Greetings,
As everyone knows, I am a huge admirer of a little band called The Beatles. And, having been around in the nineties, that means that, when it comes to another little band called Oasis, I either love them or hate them. Because...maybe...derivative...a little. Well, good news for them, I come down on the side of love. I've been enjoying the music of the Gallagher brothers and their group for quite a long time, and I know I haven't been the only one. I, like most people in the U.S., got into them when their album (What's the Story)Morning Glory? was released, spawning hits like "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova". We can all agree that it was fantastic, so I'm going to go a step further and talk about what came right after that one. That would be the 1997 album, Be Here Now.
Let's not sugarcoat this at all. After the massive success of Morning Glory, there were extremely high hopes for the follow-up album. From a sales standpoint, Be Here Now wasn't exactly a failure. It was the fastest selling album in the U.K. at that point, it hit #1 in many countries, #2 in the U.S., and it went on to sell about 4 million copies, if my info is correct. The problem is that, after the first week or so, sales dropped because everyone realized that this was not a repeat of the previous album from Oasis. By that, they meant it was nowhere near as good, and those people spread the word fast. Okay, do I think this album is utterly amazing? Not exactly. Do I think it's terrible? Again, no. Do I think it is as good as its predecessor? Yeah, we're going to check 'no' on that one. But Morning Glory was a tough act to follow. I don't really think anything they did would have lived up to it. Also, they may have been high whilst they were making it...allegedly. No wonder so many of the songs are abnormally long. Having said that, let's talk about the goods and the bads of this thing.
First, the not so great news. Out of the dozen songs on the album, and that includes a reprise, I'd say only about half of them are songs I really like. The title track is kind of meh, as is "Fade In Out", but I can listen to them. Even though, I am not a huge fan of Johnny Depp, and he played slide guitar on the latter of those tracks. No, I'm not kidding. Whilst I tend to skip over songs like "My Big Mouth", "Magic Pie" and "It's Gettin' Better(Man!!)", there is a vast improvement in "The Girl in the Dirty Shirt" and especially "I Hope, I Think, I Know".
And now on to the actually great news. Yes, this album may have weak points, as all tend to do, but it also has some songs I really, really enjoy, starting with the opening track "D'You Know What I Mean?". Despite the fact that it's not a fast song with a driving beat, the way other openers often go, it does have that feeling of a beginning point that will send you on to the rest of what's to come. Then, there's "Stand By Me", which apparently Noel wrote during a bout with food poisoning. Hey, whatever works, as long as a good song comes out of it. "Don't Go Away" is probably the, for lack of a better word, softest song in this collection, considering that it's about not wanting to lose someone that you love. In this case, Noel wrote it when his mother was hospitalized. So, it's a love song, just not one that people may have expected. Also, Liam said he was pretty emotional during the recording, but he ended up being proud of his performance. That's good. And then we get "All Around the World" with all its glorious, self-indulgent epicness. This thing is LOOOONG! I mean, pretty much everything on this album is long, as I mentioned, but this thing clocks in at over nine minutes. And this is the song that got the reprise, so if you add that on, it's almost TWELVE minutes! And you know what? I love it! Yeah, it's so big and it has so much going on. I suppose it's because I'm a fan of songs that have a ton of interesting things to listen to. Speaking of interesting, a lot of people remember this because of the video. It was directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton and had a Yellow Submarine vibe to it. Shocking, I know. But it was great, too. I can still watch it today and be fascinated.
So, I know I'm not exactly giving this a glowing review, not as a whole anyway. It does have a lot of problems, but when it's good, it's very good. And when they tried to be productive, it worked. Trouble is, I don't how hard they actually tried. Be Here Now just is what it is. Still, I do love Oasis. They have given us a ton of great stuff, and whatever crazy shenanigans he may have been involved in, I would say that Noel Gallagher is rather a brilliant musician and songwriter. And, thus, I end on a positive note.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
20 Feet From Stardom - Documentary Review
Greetings,
So the last documentary I reviewed was called Muscle Shoals, and it was about a bunch of people who helped shape the music industry but who go greatly unappreciated by the public at large. Today, I will be reviewing 20 Feet From Stardom, which is kind of about the same thing. Relax, though. It tells this story from a different angle and, spoilers, it's also very good.
If you happen to be one of the few people who actually watched the Oscars this past February(I was, because award show nights are some of the most entertaining nights on Twitter!), you may have seen the best part of the ceremony, where 20 Feet From Stardom won for Best Documentary. Why was it the best part? Two words - Darlene Love. Just go You Tube it. It'll be worth it. Anyway, before that night, I don't think I had even heard of this film, or if I had, it was merely in passing. That's odd for me. I love documentaries, and I love documentaries about music. So I can't believe this one slipped by me. Still, as soon as I heard of it, I added it to my Netflix queue and got down to business.
20 Feet From Stardom tells the many, many tales of the many, many background singers who have been used in the industry for decades. You know that expression about people being seen and not heard? Well, these people have been heard and not known. You won't be long into this documentary before you realize just what a shame that is. Mostly because, in some cases, the background singers are better than those in front, in the spotlight. I suppose it proves that talent is only one part of becoming successful. It's a big part, I'd like to believe, but it's not the only part.
We get a lot of great interviews in this from those singers in the back, but we also get to hear from the big name, famous artists with whom they've worked. That's good because they are the ones who seem to be the most in awe of the talent of these singers. They love them and respect them in a way that a lot of the world either doesn't or hasn't been given the chance to do so. That is why I enjoyed this movie so much. This movie is that chance being given to the world to meet these people who have done so much to build the music world.
Now, some of the singers do speak about how difficult it can be, working so closely to the spotlight but never actually getting to be in the center of it. Hence, the title. And yet, none of them seem ungrateful for the opportunities that they have been given. Sure, a lot of them would love to be as famous as the people behind whom they are singing, but, at the same time, they seem happy to be doing what they love for a living. And they love it any way it comes. If for no other reason, this is why these people should be honored and appreciated for what they do.
So, I am recommending this very highly, even if you aren't a huge music fan. But, if you are, I am recommending it even more highly. 20 Feet From Stardom was a fantastic way to let amazingly talented singers finally, FINALLY, get the recognition they deserve. As someone who notices the ones in the back, I'm pretty happy that this film exists.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
So the last documentary I reviewed was called Muscle Shoals, and it was about a bunch of people who helped shape the music industry but who go greatly unappreciated by the public at large. Today, I will be reviewing 20 Feet From Stardom, which is kind of about the same thing. Relax, though. It tells this story from a different angle and, spoilers, it's also very good.
If you happen to be one of the few people who actually watched the Oscars this past February(I was, because award show nights are some of the most entertaining nights on Twitter!), you may have seen the best part of the ceremony, where 20 Feet From Stardom won for Best Documentary. Why was it the best part? Two words - Darlene Love. Just go You Tube it. It'll be worth it. Anyway, before that night, I don't think I had even heard of this film, or if I had, it was merely in passing. That's odd for me. I love documentaries, and I love documentaries about music. So I can't believe this one slipped by me. Still, as soon as I heard of it, I added it to my Netflix queue and got down to business.
20 Feet From Stardom tells the many, many tales of the many, many background singers who have been used in the industry for decades. You know that expression about people being seen and not heard? Well, these people have been heard and not known. You won't be long into this documentary before you realize just what a shame that is. Mostly because, in some cases, the background singers are better than those in front, in the spotlight. I suppose it proves that talent is only one part of becoming successful. It's a big part, I'd like to believe, but it's not the only part.
