginal'. At least, for the most part. In fact, when I first saw Pushing Daisies, I thought, "Wow, this is a very, very good show. How did this make it to television?" Not only was the concept original, but so was the look and the style of it. I would be hard pressed to think of a television show that was more beautiful looking than this one. We'll get more in to those things later, but, first, let's discuss plot and characters and whatnot, particularly that which revolves around the pilot.
Pushing Daisies is all about a guy named Ned played by Lee Pace. Yeah. Can I just say how much I absolutely love this guy? He was, in a word, perfect for this role. So Ned is a pie-maker, and they won't let you forget that...EVER! Seriously, though, there is actually a voice over narration for the show, done by Jim Dale, and, in that, Ned is always called The Pie Maker. Plus, he owns a pie shop called The Pie Hole, and it's shaped like a giant pie. A dream come true, indeed. Now, whilst I personally believe that any man who can make delicious pies is super special, Ned is special for another reason as well. He can bring people back from the dead. No, really, that's the main plot point of the show.
Let me explain that in more specific detail. Ned has this gift wherein he can bring someone or something dead back to life with a single touch. He learns this as a child when he brings back his dog, Digby, after he's hit by a truck. Later, when his mother dies of an aneurysm, he brings her back to life, too. But, of course, there is a catch to this. A couple of them, actually. First thing, when he touches someone, they do come to life, but if he touches them again, they stay dead forever. Ned figures this out when, after he revives his mother, she kisses him goodnight, and then drops dead. The other thing is that, if someone he brings back to life stays that way for more than a minute, someone else must die in their place. It's a balance of the universe thing, I wager. Ned doesn't know this when he brings back his mother, thus, causing the death of the father of his childhood sweetheart, Charlotte "Chuck" Charles. Oh, the irony. After these tragic events, Ned is sent off to boarding school, Chuck gets sent off to live with her aunts, and that is the last time he sees her alive...traditionally speaking. Some of you can probably see where this is going. Come to think of it, I should tell you to get used to seeing them, especially Ned, as children, since every episode begins with that.
As it happens, decades later, Chuck, now played by Anna Friel, is murdered and Ned revives her, but he can't bring himself to put her back to sleep, despite knowing it will cost someone else their life. Calm down, though, it was a criminal who died. So it's all good. And this is basically the running thing for Ned and Chuck throughout the series. They are very much in love, but they can never touch. It's that aspect that makes it all sweet, yet heartbreaking. Still, even with this slightly morbid theme and almost tragic love story, this show is pretty much a comedy. And that part is greatly helped by the supporting cast.
Let's start with Chi McBride who plays Emerson Cod, a private investigator who discovers Ned's secret and talks him into working with him. Basically, he wants Ned to bring back murdered people so he can solve the cases and collect the reward money. Is it wrong that there's a tiny part of me that finds no problem with this? Actually, their working together on cases like this is what leads Ned to finding Chuck. Anyway, I guess we could call Emerson the downer of the group. He's never in an especially good mood, and he gets easily annoyed at, well, everybody. He really has issues with Chuck in the beginning, even nicknaming her Dead Girl, and to be fair, she was a bit annoying at times. Seriously, Chuck, we're trying to find out who the killer is, not find out if the victim has any last words for his goldfish. But speaking of those Emerson finds annoying, enter Olive Snook played by Kristin Chenowith. Olive plays a waitress at the Pie Hole who is in love with Ned, which causes tension, obviously, when Chuck shows up. And she breaks into song a lot for some reason. All I can say is the character they created was very well suited to a show like this.
And just so we don't forget how eccentric every last molecule in this world is, let's talk about Chuck's aunts, Vivian and Lily, played brilliantly by Ellen Greene and Swoosie Kurtz. Yeah, these two were something else. They are both agoraphobic and understandably very distraught by the death of their niece, which they don't know has been negated. They are also a former synchronized swimming duo. Of course, they are.
Besides the core cast, we also were entertained by a slew of fantastic guests stars. We got Missi Pyle, Wendie Malick, Fred Willard and Joel McHale, just to name a few. And they all dove right in to the craziness of this world, which made for some memorable performances.
So there you have the characters and basic plot, which made this all very appealing. But there was one more thing, as I mentioned, that contributed to the success. That would be the look. I wasn't kidding when I said this show looked beautiful, and if you've seen it, you'll know exactly what I mean. It's very stylized, which can be a not good thing if it's not done well, but it is done extremely well here. The colors are bright and gorgeous, it's lit wonderfully. The best way to put it is that this looks like moving artwork. It's a feast for the eyes. Hey, that goes really well with the pie thing! Clever.
So you may be wondering why, if this show was so overwhelmingly good, was it cancelled? Well, as we all know, the quality of a series often has little to do with its success. Still, it's not as if Pushing Daisies was strictly a fan favorite. It did get a lot of critical acclaim, getting nominated for seventeen Emmys and winning seven. Not that I always trust the judgement of such, but they got it right here. But there were a few specific reasons why this show didn't make it too far. First and foremost, it was the Writer's Strike. A lot of show suffered due to that, and Pushing Daisies happened to be one of them. Also, some people felt as though the premise of the show could, or did, get old after a while. I don't get that mentality. I mean, were they trying to say the show was formulaic? Because it wasn't. Even if it was, so what? A show can be formulaic at the root, but it can still be very good. Look at Law and Order. And the whole "they can't touch" thing was brought up a lot, but that was rarely the center plot of any episode. The episode plots, most of the time, were the group trying to catch criminals and/or killers, and that was different every time. Very creatively different, if I might add. So, yeah, I just don't get it. I'm holding fast to my theory that it was just too wonderful to survive.