We get a lot of great interviews in this from those singers in the back, but we also get to hear from the big name, famous artists with whom they've worked. That's good because they are the ones who seem to be the most in awe of the talent of these singers. They love them and respect them in a way that a lot of the world either doesn't or hasn't been given the chance to do so. That is why I enjoyed this movie so much. This movie is that chance being given to the world to meet these people who have done so much to build the music world.
Now, some of the singers do speak about how difficult it can be, working so closely to the spotlight but never actually getting to be in the center of it. Hence, the title. And yet, none of them seem ungrateful for the opportunities that they have been given. Sure, a lot of them would love to be as famous as the people behind whom they are singing, but, at the same time, they seem happy to be doing what they love for a living. And they love it any way it comes. If for no other reason, this is why these people should be honored and appreciated for what they do.
So, I am recommending this very highly, even if you aren't a huge music fan. But, if you are, I am recommending it even more highly. 20 Feet From Stardom was a fantastic way to let amazingly talented singers finally, FINALLY, get the recognition they deserve. As someone who notices the ones in the back, I'm pretty happy that this film exists.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Happy 20th Anniversary, Forrest Gump!
Greetings,
So, according to IMDB, which never gets anything wrong ever, today is the day that Forrest Gump was released twenty years ago. And even if that exact date is incorrect, I know for certain it was released in the summer of '94, so either way, close enough. We're doing this. As it happens, Forrest Gump is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I thought why not give it a little recognition on this special occasion.
I think that most people can agree that Forrest Gump is a film that has held up incredibly well in the years since we all first saw it. For the most part. Okay, it's obvious that, whilst we were all impressed with the CGI back in 1994, it has kind of lost it's 'wow' factor. Aside from the stuff with Lt. Dan's legs, which still looks quite believable, I am not as inclined to be convinced that Tom Hanks had conversations with long gone presidents and rock stars. But for its time, I can give it credit.
And I have also heard a lot of people say that they think a ton of the dialogue is sappy, even, dare I say it, fluffy. I suppose, in some cases, I agree. Yes, it had many, many memorable lines, but I almost felt like the writer just came up with a ton of those type of lines and then randomly stuck them into the script. Not that it didn't work out well, though. But, despite that, I think we all know that the "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get" line is total bull crap. I mean, hello! Boxes of chocolate always come with those little flavor/filling maps. I'm sure others have pointed this out, but I digress. And I certainly see what they were grabbing for there.
So what has held up about this movie? Well, I don't think anyone can deny that the acting was superb. Everyone did a fine job with this. Obviously, we got some greatness out of Tom Hanks, the man playing our titular character. I love when actors commit %100, and he certainly did here. Then, we got some good Sally Field as his loving mother, Mrs. Gump and Mykelti Williamson as greatest best friend of all time, Bubba. And, yes, I do think of him every time I eat shrimp. What about it? And then, there was Robin Wright(Penn, at the time) as Forrest's...Jenny. Yeah, I don't really know what to call her. And I may as well be honest and admit that I really am not a big fan of this character. Many people I know feel the same way. She came across as kind of not so nice a lot of the time. Of course, I try not to judge, considering what she went through as a child. I like to suppose she did love Forrest, but she just didn't know how to.
But even in amongst all of that awesomeness, let's not pretend that we don't know what the best thing about this movie is - Lieutenant Dan, played by my favorite actor in the whole, wide world, Gary Sinise. Yeah, I may have mentioned that a couple of times before. You know, to this day and as many times as I've seen this film, I am still so impressed by his performance. We all know it's not the easiest thing to play a character who is kind of a jerk but make him incredibly likable. And who doesn't like Lieutenant Dan? Only wrong people, I'm sure of it. So, I guess I don't need to say that he is my favorite character.
Okay, I'm going to wrap this thing up. I know this wasn't some detailed analysis. Just a few of my own personal thoughts. I really do love Forrest Gump, even if I nitpicked a little. Sure, maybe we don't see some of the technical things the way we once did, and maybe the effects look a tad dated, but I think that can be said of a lot of films. What's important is that, even twenty years later, the heart of it is still there. Any time you see it, you'll feel something. To me, that's what makes a great movie. If you have to stop and watch it every time you come across it during a channel surfing session, even if you only watch for a few minutes, that's a classic.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
So, according to IMDB, which never gets anything wrong ever, today is the day that Forrest Gump was released twenty years ago. And even if that exact date is incorrect, I know for certain it was released in the summer of '94, so either way, close enough. We're doing this. As it happens, Forrest Gump is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I thought why not give it a little recognition on this special occasion.
I think that most people can agree that Forrest Gump is a film that has held up incredibly well in the years since we all first saw it. For the most part. Okay, it's obvious that, whilst we were all impressed with the CGI back in 1994, it has kind of lost it's 'wow' factor. Aside from the stuff with Lt. Dan's legs, which still looks quite believable, I am not as inclined to be convinced that Tom Hanks had conversations with long gone presidents and rock stars. But for its time, I can give it credit.
And I have also heard a lot of people say that they think a ton of the dialogue is sappy, even, dare I say it, fluffy. I suppose, in some cases, I agree. Yes, it had many, many memorable lines, but I almost felt like the writer just came up with a ton of those type of lines and then randomly stuck them into the script. Not that it didn't work out well, though. But, despite that, I think we all know that the "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get" line is total bull crap. I mean, hello! Boxes of chocolate always come with those little flavor/filling maps. I'm sure others have pointed this out, but I digress. And I certainly see what they were grabbing for there.
So what has held up about this movie? Well, I don't think anyone can deny that the acting was superb. Everyone did a fine job with this. Obviously, we got some greatness out of Tom Hanks, the man playing our titular character. I love when actors commit %100, and he certainly did here. Then, we got some good Sally Field as his loving mother, Mrs. Gump and Mykelti Williamson as greatest best friend of all time, Bubba. And, yes, I do think of him every time I eat shrimp. What about it? And then, there was Robin Wright(Penn, at the time) as Forrest's...Jenny. Yeah, I don't really know what to call her. And I may as well be honest and admit that I really am not a big fan of this character. Many people I know feel the same way. She came across as kind of not so nice a lot of the time. Of course, I try not to judge, considering what she went through as a child. I like to suppose she did love Forrest, but she just didn't know how to.
But even in amongst all of that awesomeness, let's not pretend that we don't know what the best thing about this movie is - Lieutenant Dan, played by my favorite actor in the whole, wide world, Gary Sinise. Yeah, I may have mentioned that a couple of times before. You know, to this day and as many times as I've seen this film, I am still so impressed by his performance. We all know it's not the easiest thing to play a character who is kind of a jerk but make him incredibly likable. And who doesn't like Lieutenant Dan? Only wrong people, I'm sure of it. So, I guess I don't need to say that he is my favorite character.
Okay, I'm going to wrap this thing up. I know this wasn't some detailed analysis. Just a few of my own personal thoughts. I really do love Forrest Gump, even if I nitpicked a little. Sure, maybe we don't see some of the technical things the way we once did, and maybe the effects look a tad dated, but I think that can be said of a lot of films. What's important is that, even twenty years later, the heart of it is still there. Any time you see it, you'll feel something. To me, that's what makes a great movie. If you have to stop and watch it every time you come across it during a channel surfing session, even if you only watch for a few minutes, that's a classic.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Monday, June 30, 2014
Top Ten Vincent D'Onofrio Movies
Greetings,
I seriously cannot believe it has taken me so long to do this, but I am finally doing my Top Ten list of Vincent D'Onofrio movies. Why today? Well, if you believe everything you read on the internet, and I do, today is his birthday. Since I'm broke and I don't actually know him, we'll call this a gift. Oh, I guess, after that, I should probably say that I will be giving a few movie spoilers in this list. Yes, I'm going to be nice today and tell you that.
Anyway, if you have read this blog before, you may have noticed that I have a great love for Mr. D'Onofrio. I have mentioned him a few times here. I mean, for crying out loud, I did a post search and saw that his name came up in about ten other things I've written, and only two of those actually were specifically related to him. And if you've read my first published book, you'll know that I dedicated it to him. That may seem like a weird thing for me to do, and it probably is, but there's a decent explanation for it. And I will give it somewhere within this blog post. So, anyway, I enjoy this man. I suppose that makes it even stranger that I haven't done this yet, but today seems like as good of a day as any.
I don't want to waste too much time here, but I have to say this was one of the more difficult lists I've had to do. Vincent D'Onofrio has been in a lot of films, and even if said films weren't always overwhelmingly good, he tended to be the bright spot in them. Also, much like what I said about my beloved Gary Sinise, he is not usually the main star in many of his movies. He has been that, but he generally as a supporter or part of an ensemble. Funny thing is, even in those cases, it is not an odd occurrence if he ends up stealing the show. But I think that's how he is. He doesn't have to be the star. He just wants to be a part of something good. Well, that would be a win on his part. Still, to make things a bit easier for myself, I excluded anything where he has less than, let's say, twenty minutes on screen. I know, I know. But here are a few quick words about those. In Adventures in Babysitting, he was a better Thor than Chris Hemsworth, and, in Ed Wood, he was a better Orson Welles than...Orson Welles. Okay, that might be pushing it. But I thought I'd narrow this down. So, let's get down to business. Here are my Top Ten Vincent D'Onofrio movies.
Honorable Mention: Yeah, I'm doing one of these again. This little award is going to The Cell. Now, admittedly this movie has a few flaws, but Vincent's performance was so great, I had to give it a bit of a shout out. He's does a pretty amazing job of playing Carl, a serial killer with a tragic past and some hobbies that are, in the words of the Nostalgia Critic..."specific". Usually, the whole villain and victim thing being meshed together doesn't work for me, but it does here. Also, hats off to him for dealing with all the over the top costumes and make-up for this thing. I admire the patience.
And now for the actual list.
#10. Sherlock: Case of Evil - This film was made in 2002, long before the craze caused by the Robert Downey, Jr. movies and the BBC Sherlock show and the far superior to either of those in my opinion, Elementary. So, sadly, I think it came and went relatively unnoticed. And that's not good at all. Now, normally, when the name Sherlock Holmes comes up in association with Vincent D'Onofrio, it's in regards to his Law and Order: Criminal Intent character, Detective Robert Goren, with good reason. Much like Holmes, he has somewhat adopted the "I love puzzles, but not so much people" philosophy of life. But here, he is not playing Sherlock. He's playing Moriarty! What?! That's right. He went to the other side on this one. Well, he is very good at playing bad guys and smart guys. Why not put the two together?
#9. Full Metal Jacket - I cannot be the only person who has watched this movie all the way through only once, and, with all subsequent viewings, stops after about 47 minutes, because...you know...the thing happens. Okay, maybe I just do that sometimes. Look, let's be honest. Everyone says that the best part of this movie is the first half, specifically all the parts with D'Onofrio. And I have met more than a few women who kinda sorta started to crush on him here. It's the woobie thing. You spend the whole time either wanting to give him a hug or beat the crap out of the guys who were picking on him. Or was that just me?
#8. The Narrows - I love a story about someone trying to get out of where they are, and this is about a young man trying to do just that. Vincent does not play the young man, as that role went to Kevin Zegers, but he does play the young man's father. Nice. Besides the obvious fantastic acting, this film also has some really great dialogue in it. I know. What a shock that I noticed that. There's also a mob thing going on within the plot. That's always good. Well, maybe not always, but certainly usually. In fact, unless my memory is playing a really wacky trick on me, I think there's an interview with Vincent on the DVD where he talks about his family being from New York...and Italian...but totally not in the mob. Well...Amen? Ya know, I really hope I didn't make that interview up in my head. I mean, I'm good, but I'm not that good.
#7. The Newton Boys - I can't be certain, but I think this is where the bromance of Vincent D'Onofrio and Ethan Hawke began. Sorry, I don't mean to undermine the great friendship that these two guys have. Anyway, it was their first movie together, as far as I know, but not their last. This is about the Newton Gang, a band of bank robbing brothers, and not only do we get Vincent and Ethan here, but also Skeet Ulrich and Matthew McConaughey. Yeah, good times, indeed. Now, I do like a good Western-type film every now and then, but the reason I really like this one is that it's a lot of fun. Sometimes that's all I need, to just sit there and be entertained. This movie takes care of that quite well.
#6. Staten Island - Again, we're getting Vincent D'Onofrio and Ethan Hawke doing some acting together. Here, D'Onofrio plays a mob boss, and he is very, very funny. I'm not kidding. I mean, it's been a while since I've seen this, and I know it's not a comedy, but, come on. He basically lives up in a tree for a good chunk of time. Shoot as many guns as you want, but that scenario can't not be funny. I think this movie did not get super great reviews, but I was so incredibly entertained by his performance that I could watch this several times. And, for a guy who tends to play darker characters, it was refreshing to see him being so humorous at the same time. He really needs to do more funny.
#5. Men in Black - Speaking of funny, 'My name is Vincent D'Onofrio, and I've been possessed by an alien bug!'. So, if we set aside Will Smith and Will Smith's song, I think that D'Onforio is the most memorable thing about this movie for a lot of people. In this role of Edgar the Alien Bug Man, he does not hold back at all. With the skills of a lesser actor, this part could have gone into silly territory, but with Vincent, he commits 100%. So, we get this weird character that's funny and disgusting and over the top and just plain insane. And it's amazing. It has to be hard to steal the spotlight from Will Smith in his own movie, but I think that's kind of what happened here.
#4. Steal This Movie - And now speaking of stealing and movies...Biopics can go either way, more than any other kind of film, I think. In Steal This Movie, Vincent plays Abbie Hoffman. When I said these things can go either way, I mean that this very easily could have become a caricature, since Abbie Hoffman was quite distinct in the way he talked and acted. But it was not just an impersonation being done here. Vincent really captures how this man was and how he behaved. And as I am quite shocked that he has never received an Oscar nomination, I think I'm most shocked that he didn't get one for this. Oh, also, if you get this on DVD, watch it, and then watch it with the commentary. Because said commentary is glorious.
#3. That Championship Season - Okay, I talked about this film before when it made my Gary Sinise list, so as to not be repetitive, I'll be brief. Now, this is technically a TV movie, but I don't care. It's so good I have to include it. The story is about four guys, who used to play basketball in high school, getting together with their coach after several years. May not seem like much, but it is. It was based on a play, and it really has the feel of one, since most of this is just five guys talking in a room. Sounds simple, maybe that's the point, but between the great writing and the superb acting of Vincent and the rest of the cast, it's actually incredible.