Now Pushing Daisies is a series that, to this day, has a very loyal fan base, myself included. And, even over four years after cancellation, there is still hope for some kind of way to revive it. I've heard talk of books, graphic novels, a film, a miniseries or the ever popular Broadway musical. Despite the infuriating way that Broadway will turn ANYTHING into a musical, having a show based on Pushing Daisies would actually make sense, especially when you think about how much music played a major role in the series. Frankly, we hardcore fans will take anything we can get at this point.
Here's the good news, though. Despite the fact that we only got two short seasons of Pushing Daisies, you can get them all on DVD. And more good news for those of who have never seen it but may be interested, the people who made this show were kind enough to give us a decent, 'wrapping things up' ending. We got good closure for the characters, though it was the kind that let you know they were moving on to a new chapter in their lives, but no ridiculous cliffhanger that will never be resolved. This is why something like this could lend itself well to comics or novelizations or something. Whilst they didn't leave any severely loose ends, you can easily see how more stories can be told with these characters. And I welcome that. So I say check it out if you can. I'm not saying it's for everybody, but it's worth everybody at least giving it a chance.
And P.S. If the people who own this whole concept do intend to do a musical, and if they're reading this, may I just say that I am open to getting a job where I can share my lyrical gifts.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
As much as I hate a really good show only getting one season, sometimes it's almost worse when we get only two. I can only speak for myself, of course, but when I come across an amazing show, I often spend the whole first season worried that it might not get picked up. But once I get a second season, I ease into things, because I have been lured into a sense of security. Sometimes it's a false sense of security, because that second season ends up being the last. Such was the case with the wonderful, and much too short-lived show I want to talk about today, Pushing Daisies.
If someone asked me to describe television these days in one word, I'm pretty sure it would be 'unoriginal'. At least, for the most part. In fact, when I first saw Pushing Daisies, I thought, "Wow, this is a very, very good show. How did this make it to television?" Not only was the concept original, but so was the look and the style of it. I would be hard pressed to think of a television show that was more beautiful looking than this one. We'll get more in to those things later, but, first, let's discuss plot and characters and whatnot, particularly that which revolves around the pilot.
Pushing Daisies is all about a guy named Ned played by Lee Pace. Yeah. Can I just say how much I absolutely love this guy? He was, in a word, perfect for this role. So Ned is a pie-maker, and they won't let you forget that...EVER! Seriously, though, there is actually a voice over narration for the show, done by Jim Dale, and, in that, Ned is always called The Pie Maker. Plus, he owns a pie shop called The Pie Hole, and it's shaped like a giant pie. A dream come true, indeed. Now, whilst I personally believe that any man who can make delicious pies is super special, Ned is special for another reason as well. He can bring people back from the dead. No, really, that's the main plot point of the show.
Let me explain that in more specific detail. Ned has this gift wherein he can bring someone or something dead back to life with a single touch. He learns this as a child when he brings back his dog, Digby, after he's hit by a truck. Later, when his mother dies of an aneurysm, he brings her back to life, too. But, of course, there is a catch to this. A couple of them, actually. First thing, when he touches someone, they do come to life, but if he touches them again, they stay dead forever. Ned figures this out when, after he revives his mother, she kisses him goodnight, and then drops dead. The other thing is that, if someone he brings back to life stays that way for more than a minute, someone else must die in their place. It's a balance of the universe thing, I wager. Ned doesn't know this when he brings back his mother, thus, causing the death of the father of his childhood sweetheart, Charlotte "Chuck" Charles. Oh, the irony. After these tragic events, Ned is sent off to boarding school, Chuck gets sent off to live with her aunts, and that is the last time he sees her alive...traditionally speaking. Some of you can probably see where this is going. Come to think of it, I should tell you to get used to seeing them, especially Ned, as children, since every episode begins with that.
As it happens, decades later, Chuck, now played by Anna Friel, is murdered and Ned revives her, but he can't bring himself to put her back to sleep, despite knowing it will cost someone else their life. Calm down, though, it was a criminal who died. So it's all good. And this is basically the running thing for Ned and Chuck throughout the series. They are very much in love, but they can never touch. It's that aspect that makes it all sweet, yet heartbreaking. Still, even with this slightly morbid theme and almost tragic love story, this show is pretty much a comedy. And that part is greatly helped by the supporting cast.
Let's start with Chi McBride who plays Emerson Cod, a private investigator who discovers Ned's secret and talks him into working with him. Basically, he wants Ned to bring back murdered people so he can solve the cases and collect the reward money. Is it wrong that there's a tiny part of me that finds no problem with this? Actually, their working together on cases like this is what leads Ned to finding Chuck. Anyway, I guess we could call Emerson the downer of the group. He's never in an especially good mood, and he gets easily annoyed at, well, everybody. He really has issues with Chuck in the beginning, even nicknaming her Dead Girl, and to be fair, she was a bit annoying at times. Seriously, Chuck, we're trying to find out who the killer is, not find out if the victim has any last words for his goldfish. But speaking of those Emerson finds annoying, enter Olive Snook played by Kristin Chenowith. Olive plays a waitress at the Pie Hole who is in love with Ned, which causes tension, obviously, when Chuck shows up. And she breaks into song a lot for some reason. All I can say is the character they created was very well suited to a show like this.