#2. Chelsea Walls - And in our final installment of the D'Onofrio/Hawke Show (OMG, somebody call the Bravo network NOW!), we have this fine film. Okay, for this one, Vincent does the acting and Ethan does the directing. It was actually his directorial debut. Chelsea Walls is about a bunch of artists living in the infamous Chelsea Hotel in New York City. Why artists? Well, because, obviously, they are the only people allowed to live in the Chelsea Hotel. Seriously, I don't even think they do credit checks; they just look at your portfolio. Anyway, this is another ensemble piece, and it's an amazing ensemble at that. Vincent is joined by Natasha Richardson, Kris Kristofferson, Robert Sean Leonard and Rosario Dawson, just to name a few. Also, Uma Thurman, because she may have known the director at the time. Kidding. She's fantastic in this, too. Again, this film wasn't exactly a huge hit, but I kind of understand that. It's different. It's very subtle and character driven, which is not always popular. I don't think this is something that everyone is going to be able to appreciate fully. I do, but I'm also an artist. And artists like to watch things about artists. Because we're all kind of narcissistic, in a way. We like to watch each other fail and triumph and live, just because. So, if you're into that, definitely check this one out.
#1. The Whole Wide World - The very first review I did on my blog was of this movie. I don't think I can give it any more praise than I did there, and I gave it a lot. Now, I don't want to repeat that entire review, so go back and read it, at some point, to get the whole story. I'll put a link down below, alright? As for now, I'll just say a few words. This film is absolutely brilliant. It's captivating and funny and heartbreaking. It's pretty much Vincent D'Onofrio at his very best. Oh, and since I got the title of my first book from a line he said in this film, that's why I dedicated it to him. Because why not?
So, there is my list. Sorry if I left off your favorites, but, like I mentioned, this was really hard. I've said this so many times, but it's worth being said again. I am such a huge admirer of Vincent D'Onofrio. He has made me laugh and cry and maybe even terrified me sometimes. I think he is one of the few true artists left in the entertainment industry, and, honestly, he is one of the people who makes me extremely honored to be an artist as well. I'm very grateful to him for that. So, I guess the only thing left for me to say is "Happy Birthday, Vincent D'Onofrio...if, by some miracle, you are reading this!" Here's hoping.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Link to my The Whole Wide World review: blogspot
I seriously cannot believe it has taken me so long to do this, but I am finally doing my Top Ten list of Vincent D'Onofrio movies. Why today? Well, if you believe everything you read on the internet, and I do, today is his birthday. Since I'm broke and I don't actually know him, we'll call this a gift. Oh, I guess, after that, I should probably say that I will be giving a few movie spoilers in this list. Yes, I'm going to be nice today and tell you that.
Anyway, if you have read this blog before, you may have noticed that I have a great love for Mr. D'Onofrio. I have mentioned him a few times here. I mean, for crying out loud, I did a post search and saw that his name came up in about ten other things I've written, and only two of those actually were specifically related to him. And if you've read my first published book, you'll know that I dedicated it to him. That may seem like a weird thing for me to do, and it probably is, but there's a decent explanation for it. And I will give it somewhere within this blog post. So, anyway, I enjoy this man. I suppose that makes it even stranger that I haven't done this yet, but today seems like as good of a day as any.
I don't want to waste too much time here, but I have to say this was one of the more difficult lists I've had to do. Vincent D'Onofrio has been in a lot of films, and even if said films weren't always overwhelmingly good, he tended to be the bright spot in them. Also, much like what I said about my beloved Gary Sinise, he is not usually the main star in many of his movies. He has been that, but he generally as a supporter or part of an ensemble. Funny thing is, even in those cases, it is not an odd occurrence if he ends up stealing the show. But I think that's how he is. He doesn't have to be the star. He just wants to be a part of something good. Well, that would be a win on his part. Still, to make things a bit easier for myself, I excluded anything where he has less than, let's say, twenty minutes on screen. I know, I know. But here are a few quick words about those. In Adventures in Babysitting, he was a better Thor than Chris Hemsworth, and, in Ed Wood, he was a better Orson Welles than...Orson Welles. Okay, that might be pushing it. But I thought I'd narrow this down. So, let's get down to business. Here are my Top Ten Vincent D'Onofrio movies.
Honorable Mention: Yeah, I'm doing one of these again. This little award is going to The Cell. Now, admittedly this movie has a few flaws, but Vincent's performance was so great, I had to give it a bit of a shout out. He's does a pretty amazing job of playing Carl, a serial killer with a tragic past and some hobbies that are, in the words of the Nostalgia Critic..."specific". Usually, the whole villain and victim thing being meshed together doesn't work for me, but it does here. Also, hats off to him for dealing with all the over the top costumes and make-up for this thing. I admire the patience.
And now for the actual list.
#10. Sherlock: Case of Evil - This film was made in 2002, long before the craze caused by the Robert Downey, Jr. movies and the BBC Sherlock show and the far superior to either of those in my opinion, Elementary. So, sadly, I think it came and went relatively unnoticed. And that's not good at all. Now, normally, when the name Sherlock Holmes comes up in association with Vincent D'Onofrio, it's in regards to his Law and Order: Criminal Intent character, Detective Robert Goren, with good reason. Much like Holmes, he has somewhat adopted the "I love puzzles, but not so much people" philosophy of life. But here, he is not playing Sherlock. He's playing Moriarty! What?! That's right. He went to the other side on this one. Well, he is very good at playing bad guys and smart guys. Why not put the two together?
#9. Full Metal Jacket - I cannot be the only person who has watched this movie all the way through only once, and, with all subsequent viewings, stops after about 47 minutes, because...you know...the thing happens. Okay, maybe I just do that sometimes. Look, let's be honest. Everyone says that the best part of this movie is the first half, specifically all the parts with D'Onofrio. And I have met more than a few women who kinda sorta started to crush on him here. It's the woobie thing. You spend the whole time either wanting to give him a hug or beat the crap out of the guys who were picking on him. Or was that just me?
#8. The Narrows - I love a story about someone trying to get out of where they are, and this is about a young man trying to do just that. Vincent does not play the young man, as that role went to Kevin Zegers, but he does play the young man's father. Nice. Besides the obvious fantastic acting, this film also has some really great dialogue in it. I know. What a shock that I noticed that. There's also a mob thing going on within the plot. That's always good. Well, maybe not always, but certainly usually. In fact, unless my memory is playing a really wacky trick on me, I think there's an interview with Vincent on the DVD where he talks about his family being from New York...and Italian...but totally not in the mob. Well...Amen? Ya know, I really hope I didn't make that interview up in my head. I mean, I'm good, but I'm not that good.
#7. The Newton Boys - I can't be certain, but I think this is where the bromance of Vincent D'Onofrio and Ethan Hawke began. Sorry, I don't mean to undermine the great friendship that these two guys have. Anyway, it was their first movie together, as far as I know, but not their last. This is about the Newton Gang, a band of bank robbing brothers, and not only do we get Vincent and Ethan here, but also Skeet Ulrich and Matthew McConaughey. Yeah, good times, indeed. Now, I do like a good Western-type film every now and then, but the reason I really like this one is that it's a lot of fun. Sometimes that's all I need, to just sit there and be entertained. This movie takes care of that quite well.
#6. Staten Island - Again, we're getting Vincent D'Onofrio and Ethan Hawke doing some acting together. Here, D'Onofrio plays a mob boss, and he is very, very funny. I'm not kidding. I mean, it's been a while since I've seen this, and I know it's not a comedy, but, come on. He basically lives up in a tree for a good chunk of time. Shoot as many guns as you want, but that scenario can't not be funny. I think this movie did not get super great reviews, but I was so incredibly entertained by his performance that I could watch this several times. And, for a guy who tends to play darker characters, it was refreshing to see him being so humorous at the same time. He really needs to do more funny.
#5. Men in Black - Speaking of funny, 'My name is Vincent D'Onofrio, and I've been possessed by an alien bug!'. So, if we set aside Will Smith and Will Smith's song, I think that D'Onforio is the most memorable thing about this movie for a lot of people. In this role of Edgar the Alien Bug Man, he does not hold back at all. With the skills of a lesser actor, this part could have gone into silly territory, but with Vincent, he commits 100%. So, we get this weird character that's funny and disgusting and over the top and just plain insane. And it's amazing. It has to be hard to steal the spotlight from Will Smith in his own movie, but I think that's kind of what happened here.
#4. Steal This Movie - And now speaking of stealing and movies...Biopics can go either way, more than any other kind of film, I think. In Steal This Movie, Vincent plays Abbie Hoffman. When I said these things can go either way, I mean that this very easily could have become a caricature, since Abbie Hoffman was quite distinct in the way he talked and acted. But it was not just an impersonation being done here. Vincent really captures how this man was and how he behaved. And as I am quite shocked that he has never received an Oscar nomination, I think I'm most shocked that he didn't get one for this. Oh, also, if you get this on DVD, watch it, and then watch it with the commentary. Because said commentary is glorious.
#3. That Championship Season - Okay, I talked about this film before when it made my Gary Sinise list, so as to not be repetitive, I'll be brief. Now, this is technically a TV movie, but I don't care. It's so good I have to include it. The story is about four guys, who used to play basketball in high school, getting together with their coach after several years. May not seem like much, but it is. It was based on a play, and it really has the feel of one, since most of this is just five guys talking in a room. Sounds simple, maybe that's the point, but between the great writing and the superb acting of Vincent and the rest of the cast, it's actually incredible.
#2. Chelsea Walls - And in our final installment of the D'Onofrio/Hawke Show (OMG, somebody call the Bravo network NOW!), we have this fine film. Okay, for this one, Vincent does the acting and Ethan does the directing. It was actually his directorial debut. Chelsea Walls is about a bunch of artists living in the infamous Chelsea Hotel in New York City. Why artists? Well, because, obviously, they are the only people allowed to live in the Chelsea Hotel. Seriously, I don't even think they do credit checks; they just look at your portfolio. Anyway, this is another ensemble piece, and it's an amazing ensemble at that. Vincent is joined by Natasha Richardson, Kris Kristofferson, Robert Sean Leonard and Rosario Dawson, just to name a few. Also, Uma Thurman, because she may have known the director at the time. Kidding. She's fantastic in this, too. Again, this film wasn't exactly a huge hit, but I kind of understand that. It's different. It's very subtle and character driven, which is not always popular. I don't think this is something that everyone is going to be able to appreciate fully. I do, but I'm also an artist. And artists like to watch things about artists. Because we're all kind of narcissistic, in a way. We like to watch each other fail and triumph and live, just because. So, if you're into that, definitely check this one out.
#1. The Whole Wide World - The very first review I did on my blog was of this movie. I don't think I can give it any more praise than I did there, and I gave it a lot. Now, I don't want to repeat that entire review, so go back and read it, at some point, to get the whole story. I'll put a link down below, alright? As for now, I'll just say a few words. This film is absolutely brilliant. It's captivating and funny and heartbreaking. It's pretty much Vincent D'Onofrio at his very best. Oh, and since I got the title of my first book from a line he said in this film, that's why I dedicated it to him. Because why not?
So, there is my list. Sorry if I left off your favorites, but, like I mentioned, this was really hard. I've said this so many times, but it's worth being said again. I am such a huge admirer of Vincent D'Onofrio. He has made me laugh and cry and maybe even terrified me sometimes. I think he is one of the few true artists left in the entertainment industry, and, honestly, he is one of the people who makes me extremely honored to be an artist as well. I'm very grateful to him for that. So, I guess the only thing left for me to say is "Happy Birthday, Vincent D'Onofrio...if, by some miracle, you are reading this!" Here's hoping.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Link to my The Whole Wide World review: blogspot
Friday, June 27, 2014
Steel Magnolias (2012) - TV Movie Review
Greetings,
Okay, it has been quite a while since I've reviewed a TV movie. What prompted this return? Well, as some of you may have heard, the Lifetime Network is planning a movie about the goings on behind the scenes at Saved By the Bell. As with most Lifetime movies, this could go either way. So, I thought I'd dive into their collection and see if I could find something a bit more substantial. I went in, and I came out with the 2012 remake of Steel Magnolias.
Initially, when I heard about this, I wondered what was the point of remaking a movie that was already really good. Not that it hasn't been done before. Still, I gave it a chance, and I was pleasantly surprised. Well, not that surprised, considering the cast, which we'll get to in a minute. Honestly, I don't know what prompted someone to do this remake, but, now that it exists and I've seen it, I'm kind of glad that it's here.
So, the most obvious thing about this new version of Steel Magnolias is that the cast is all African-American. I assume that some misguided person may have referred to this as a "gimmick", but if anyone says that, it's a load of crap. Maybe it would be true if there was a sub par cast, but, as I said, this cast is phenomenal. So let's talk about that.
Taking over the role of M'Lynn is none other than Queen Latifah, in probably her most mature role to date. By mature, I mean, she totally plays a grandma here...eventually. Love it! Actually, I do like how, as she gets older, she is easily and naturally falling into roles that suit where she is in her life and her age. I don't see her trying to force herself into a part that is meant for a 21-year-old. Not every actress is capable of that, but she is doing so beautifully. Speaking of women who have also done that, we get Phylicia Rashad as Clairee. In the original, I think this character was the most motherly, in a way, to the whole group, but she was also kind of sassy. Seriously, who better to fill that role than the woman who portrayed on of the best TV moms ever? And Ms. Rashad is as good as ever. Guess who else is pretty good - her daughter, Condola Rashad, who plays Shelby. Now I've seen her on a couple of TV shows, but I think she does a lot of theater work, even getting herself a Tony. Here, she captures the "I'm young and I'm your daughter, but I'm ready to grow up and be myself" thing. I think it can be tough to play the parts of people in transition, but she pulls it off. Then, we have Adepero Oduye as Annelle. You may recognize this fine actress from a little film called 12 Years a Slave. Anyway, this remake is about thirty minutes less than the original, so some things had to be omitted. One of those things was a lot of Annelle's subplot. She does get her back story and whatnot, but they kind of cut all her stuff in half. Still, with what she is given, Adepero does a fine job.
Alright, now let's get to the two parts that were probably the hardest to tackle. I say this because they were the most over the top and distinct in the original. First, there is Truvy, here played by Jill Scott. This part was first portrayed by Dolly Parton. You see the dilemma. As you may know, Dolly Parton is a character in and of herself. I say this, by the way, with all the respect in the world. And when she played Truvy, she brought a ton of herself into that role. In this version, they easily could have had Jill Scott mimic the performance. They did not, and that was a good choice, because it could have become a caricature of sorts. But Jill played her in a more subtle way. Still fun and (gotta use this word again) sassy, but a little more subdued. And it works. Then, there is the part of Ouiser, played here by Alfre Woodard. Again, this character was very memorable in the original, mostly because she was so crazy. Oh, trust, she's crazy here, too, but Ms. Woodard did this in her own special way. Just as eccentric, yet uniquely so.
Now what I said about those subplots getting reduced a bit? Well, that meant that the guys weren't in this version as much as they were in the first. Makes sense, I guess. This is, after all, Lifetime: Television for WOMEN! Still, I have to give credit to the men who rounded out the cast. We have Tory Kittles as Jackson, Afemo Omilami as Drum, Michael Beasley as Spud, and Lance Gross as Sammy. And whatever their role, however large or small, these guys held their own with those awesome ladies.