And just so we don't forget how eccentric every last molecule in this world is, let's talk about Chuck's aunts, Vivian and Lily, played brilliantly by Ellen Greene and Swoosie Kurtz. Yeah, these two were something else. They are both agoraphobic and understandably very distraught by the death of their niece, which they don't know has been negated. They are also a former synchronized swimming duo. Of course, they are.
Besides the core cast, we also were entertained by a slew of fantastic guests stars. We got Missi Pyle, Wendie Malick, Fred Willard and Joel McHale, just to name a few. And they all dove right in to the craziness of this world, which made for some memorable performances.
So there you have the characters and basic plot, which made this all very appealing. But there was one more thing, as I mentioned, that contributed to the success. That would be the look. I wasn't kidding when I said this show looked beautiful, and if you've seen it, you'll know exactly what I mean. It's very stylized, which can be a not good thing if it's not done well, but it is done extremely well here. The colors are bright and gorgeous, it's lit wonderfully. The best way to put it is that this looks like moving artwork. It's a feast for the eyes. Hey, that goes really well with the pie thing! Clever.
So you may be wondering why, if this show was so overwhelmingly good, was it cancelled? Well, as we all know, the quality of a series often has little to do with its success. Still, it's not as if Pushing Daisies was strictly a fan favorite. It did get a lot of critical acclaim, getting nominated for seventeen Emmys and winning seven. Not that I always trust the judgement of such, but they got it right here. But there were a few specific reasons why this show didn't make it too far. First and foremost, it was the Writer's Strike. A lot of show suffered due to that, and Pushing Daisies happened to be one of them. Also, some people felt as though the premise of the show could, or did, get old after a while. I don't get that mentality. I mean, were they trying to say the show was formulaic? Because it wasn't. Even if it was, so what? A show can be formulaic at the root, but it can still be very good. Look at Law and Order. And the whole "they can't touch" thing was brought up a lot, but that was rarely the center plot of any episode. The episode plots, most of the time, were the group trying to catch criminals and/or killers, and that was different every time. Very creatively different, if I might add. So, yeah, I just don't get it. I'm holding fast to my theory that it was just too wonderful to survive.
Now Pushing Daisies is a series that, to this day, has a very loyal fan base, myself included. And, even over four years after cancellation, there is still hope for some kind of way to revive it. I've heard talk of books, graphic novels, a film, a miniseries or the ever popular Broadway musical. Despite the infuriating way that Broadway will turn ANYTHING into a musical, having a show based on Pushing Daisies would actually make sense, especially when you think about how much music played a major role in the series. Frankly, we hardcore fans will take anything we can get at this point.
Here's the good news, though. Despite the fact that we only got two short seasons of Pushing Daisies, you can get them all on DVD. And more good news for those of who have never seen it but may be interested, the people who made this show were kind enough to give us a decent, 'wrapping things up' ending. We got good closure for the characters, though it was the kind that let you know they were moving on to a new chapter in their lives, but no ridiculous cliffhanger that will never be resolved. This is why something like this could lend itself well to comics or novelizations or something. Whilst they didn't leave any severely loose ends, you can easily see how more stories can be told with these characters. And I welcome that. So I say check it out if you can. I'm not saying it's for everybody, but it's worth everybody at least giving it a chance.
And P.S. If the people who own this whole concept do intend to do a musical, and if they're reading this, may I just say that I am open to getting a job where I can share my lyrical gifts.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Flaming Pie / Paul McCartney - Album Review
Greetings,
So 1997 was an interesting and important year in music, at least, it seemed that way to me. A lot of albums were released, as per usual, but it also seemed like there were a lot of albums being released by more seasoned artists that ended up being either commercially successful or critically acclaimed or both. We had Hourglass from James Taylor, the Bee Gees released one of my favorite albums, Still Waters, Fleetwood Mac reunited for The Dance, and, of course, we got the brilliant Time Out of Mind by Bob Dylan. But there was one more, and it is the album I will be discussing today, Paul McCartney's Flaming Pie.
I can easily admit that I have heartily enjoyed Paul McCartney's post-Beatles, post-Wings solo career. I did, after all, give a major thumbs up to his 1993 album, Off the Ground, and whilst I did like that one better as a whole, this one certainly didn't disappoint. If anything, it enabled me to prove just what a devoted fan of The Beatles I am and how knowledgeable I am when it comes to their lore. And it all begins with the title.
Needless to say, a lot of people were curious as to how he came up with this title. He explained that it relates to a story about how The Beatles supposedly got their name, specifically a dream that John claims to have had about a man on a flaming pie. And I already knew this, so it mad me feel really special. I suppose I can use this as a segue into talking about the title track. It's an upbeat little tune with some interesting, or possible bizarre, lyrics and a great piano riff in the middle and end. I seriously think Paul just straight up wanted to have fun with this one, and he succeeded.
Now the first single released was "Young Boy", which, musically, sounds like classic McCartney and lyrically sounds like a father talking to his son. I may have, now that I think about it, heard that that was indeed the case. If that's true, then it is made all the more sentimental by his own son, James, being a musician on the album. The second single was called "The World Tonight". It was actually the first song I heard from the album when I saw the video. It's start off with some really great guitar work, and that continues throughout. Also, Paul does a fantastic job at showing off some rock vocals, even after all his years in the business.
Next up is "Calico Skies", and it has an interesting origin story. Paul wrote it whilst in Long Island in 1991, and that also happened to be when Hurricane Bob hit. The power was out, candles were lit, they were cooking on a fire and he decided to start playing some melodies on the guitar. This was one of them, and it's beautiful. Another lovely song is "Little Willow". It's also pretty sentimental, since Paul wrote this after the passing of Ringo's first wife, Maureen. It's a touching tribute to a longtime friend, and considering how Paul lost his own wife the year after this album was released, it makes it all the more moving.