So you may be wondering what are the differences and the similarities when it comes to this versus the original. Of course, I already mentioned some of both, but here's a few more. First, it is full-on updated. It's not set in the 80's or anything. I know because they mentioned Facebook and they had more modern music. They also added some scenes or put the old ones in new settings. They also kept A LOT of the same dialogue. That also could have been awkward, but everyone put their own spin on it so well that it didn't hurt anything. Probably because none of that matters, really. What is important to the story, the emotions and love, everything about family and friends, that is all still there. In other words, yes, I did cry...again.
I know that, as with many remakes, if you love the original, you might be hesitant to want to see another version. Still, I say give this one a chance. Everyone does a superb job, and as a whole, I think I might like this cast better than the 1987 film. Yeah, I was not and am not the biggest fan of some of the people in the that one. But whatever. I say check this out. At the very least, you'll get to see some amazing performances. That's worth quite a lot.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Okay, it has been quite a while since I've reviewed a TV movie. What prompted this return? Well, as some of you may have heard, the Lifetime Network is planning a movie about the goings on behind the scenes at Saved By the Bell. As with most Lifetime movies, this could go either way. So, I thought I'd dive into their collection and see if I could find something a bit more substantial. I went in, and I came out with the 2012 remake of Steel Magnolias.
Initially, when I heard about this, I wondered what was the point of remaking a movie that was already really good. Not that it hasn't been done before. Still, I gave it a chance, and I was pleasantly surprised. Well, not that surprised, considering the cast, which we'll get to in a minute. Honestly, I don't know what prompted someone to do this remake, but, now that it exists and I've seen it, I'm kind of glad that it's here.
So, the most obvious thing about this new version of Steel Magnolias is that the cast is all African-American. I assume that some misguided person may have referred to this as a "gimmick", but if anyone says that, it's a load of crap. Maybe it would be true if there was a sub par cast, but, as I said, this cast is phenomenal. So let's talk about that.
Taking over the role of M'Lynn is none other than Queen Latifah, in probably her most mature role to date. By mature, I mean, she totally plays a grandma here...eventually. Love it! Actually, I do like how, as she gets older, she is easily and naturally falling into roles that suit where she is in her life and her age. I don't see her trying to force herself into a part that is meant for a 21-year-old. Not every actress is capable of that, but she is doing so beautifully. Speaking of women who have also done that, we get Phylicia Rashad as Clairee. In the original, I think this character was the most motherly, in a way, to the whole group, but she was also kind of sassy. Seriously, who better to fill that role than the woman who portrayed on of the best TV moms ever? And Ms. Rashad is as good as ever. Guess who else is pretty good - her daughter, Condola Rashad, who plays Shelby. Now I've seen her on a couple of TV shows, but I think she does a lot of theater work, even getting herself a Tony. Here, she captures the "I'm young and I'm your daughter, but I'm ready to grow up and be myself" thing. I think it can be tough to play the parts of people in transition, but she pulls it off. Then, we have Adepero Oduye as Annelle. You may recognize this fine actress from a little film called 12 Years a Slave. Anyway, this remake is about thirty minutes less than the original, so some things had to be omitted. One of those things was a lot of Annelle's subplot. She does get her back story and whatnot, but they kind of cut all her stuff in half. Still, with what she is given, Adepero does a fine job.
Alright, now let's get to the two parts that were probably the hardest to tackle. I say this because they were the most over the top and distinct in the original. First, there is Truvy, here played by Jill Scott. This part was first portrayed by Dolly Parton. You see the dilemma. As you may know, Dolly Parton is a character in and of herself. I say this, by the way, with all the respect in the world. And when she played Truvy, she brought a ton of herself into that role. In this version, they easily could have had Jill Scott mimic the performance. They did not, and that was a good choice, because it could have become a caricature of sorts. But Jill played her in a more subtle way. Still fun and (gotta use this word again) sassy, but a little more subdued. And it works. Then, there is the part of Ouiser, played here by Alfre Woodard. Again, this character was very memorable in the original, mostly because she was so crazy. Oh, trust, she's crazy here, too, but Ms. Woodard did this in her own special way. Just as eccentric, yet uniquely so.
Now what I said about those subplots getting reduced a bit? Well, that meant that the guys weren't in this version as much as they were in the first. Makes sense, I guess. This is, after all, Lifetime: Television for WOMEN! Still, I have to give credit to the men who rounded out the cast. We have Tory Kittles as Jackson, Afemo Omilami as Drum, Michael Beasley as Spud, and Lance Gross as Sammy. And whatever their role, however large or small, these guys held their own with those awesome ladies.
So you may be wondering what are the differences and the similarities when it comes to this versus the original. Of course, I already mentioned some of both, but here's a few more. First, it is full-on updated. It's not set in the 80's or anything. I know because they mentioned Facebook and they had more modern music. They also added some scenes or put the old ones in new settings. They also kept A LOT of the same dialogue. That also could have been awkward, but everyone put their own spin on it so well that it didn't hurt anything. Probably because none of that matters, really. What is important to the story, the emotions and love, everything about family and friends, that is all still there. In other words, yes, I did cry...again.
I know that, as with many remakes, if you love the original, you might be hesitant to want to see another version. Still, I say give this one a chance. Everyone does a superb job, and as a whole, I think I might like this cast better than the 1987 film. Yeah, I was not and am not the biggest fan of some of the people in the that one. But whatever. I say check this out. At the very least, you'll get to see some amazing performances. That's worth quite a lot.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Top Ten Episodes of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Greetings,
Doing modern adaptations of classic works is nothing new. In fact, some may say, it has been done to death. I can agree with that on certain occasions. Of course, if one wants to do such a thing, they must be as original as possible, and what they create must be very, very good. Enter The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
For those sad few of you who are unaware, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a web series that ran on You Tube from 2012 to 2013. It is, obviously, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Like I said, it is hard to retell a story that everyone already knows and keep people interested. They certainly did that here. It's a great mix of the novel used as a foundation with new ideas and twists on characters to build on top of that. I could go on and on about the details, like the stellar cast, headed by the lovely Ashley Clements, but I suggest you do this: just go watch. Seriously, it is quite entertaining. Also, this list I'm doing today truly is for the fans who already know the plot and the characters, but if you'd like to read on, be my guest. But watch this series eventually. It's worth it.
And now for my list of favorites. Some will be obvious; others, not so much. Some might make you guys just say, "What?" But I have my reasons, and it was hard to choose. Enough stalling. My name is Becky the Writer, and these are my Top Ten episodes of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
#10. "Care Packages" Episode 58 - Okay, this choice may be a bit unexpected. It might even be considered a bit of a filler episode, only there to serve as something on which to bring forth a big "Uh-oh!" moment at the end. Basically, it's just Lizzie and her friend, Fitz, putting together a care package for Jane, but there's something so fun and funny about this one that makes me always look forward to it as it approaches on the playlist. Also, I now know how to properly prepare a care package...should I ever have someone to whom I can send such a thing.
#9. "Enjoy the Adorbs" Episode 20 - Again, this one may come as a surprise. It's one of the few to not feature Lizzie, and nothing too major happens here. Actually, my love for this one stems from, what I consider, one of the funniest lines in the entire series - "My name is Lydia Bennet...AND THIS IS MY HAUL!" Yeah, I can't do it justice here, so go watch Mary Kate Wiles bring it on home.
#8. "My Name is Lizzie Bennet" Episode 1 - One of the hardest things to do when you are a writer is figuring out how to begin. I bet it's even harder when you are updating a book that many people love. So they wisely opened with the opening line from Pride and Prejudice...written on a statement shirt. Talk about perfectly blending the old and the new.