Hands down, though, my favorite song here is "Beautiful Night". Actually, this has, over time, become my favorite song by Paul McCartney, end of sentence. If you've ever heard it, you'll probably know why. And it's not just because I am really good at harmonizing with it. No, this is an amazing, piano-heavy ballad with some of the best lyrics I've ever heard from him. They manage to be simple yet exquisite at the same time, and I love when a writer can do that. Not as easy as you'd think, trust me. And I know I said this was a ballad, slow and graceful, but when we get the end, the drums kick in and there's a brilliant tempo change. Who's playing the drums you may ask? Who else? Ringo! And he sings, too. Not even my birthday, and this! Yeah, I don't know what else to say about this one, other than ... wow.
A lot of things go into making an album great, and having Paul McCartney at the helm sure doesn't hurt, but he had a lot of help here, which no doubt played a part as well. I already mentioned Ringo and Paul's son, James, as taking part in this, and of course, Linda did, as well. But we also got some Steve Miller, Jeff Lynne and the legendary George Martin doing the orchestral arrangement. Yeah, Paul would have had to screw up pretty bad for this album to not turn out good. Thankfully, all went extremely well, and we got this.
So if you're a fan of Paul or The Beatles or not, I'd say give Flaming Pie a listen. I think it may go over better with fans more than others, as it usually happens, but I'm certain even some music lovers who might not be into his work will find some things to really enjoy here. Easily, this is one of the best things he's ever done.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
So 1997 was an interesting and important year in music, at least, it seemed that way to me. A lot of albums were released, as per usual, but it also seemed like there were a lot of albums being released by more seasoned artists that ended up being either commercially successful or critically acclaimed or both. We had Hourglass from James Taylor, the Bee Gees released one of my favorite albums, Still Waters, Fleetwood Mac reunited for The Dance, and, of course, we got the brilliant Time Out of Mind by Bob Dylan. But there was one more, and it is the album I will be discussing today, Paul McCartney's Flaming Pie.
I can easily admit that I have heartily enjoyed Paul McCartney's post-Beatles, post-Wings solo career. I did, after all, give a major thumbs up to his 1993 album, Off the Ground, and whilst I did like that one better as a whole, this one certainly didn't disappoint. If anything, it enabled me to prove just what a devoted fan of The Beatles I am and how knowledgeable I am when it comes to their lore. And it all begins with the title.
Needless to say, a lot of people were curious as to how he came up with this title. He explained that it relates to a story about how The Beatles supposedly got their name, specifically a dream that John claims to have had about a man on a flaming pie. And I already knew this, so it mad me feel really special. I suppose I can use this as a segue into talking about the title track. It's an upbeat little tune with some interesting, or possible bizarre, lyrics and a great piano riff in the middle and end. I seriously think Paul just straight up wanted to have fun with this one, and he succeeded.
Now the first single released was "Young Boy", which, musically, sounds like classic McCartney and lyrically sounds like a father talking to his son. I may have, now that I think about it, heard that that was indeed the case. If that's true, then it is made all the more sentimental by his own son, James, being a musician on the album. The second single was called "The World Tonight". It was actually the first song I heard from the album when I saw the video. It's start off with some really great guitar work, and that continues throughout. Also, Paul does a fantastic job at showing off some rock vocals, even after all his years in the business.
Next up is "Calico Skies", and it has an interesting origin story. Paul wrote it whilst in Long Island in 1991, and that also happened to be when Hurricane Bob hit. The power was out, candles were lit, they were cooking on a fire and he decided to start playing some melodies on the guitar. This was one of them, and it's beautiful. Another lovely song is "Little Willow". It's also pretty sentimental, since Paul wrote this after the passing of Ringo's first wife, Maureen. It's a touching tribute to a longtime friend, and considering how Paul lost his own wife the year after this album was released, it makes it all the more moving.
Hands down, though, my favorite song here is "Beautiful Night". Actually, this has, over time, become my favorite song by Paul McCartney, end of sentence. If you've ever heard it, you'll probably know why. And it's not just because I am really good at harmonizing with it. No, this is an amazing, piano-heavy ballad with some of the best lyrics I've ever heard from him. They manage to be simple yet exquisite at the same time, and I love when a writer can do that. Not as easy as you'd think, trust me. And I know I said this was a ballad, slow and graceful, but when we get the end, the drums kick in and there's a brilliant tempo change. Who's playing the drums you may ask? Who else? Ringo! And he sings, too. Not even my birthday, and this! Yeah, I don't know what else to say about this one, other than ... wow.
A lot of things go into making an album great, and having Paul McCartney at the helm sure doesn't hurt, but he had a lot of help here, which no doubt played a part as well. I already mentioned Ringo and Paul's son, James, as taking part in this, and of course, Linda did, as well. But we also got some Steve Miller, Jeff Lynne and the legendary George Martin doing the orchestral arrangement. Yeah, Paul would have had to screw up pretty bad for this album to not turn out good. Thankfully, all went extremely well, and we got this.
So if you're a fan of Paul or The Beatles or not, I'd say give Flaming Pie a listen. I think it may go over better with fans more than others, as it usually happens, but I'm certain even some music lovers who might not be into his work will find some things to really enjoy here. Easily, this is one of the best things he's ever done.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Monday, September 30, 2013
Top Ten "WHAT!" Full House Moments/Episodes
Greetings,
A long time ago, I wrote a little something about how unrealistic a certain show was despite having been set in the real world. Apparently. When you think about it, I really could have been talking about a lot of different shows that could be and still can be described that way, but I was speaking of the show that miraculously ran for EIGHT seasons, Full House.
Okay, I can admit that, when I was younger, I was a consistent watcher of this show. I could blame it on the fact that I was, in fact, just a kid, and I didn't know any better, but I think it may have had more to do with the massive crush I had on John Stamos. It's a crush that may still be there, although, it has diminished greatly after the debacle of his appearance on Glee, of all shows. Yeah, John, way to wipe out all the stuff you did to try and separate yourself from the ridiculousness of Full House by taking part in something even more heinous. But I'm getting away from my point, which is that this show was pretty much insane when it came to certain situations. Now this could go on a lot longer than I'm going to write here, but I managed to choose ten episodes containing moments that make anyone with a concept of reality say "What!" Off we go.
#10. "Educating Jesse" (Season 6) - This is an episode where DJ is doing this stay in school campaign and wants her family to help. Everyone agrees except for Uncle Jesse. Why doesn't he want to help? Well, as it happens, he never graduated from high school. He, himself, is a dropout. Okay, I can maybe understand why the kids didn't know, but he never told his wife? It really never came up. And even if I could excuse that, what about Danny? His brother-in-law? Who has known him since he was a kid because he was married to Jesse's older sister? I'd think he would have noticed that they never went to Jesse's graduation. You'd think a family of 87 people who refuse to not live together despite chances to do so would be more close. More on that later. Oh, and by the way, a few seasons earlier, they had an episode about Jesse going to his high school reunion. Continuity is a beautiful thing.
#9. "Little Shop of Sweaters" (Season 2) - It's Valentine's Day and the three dads give the three girls presents. DJ gets a sweater she really wanted, but when she takes it to school, it gets destroyed. Long story. Anyway, she tries to buy a replacement but doesn't have enough money. Stephanie sees a sign that says "Buy Now, Pay Later", and you can see where this is going. And, no, not even this is the moment of which I speak. What is? Well...THEY BOUGHT A 12-YEAR-OLD AN $80 SWEATER! Perhaps, that is acceptable for a 16-year-old on her birthday, mostly because it's cheaper than a car. But a TWELVE-year old on VALENTINE'S DAY? They're called Conversation Hearts, boys. Look into them!
#8. "Half a Love Story" (Season 1) - Now, Danny works at a TV station, and he gets this new co-worker, Robin, on the same day that Jesse happened to show up with Baby Michelle. So Jesse decides to use the cute baby to try to pick up Robin, because she is gorgeous. Like super gorgeous. It was Kristian Alfonso from Days of Our Lives, for crying out loud. But, seriously, this makes no sense. This seems like a thing that not so attractive guys do to get girls to notice them. Right? And I understand that, at this point in time, Stamos still had his mullet, which always takes off about 5 to 10 points on any man's hotness meter, but he was still hot. Again, this makes no sense. Oh, and speaking of nonsensical things in Jesse's love life ...
#7. "Jesse's Girl" (Season 1) - In order to make some extra money, Jesse starts to give guitar lessons. One of his students is yet another gorgeous woman named Corrina, who kind of looked like a mid-nineties Nicole Kidman. They go out on a date, but then she falls for Joey, the ... "comedian". Come again? Look, I get that there are women who like a guy who's funny, or tries to be funny, and this is nothing against Dave Coulier. I think they just gave him some seriously inferior material. Which I now hope wasn't his own material. Moving on. Okay, she falls for Joey. But you've got John Stamos and you're going to go to some other guy? Who would do that? I know looks aren't everything, but is there a single woman on this planet who would give up John Stamos to hook up with some guy who often tries to be funny but tends to fall flat? Well, there is one woman I can think of.
#6. "The House Meets The Mouse" (Season 6) - In the nineties, ABC decided to make pretty much all of their family sitcoms go to Disney World. I think Full House started that trend. And nothing that happens on this vacation makes any sense. I mean, the older girls lose Michelle, and don't get in trouble for it. But, then again, she was being a spoiled brat and wandered off on her own, and she doesn't get in trouble for that either. Of course. The writers try to be meta by making DJ think the guy dresses up as Aladdin is her boyfriend, Steve. Steve, by the way, who was played by an actor who voiced Aladdin. Ha. Jesse's there because this world famous theme park hired his unknown band to play a huge show, and they did so because...okay? And it goes on and on, but let me point out something totally unbelievable. All of them, every single person in this family of - what did I say? - oh, yeah, 87, they all stayed at the Grand Floridian. The Grand Flippin' Floridian! That place is not cheap, and somehow, this family can afford to stay there for who knows how long. Nope, not buying it. Especially because this episode is the last episode of Season 6, and based on a few things I'll be telling you later, I CANNOT believe this family has any money left at all. Stay tuned.
#5. "Fuller House" (Season 4) - So Uncle Jesse gets married to Becky, and, after living in the Tanner house for four years, he does what any newly married man would do. He moves into his wife's house, so they can start building their lives together. How romantic! Wait! Stop, you two! You can't do that! Why? Because it makes the four-year-old sad! I kid you not. Michelle is so sad about Uncle Jesse moving out that, long story short, he and Becky give up their beautiful San Francisco house that no one in their twenties should be able to afford, and opt to live in the Tanner's attic. Yeah, no. Nobody would ever do that, because everybody knows that four-year-olds tend to get over things pretty quickly. And they made this decision, mind you, after one night away from the Tanner house. ONE NIGHT! I'm sorry, no. Okay, to be fair, if she was in deep depression after a few months, I'd say fine, move back in. But it was ONE NIGHT! What is even the heck? But, if you think it makes no sense for only two people to do this, you just wait.