#7. "The End" Episode 100 - Another one of the hardest things to do when you are a writer is figuring out how to finish. Here, we get something of an open ending. Things are wrapped up, but we also see that these beloved characters are moving on to good places in their lives. It's a nice way to tell us that everyone's going to be okay. Also, after a long wait, we get to actually see one of those characters...sort of.
#6. "Checks and Balances" Episode 82 - So while Lizzie is in this episode, she is not the focal point. That honor goes to Gigi Darcy. After much speculation about a certain cad named George Wickham, Gigi fills us in on the truth, and she does so by exposing a lot of personal things about herself, including some very big mistakes that she made. I like this one because it is rather subtle, and I love how they handle this part of the story for which a lot of people were probably waiting.
#5. "C vs. C" Episode 64 - Girl fight! Holla! Okay, civilized girl fight. In the episode just previous to this one, we begin to see the genesis of what we had always been suspecting about Caroline Lee - that she's kind of, for lack of a better and less offensive word, a "mean girl". Here, though, things come to a head between Lizzie, Caroline and Charlotte, and it is fantastic. My word, these ladies have mastered the art of smiling whilst gritting one's teeth. Amazing.
#4. "Corporate Interview" Episode 83 - Of course, we all know that Pride and Prejudice is a story of people who seemingly dislike each other that slowly but surely becomes one of love. This installment shows us the first time that Lizzie and Darcy truly start to let their guards down and have some fun, something that Lizzie thought was pretty much incapable of at one point. But, judging by the last thirty seconds or so, we learn that he is capable. Oh, yes, quite, quite capable.
#3. "Snickerdoodles" Episode 48 - I love snickerdoodles, and I love Jane Bennet. Everyone loves Jane Bennet. She is the kind, loving, compassionate, older sister that one can only dream of having. She is also someone who, no matter what, seems to always see life from a positive perspective. As this episode begins, she does seem very positive. Too positive, considering what is going on in her life at this point. And Lizzie can see this. She doesn't push, but once she talks Jane into participating in some costume theater, her real emotions come through. It is so sad, and Laura Spencer, who plays Jane, wonderfully puts every viewer into "Holy crap, I totally have to give this girl a hug RIGHT NOW!" mode. Well, even more so than usual.
#2. "Are You Kidding Me?" Episode 60 - Anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice knows that there are certain moments to which we look forward with any adaptation. Probably none more than the moment where Darcy professes his love for Lizzie. However, in most adaptations, that comes after we have seen and heard Darcy for ourselves for a while. Here, all we know of him is what has come from other, especially Lizzie, who does not think so highly of him. Then, all of a sudden he just show up and tells her that he loves her, all in one fell swoop. And you know what? It really works well. Oh, and God bless Ashley Clements and her reaction faces. Priceless!
#1. "An Understanding" Episode 87 - Hey, how do you fancy an emotional punch in the gut? Well, here you go. For a series that is mostly comedy, you wonder how they will be able to handle more dramatic moments. If I am judging by this episode, I'd say brilliantly. Okay, first, this one features all three sisters and their respective actresses at their very best. Jane comes in to comfort Lizzie with a cup of tea and utters the now iconic line of "Everyone deserve tea", and then we get Lydia. Most of the time in this series, Lydia is seen as a very young, exuberant, fun-loving girl, who doesn't take things too seriously. Here, due to current circumstances in the story and in her life, she is forced to face all of her mistakes and the consequences thereof. It's kind of amazing, because, whilst everyone else is blaming another person, as well they should, Lydia seems to be the first one taking responsibility for her part in the whole mess. And through the whole experience, she is really being forced to grow up. The whole episode is really heartbreaking, mostly due to the superb performance of Mary Kate Wiles. But, at the same time, it's also heartwarming, because we get to see how much these three sisters truly do love each other.
So those are my favorites from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. If you haven't watched this series yet, go ahead and do it. And if you already have, then go watch it again. Also, get the book, which I plan on doing myself soon. The whole thing is just plain good, and if it can get a new generation to go and read the source material, or get into reading in general, I say thumbs up on that.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Doing modern adaptations of classic works is nothing new. In fact, some may say, it has been done to death. I can agree with that on certain occasions. Of course, if one wants to do such a thing, they must be as original as possible, and what they create must be very, very good. Enter The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
For those sad few of you who are unaware, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a web series that ran on You Tube from 2012 to 2013. It is, obviously, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Like I said, it is hard to retell a story that everyone already knows and keep people interested. They certainly did that here. It's a great mix of the novel used as a foundation with new ideas and twists on characters to build on top of that. I could go on and on about the details, like the stellar cast, headed by the lovely Ashley Clements, but I suggest you do this: just go watch. Seriously, it is quite entertaining. Also, this list I'm doing today truly is for the fans who already know the plot and the characters, but if you'd like to read on, be my guest. But watch this series eventually. It's worth it.
And now for my list of favorites. Some will be obvious; others, not so much. Some might make you guys just say, "What?" But I have my reasons, and it was hard to choose. Enough stalling. My name is Becky the Writer, and these are my Top Ten episodes of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
#10. "Care Packages" Episode 58 - Okay, this choice may be a bit unexpected. It might even be considered a bit of a filler episode, only there to serve as something on which to bring forth a big "Uh-oh!" moment at the end. Basically, it's just Lizzie and her friend, Fitz, putting together a care package for Jane, but there's something so fun and funny about this one that makes me always look forward to it as it approaches on the playlist. Also, I now know how to properly prepare a care package...should I ever have someone to whom I can send such a thing.
#9. "Enjoy the Adorbs" Episode 20 - Again, this one may come as a surprise. It's one of the few to not feature Lizzie, and nothing too major happens here. Actually, my love for this one stems from, what I consider, one of the funniest lines in the entire series - "My name is Lydia Bennet...AND THIS IS MY HAUL!" Yeah, I can't do it justice here, so go watch Mary Kate Wiles bring it on home.
#8. "My Name is Lizzie Bennet" Episode 1 - One of the hardest things to do when you are a writer is figuring out how to begin. I bet it's even harder when you are updating a book that many people love. So they wisely opened with the opening line from Pride and Prejudice...written on a statement shirt. Talk about perfectly blending the old and the new.
#7. "The End" Episode 100 - Another one of the hardest things to do when you are a writer is figuring out how to finish. Here, we get something of an open ending. Things are wrapped up, but we also see that these beloved characters are moving on to good places in their lives. It's a nice way to tell us that everyone's going to be okay. Also, after a long wait, we get to actually see one of those characters...sort of.
#6. "Checks and Balances" Episode 82 - So while Lizzie is in this episode, she is not the focal point. That honor goes to Gigi Darcy. After much speculation about a certain cad named George Wickham, Gigi fills us in on the truth, and she does so by exposing a lot of personal things about herself, including some very big mistakes that she made. I like this one because it is rather subtle, and I love how they handle this part of the story for which a lot of people were probably waiting.
#5. "C vs. C" Episode 64 - Girl fight! Holla! Okay, civilized girl fight. In the episode just previous to this one, we begin to see the genesis of what we had always been suspecting about Caroline Lee - that she's kind of, for lack of a better and less offensive word, a "mean girl". Here, though, things come to a head between Lizzie, Caroline and Charlotte, and it is fantastic. My word, these ladies have mastered the art of smiling whilst gritting one's teeth. Amazing.
#4. "Corporate Interview" Episode 83 - Of course, we all know that Pride and Prejudice is a story of people who seemingly dislike each other that slowly but surely becomes one of love. This installment shows us the first time that Lizzie and Darcy truly start to let their guards down and have some fun, something that Lizzie thought was pretty much incapable of at one point. But, judging by the last thirty seconds or so, we learn that he is capable. Oh, yes, quite, quite capable.