#4. "A House Divided" (Season 7) - At the end of the seventh season, the Tanner family gets a knock on the door from a millionaire who used to live in their house and wants to buy it for twice its value. This makes everyone really excited because it means they can get a bigger house with more room, but not more room for all 87 of them, because Jesse and Becky and Joey all think it's a sign that it's their time to move out of the house. Because there were never any signs of that before, apparently. Oh, hold on. Did I say everyone was excited about this? Let me amend that statement by saying that everyone was excited except for - say it with me! - Michelle. She doesn't want to move, because this was the only house she ever lived in. Woo. Again, long story short, after some hijinks and memory sharing, they decide to not sell and stay. They ALL decide this. What is up with these people? Why does this little kid keep telling you what to do? Man up! Especially you, Danny Tanner. And that was only number four!
#3. "Please Don't Touch the Dinosaurs" (Season 6) - So Michelle's class is going on a field trip to the museum, and Danny and Jesse are going to be the chaperones. As we all know, Danny is quite anal-retentive, so he wants his group to be very, very well-behaved. Jesse just wants his kids to have fun, whatever the cost. Yeah, cost. I wonder. Anyway, as you may have guessed, Danny's group proceeds into the museum without incident, whilst Jesse's group runs wild. How wild? Well, Michelle and her friend, Denise, decide to play tag or something around this giant dinosaur skeleton. Yes, a dinosaur skeleton, because this was the same year as Jurassic Park, and ABC knows how to cash in. Well, surprise, surprise, the girls go passed the velvet ropes or whatever, and completely destroy the priceless artifact. Yeah, remember when I said I didn't know how they afforded that trip to Disney World because of reasons. Well, this one of the reasons. And not just the money factor, but I'd think the Disney trip would have been cancelled because one of the adults in charge would have been in jail. Or do they not do that kind of thing in this world? And this was a mere five episodes before that finale. No. Oh, and they were probably already on a budget because of my number two pick. Read on.
#2. "Come Fly With Me" (Season 6) - At the end of Season 5, DJ announces that she is going to Spain on a school sponsored trip. She's gone for the whole summer, and Stephanie and Michelle had such a boring summer that they are so excited to have her back. But, alas, DJ has returned with a new boyfriend, the aforementioned Steve, so she kind of ignores them. Now, what do Stephanie and Michelle do to break the monotony? They meet a kid who's in a traveling group of singing children, go on his departing plane just to say goodbye, and end up on their way to New Zealand. You know what? I'm not even going to blame the two girls for this one, necessarily. I mean, Stephanie did try to tell the flight attendant that they were not a part of the traveling singing children, and the woman was like, "Whatever, just sit down, on our way." Seriously. I know this was 1992, and things weren't as strict when it came to airport security as it is now, but how the heck could this happen? Really, flight attendant, you're not even going to check on this? And never mind her for a minute. What about the people in charge of this group of children? They don't seem all that attentive either. So Stephanie and Michelle had to go all the way to New Zealand, then get back on a plane and immediately had to come all the way back home. And guess who had to pay? Yeah, the parent. Although, I hope that idiot flight attendant got fired.
#1. "Honey, I Broke the House" (Season 3) - When people discuss the ridiculous goings on of the Full House world, there is, without a doubt, one episode that always immediately springs to mind. And this is it. At least, it is for me. Okay, Joey got this really nice, new, red car. He's very happy with it, even named it Rosie. Okay? He notices that there is a slight nick in the hood so he goes to the store to get a jar of touch up paint. He goes and leaves Stephanie alone with the car, with the keys in the ignition. You may think that's no big deal, since every kid over the age of five knows you don't play with cars. Or was that just me with my weird functioning brain thingy? But we're in their world now, where Joey has apparently forgotten all the insane, stupid things these children are capable of here. So Stephanie gets in the car and wants to listen to the radio. She turns the key, and the car starts. As they tend to do. She sees the letter "R" in front of the steering wheel and jovially says, "Must mean radio! Because no other words start with 'R'!" And she puts the car into reverse! Get it, because that's what the "R" stood for. Anyway, the car backs into the house. It literally crashes into the kitchen. Half of the car is in the house, half is out. This is a thing that happened. And if that wasn't enough, she then runs away, leaving her family to find out, one by one, what has happened. When she finally came home and fessed up, she was tortured with a mild scolding ... barely. I don't know how we got to this point, my friends. I don't. I don't know if I should blame the stupidity of a child who should, for real, know better, or the continually negligent parenting, or both. I just don't know. But seeing as this is probably the most infamous of all the "throw my hands up in the air and question the universe" moments of this show, this is my personal number one.
Okay, I know a lot of people who read this will probably think I forgot to mention a few other moments, and they would be right. This list is of a mere ten choices. I am fully aware that there are more. Look, I am happy to suspend my disbelief for television, but I'm happy to do it with things like Buffy or Smallville. Not a show that's supposed to be grounded in reality. And not this much. Still, if I can say one good thing about Full House, it would be that it was more of a family show than anything we're giving that label to today. I speak of content and such. Even with all of this...whatever that occurred on a weekly basis, they tried to be heartwarming and whatnot and show a family that really loved each other. That's not so bad, I guess. So, I just hope that someday someone can take only those good things about the show and give us a new one with other good things. Until then, I look back at these moments, and just say "What?"
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
A long time ago, I wrote a little something about how unrealistic a certain show was despite having been set in the real world. Apparently. When you think about it, I really could have been talking about a lot of different shows that could be and still can be described that way, but I was speaking of the show that miraculously ran for EIGHT seasons, Full House.
Okay, I can admit that, when I was younger, I was a consistent watcher of this show. I could blame it on the fact that I was, in fact, just a kid, and I didn't know any better, but I think it may have had more to do with the massive crush I had on John Stamos. It's a crush that may still be there, although, it has diminished greatly after the debacle of his appearance on Glee, of all shows. Yeah, John, way to wipe out all the stuff you did to try and separate yourself from the ridiculousness of Full House by taking part in something even more heinous. But I'm getting away from my point, which is that this show was pretty much insane when it came to certain situations. Now this could go on a lot longer than I'm going to write here, but I managed to choose ten episodes containing moments that make anyone with a concept of reality say "What!" Off we go.
#10. "Educating Jesse" (Season 6) - This is an episode where DJ is doing this stay in school campaign and wants her family to help. Everyone agrees except for Uncle Jesse. Why doesn't he want to help? Well, as it happens, he never graduated from high school. He, himself, is a dropout. Okay, I can maybe understand why the kids didn't know, but he never told his wife? It really never came up. And even if I could excuse that, what about Danny? His brother-in-law? Who has known him since he was a kid because he was married to Jesse's older sister? I'd think he would have noticed that they never went to Jesse's graduation. You'd think a family of 87 people who refuse to not live together despite chances to do so would be more close. More on that later. Oh, and by the way, a few seasons earlier, they had an episode about Jesse going to his high school reunion. Continuity is a beautiful thing.
#9. "Little Shop of Sweaters" (Season 2) - It's Valentine's Day and the three dads give the three girls presents. DJ gets a sweater she really wanted, but when she takes it to school, it gets destroyed. Long story. Anyway, she tries to buy a replacement but doesn't have enough money. Stephanie sees a sign that says "Buy Now, Pay Later", and you can see where this is going. And, no, not even this is the moment of which I speak. What is? Well...THEY BOUGHT A 12-YEAR-OLD AN $80 SWEATER! Perhaps, that is acceptable for a 16-year-old on her birthday, mostly because it's cheaper than a car. But a TWELVE-year old on VALENTINE'S DAY? They're called Conversation Hearts, boys. Look into them!
#8. "Half a Love Story" (Season 1) - Now, Danny works at a TV station, and he gets this new co-worker, Robin, on the same day that Jesse happened to show up with Baby Michelle. So Jesse decides to use the cute baby to try to pick up Robin, because she is gorgeous. Like super gorgeous. It was Kristian Alfonso from Days of Our Lives, for crying out loud. But, seriously, this makes no sense. This seems like a thing that not so attractive guys do to get girls to notice them. Right? And I understand that, at this point in time, Stamos still had his mullet, which always takes off about 5 to 10 points on any man's hotness meter, but he was still hot. Again, this makes no sense. Oh, and speaking of nonsensical things in Jesse's love life ...
#7. "Jesse's Girl" (Season 1) - In order to make some extra money, Jesse starts to give guitar lessons. One of his students is yet another gorgeous woman named Corrina, who kind of looked like a mid-nineties Nicole Kidman. They go out on a date, but then she falls for Joey, the ... "comedian". Come again? Look, I get that there are women who like a guy who's funny, or tries to be funny, and this is nothing against Dave Coulier. I think they just gave him some seriously inferior material. Which I now hope wasn't his own material. Moving on. Okay, she falls for Joey. But you've got John Stamos and you're going to go to some other guy? Who would do that? I know looks aren't everything, but is there a single woman on this planet who would give up John Stamos to hook up with some guy who often tries to be funny but tends to fall flat? Well, there is one woman I can think of.
#6. "The House Meets The Mouse" (Season 6) - In the nineties, ABC decided to make pretty much all of their family sitcoms go to Disney World. I think Full House started that trend. And nothing that happens on this vacation makes any sense. I mean, the older girls lose Michelle, and don't get in trouble for it. But, then again, she was being a spoiled brat and wandered off on her own, and she doesn't get in trouble for that either. Of course. The writers try to be meta by making DJ think the guy dresses up as Aladdin is her boyfriend, Steve. Steve, by the way, who was played by an actor who voiced Aladdin. Ha. Jesse's there because this world famous theme park hired his unknown band to play a huge show, and they did so because...okay? And it goes on and on, but let me point out something totally unbelievable. All of them, every single person in this family of - what did I say? - oh, yeah, 87, they all stayed at the Grand Floridian. The Grand Flippin' Floridian! That place is not cheap, and somehow, this family can afford to stay there for who knows how long. Nope, not buying it. Especially because this episode is the last episode of Season 6, and based on a few things I'll be telling you later, I CANNOT believe this family has any money left at all. Stay tuned.
#5. "Fuller House" (Season 4) - So Uncle Jesse gets married to Becky, and, after living in the Tanner house for four years, he does what any newly married man would do. He moves into his wife's house, so they can start building their lives together. How romantic! Wait! Stop, you two! You can't do that! Why? Because it makes the four-year-old sad! I kid you not. Michelle is so sad about Uncle Jesse moving out that, long story short, he and Becky give up their beautiful San Francisco house that no one in their twenties should be able to afford, and opt to live in the Tanner's attic. Yeah, no. Nobody would ever do that, because everybody knows that four-year-olds tend to get over things pretty quickly. And they made this decision, mind you, after one night away from the Tanner house. ONE NIGHT! I'm sorry, no. Okay, to be fair, if she was in deep depression after a few months, I'd say fine, move back in. But it was ONE NIGHT! What is even the heck? But, if you think it makes no sense for only two people to do this, you just wait.
#4. "A House Divided" (Season 7) - At the end of the seventh season, the Tanner family gets a knock on the door from a millionaire who used to live in their house and wants to buy it for twice its value. This makes everyone really excited because it means they can get a bigger house with more room, but not more room for all 87 of them, because Jesse and Becky and Joey all think it's a sign that it's their time to move out of the house. Because there were never any signs of that before, apparently. Oh, hold on. Did I say everyone was excited about this? Let me amend that statement by saying that everyone was excited except for - say it with me! - Michelle. She doesn't want to move, because this was the only house she ever lived in. Woo. Again, long story short, after some hijinks and memory sharing, they decide to not sell and stay. They ALL decide this. What is up with these people? Why does this little kid keep telling you what to do? Man up! Especially you, Danny Tanner. And that was only number four!
#3. "Please Don't Touch the Dinosaurs" (Season 6) - So Michelle's class is going on a field trip to the museum, and Danny and Jesse are going to be the chaperones. As we all know, Danny is quite anal-retentive, so he wants his group to be very, very well-behaved. Jesse just wants his kids to have fun, whatever the cost. Yeah, cost. I wonder. Anyway, as you may have guessed, Danny's group proceeds into the museum without incident, whilst Jesse's group runs wild. How wild? Well, Michelle and her friend, Denise, decide to play tag or something around this giant dinosaur skeleton. Yes, a dinosaur skeleton, because this was the same year as Jurassic Park, and ABC knows how to cash in. Well, surprise, surprise, the girls go passed the velvet ropes or whatever, and completely destroy the priceless artifact. Yeah, remember when I said I didn't know how they afforded that trip to Disney World because of reasons. Well, this one of the reasons. And not just the money factor, but I'd think the Disney trip would have been cancelled because one of the adults in charge would have been in jail. Or do they not do that kind of thing in this world? And this was a mere five episodes before that finale. No. Oh, and they were probably already on a budget because of my number two pick. Read on.
#2. "Come Fly With Me" (Season 6) - At the end of Season 5, DJ announces that she is going to Spain on a school sponsored trip. She's gone for the whole summer, and Stephanie and Michelle had such a boring summer that they are so excited to have her back. But, alas, DJ has returned with a new boyfriend, the aforementioned Steve, so she kind of ignores them. Now, what do Stephanie and Michelle do to break the monotony? They meet a kid who's in a traveling group of singing children, go on his departing plane just to say goodbye, and end up on their way to New Zealand. You know what? I'm not even going to blame the two girls for this one, necessarily. I mean, Stephanie did try to tell the flight attendant that they were not a part of the traveling singing children, and the woman was like, "Whatever, just sit down, on our way." Seriously. I know this was 1992, and things weren't as strict when it came to airport security as it is now, but how the heck could this happen? Really, flight attendant, you're not even going to check on this? And never mind her for a minute. What about the people in charge of this group of children? They don't seem all that attentive either. So Stephanie and Michelle had to go all the way to New Zealand, then get back on a plane and immediately had to come all the way back home. And guess who had to pay? Yeah, the parent. Although, I hope that idiot flight attendant got fired.
#1. "Honey, I Broke the House" (Season 3) - When people discuss the ridiculous goings on of the Full House world, there is, without a doubt, one episode that always immediately springs to mind. And this is it. At least, it is for me. Okay, Joey got this really nice, new, red car. He's very happy with it, even named it Rosie. Okay? He notices that there is a slight nick in the hood so he goes to the store to get a jar of touch up paint. He goes and leaves Stephanie alone with the car, with the keys in the ignition. You may think that's no big deal, since every kid over the age of five knows you don't play with cars. Or was that just me with my weird functioning brain thingy? But we're in their world now, where Joey has apparently forgotten all the insane, stupid things these children are capable of here. So Stephanie gets in the car and wants to listen to the radio. She turns the key, and the car starts. As they tend to do. She sees the letter "R" in front of the steering wheel and jovially says, "Must mean radio! Because no other words start with 'R'!" And she puts the car into reverse! Get it, because that's what the "R" stood for. Anyway, the car backs into the house. It literally crashes into the kitchen. Half of the car is in the house, half is out. This is a thing that happened. And if that wasn't enough, she then runs away, leaving her family to find out, one by one, what has happened. When she finally came home and fessed up, she was tortured with a mild scolding ... barely. I don't know how we got to this point, my friends. I don't. I don't know if I should blame the stupidity of a child who should, for real, know better, or the continually negligent parenting, or both. I just don't know. But seeing as this is probably the most infamous of all the "throw my hands up in the air and question the universe" moments of this show, this is my personal number one.
Okay, I know a lot of people who read this will probably think I forgot to mention a few other moments, and they would be right. This list is of a mere ten choices. I am fully aware that there are more. Look, I am happy to suspend my disbelief for television, but I'm happy to do it with things like Buffy or Smallville. Not a show that's supposed to be grounded in reality. And not this much. Still, if I can say one good thing about Full House, it would be that it was more of a family show than anything we're giving that label to today. I speak of content and such. Even with all of this...whatever that occurred on a weekly basis, they tried to be heartwarming and whatnot and show a family that really loved each other. That's not so bad, I guess. So, I just hope that someday someone can take only those good things about the show and give us a new one with other good things. Until then, I look back at these moments, and just say "What?"
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)