#3. "Snickerdoodles" Episode 48 - I love snickerdoodles, and I love Jane Bennet. Everyone loves Jane Bennet. She is the kind, loving, compassionate, older sister that one can only dream of having. She is also someone who, no matter what, seems to always see life from a positive perspective. As this episode begins, she does seem very positive. Too positive, considering what is going on in her life at this point. And Lizzie can see this. She doesn't push, but once she talks Jane into participating in some costume theater, her real emotions come through. It is so sad, and Laura Spencer, who plays Jane, wonderfully puts every viewer into "Holy crap, I totally have to give this girl a hug RIGHT NOW!" mode. Well, even more so than usual.
#2. "Are You Kidding Me?" Episode 60 - Anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice knows that there are certain moments to which we look forward with any adaptation. Probably none more than the moment where Darcy professes his love for Lizzie. However, in most adaptations, that comes after we have seen and heard Darcy for ourselves for a while. Here, all we know of him is what has come from other, especially Lizzie, who does not think so highly of him. Then, all of a sudden he just show up and tells her that he loves her, all in one fell swoop. And you know what? It really works well. Oh, and God bless Ashley Clements and her reaction faces. Priceless!
#1. "An Understanding" Episode 87 - Hey, how do you fancy an emotional punch in the gut? Well, here you go. For a series that is mostly comedy, you wonder how they will be able to handle more dramatic moments. If I am judging by this episode, I'd say brilliantly. Okay, first, this one features all three sisters and their respective actresses at their very best. Jane comes in to comfort Lizzie with a cup of tea and utters the now iconic line of "Everyone deserve tea", and then we get Lydia. Most of the time in this series, Lydia is seen as a very young, exuberant, fun-loving girl, who doesn't take things too seriously. Here, due to current circumstances in the story and in her life, she is forced to face all of her mistakes and the consequences thereof. It's kind of amazing, because, whilst everyone else is blaming another person, as well they should, Lydia seems to be the first one taking responsibility for her part in the whole mess. And through the whole experience, she is really being forced to grow up. The whole episode is really heartbreaking, mostly due to the superb performance of Mary Kate Wiles. But, at the same time, it's also heartwarming, because we get to see how much these three sisters truly do love each other.
So those are my favorites from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. If you haven't watched this series yet, go ahead and do it. And if you already have, then go watch it again. Also, get the book, which I plan on doing myself soon. The whole thing is just plain good, and if it can get a new generation to go and read the source material, or get into reading in general, I say thumbs up on that.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Straight From the Theater Review - Jersey Boys
Greetings,
So what do you think of when I say the words Clint Eastwood and music? Oh, you did not just respond with Paint Your Wagon. Yeah, how about we leave that for another day. If you know what's good for you, those words might make you think of how he has been quite successful as a musician when it comes to scoring his own movies and even writing some actual songs for them. And whilst I am not one who tends to notice score, believe it or not, I usually do remember the ones CLint has done. Still, even though he has been quite vocal about his love of music, I really never would have guessed that he would be the one to spearhead the latest Broadway musical brought to the big screen project, Jersey Boys. And yet, here we are.
As I said, Jersey Boys was originally a Broadway musical, which told the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, or just the Four Seasons, depending on whose side you're on. It tells their story from beginning to end, and, of course, it features a ton of their fantastic music. It debuted in 2005 and was very successful. A film version seemed inevitable. It just took almost ten years. Now I never saw the musical on stage, so I have no idea how much of the film was faithful to that. Then again, I have no idea how faithful the play was to real life. I don't recall hearing about any slander lawsuits, so I'm guessing it was as accurate as possible. Anyway, let's talk about that movie.
I am certainly someone who enjoys knowing the stories behind the music, so to speak, and Jersey Boys does that in a very good way. It doesn't just tell one person's account. Each guy from the band gets their say, though they may, at times, contradict each other. And the way that the guys tell their story is by way of a lot of asides. Seriously, if you have major issues with characters in movies breaking the fourth wall, you might have a problem here. I assume that this was done in the stage production, and they decided to carry it over. Still, there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. I think they did it right here.
Okay, now let's get to the cast, which was incredibly good. First is John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli. All the while I was watching, I was wondering two things: was he really singing and if so, was he the guy who was in the Broadway production? Well, yes and yes. And he was impressive, mostly with the singing. It is not easy to mimic a voice as distinct as that. Then, we have Vincent Piazza as Tommy DeVito. If we are going to classify the Four Seasons as a boy band, I suppose we would have to label Tommy as the "bad boy". Yeah, he might have gotten himself into a little trouble here and there. Thing is, though, Piazza played him in such a way that he was kind of likable. Sure, you might want to punch him a couple times, but you also rooted for him a bit, too. Next is Nick Massi played by Michael Lomenda. Apparently, Nick was the "other one" in the band. You know what I'm talking about. And this isn't me saying it. He flat-out calls himself the Ringo of the group, and we all know what that means. He was the guy who was just kind of ... there, but when time came for him to say something, he did. Finally, there's Bob Gaudio played by Erich Bergen. He got invited into the group because he was the songwriter. And that, of course, means that he was the most important member ever. Because the writer is always the most important person. I know, because I am one. Kidding aside, if I had to pick a favorite, I would pick him, if only because I can relate to him. They did use him in these interesting scenes showing how someone would randomly say something and that would inspire him to write a song. That's how it works. All in all, though, these four guys were really great together, chemistry-wise, and if they hadn't been, it could have ruined the whole thing. Thankfully, they worked together amazingly.
Of course, these guys weren't the only ones in the movie, as you know. May as well start at the top with Christopher Walken playing...Christopher Walken. Okay, he's actually playing a guy named Gyp DeCarlo, but he's doing his Christopher Walken thing throughout. I mean, that's what we want from him, am I right? Then, there was Renee Marino as Mary, Frankie's wife. God bless her, she did a fantastic job of playing a woman who appears to be maybe not so nice at times. That is not as easy as it looks. We also got Mike Doyle in this, who some of you may recognize as O'Halloran, formerly one of the best forensic techs on Law and Order: SVU, but you probably won't. Yeah, as much as I've seen him on SVU, I totally did not know that was him until I IMDB'd it. But that's good. It means he has range. And, wow, does he get to have some fun here, playing Bob Crewe, who was the producer for the Four Seasons, and also did some songwriting as well. I don't want to give too much away about this guy, because I'd rather you experience it for yourselves. Let's just say that things were a tad different fifty plus years ago. Also, there was Joe Pesci. Not actual Joe Pesci but a guy named Joey Russo playing actual Joe Pesci, who apparently was a friend of theirs back in the day. Oh, and this Russo guy was hilarious.
You also might want to keep your eyes open for cameos by some familiar faces. You get Steve Schirrppa, of course, because, let's face it, Jersey Boys is just a less violent, more musical, long episode of The Sopranos. Also, you'll see Francesca Eastwood, Clint's lovely daughter. I knew I'd see one of his kids in this, and I thought I recognized her. And we get to see Barry Livingston. Ernie Douglas from My Three Sons, right the heck there. I didn't see that one coming. Good times. Honestly, there were a lot of small roles and everyone was good.
So, as I have stated often, I am a great admirer of Clint Eastwood. I really like his directing style, and this is just him doing what he does best. And while on the subject of the behind the scenes action, shock of all shocks, Brett Ratner was apparently involved in this as an executive producer. Okay, I am not such a fan of his as a director, but it seems that, in this role, he does just fine. That gives me much relief, by the way, since he is apparently also going to be involved in the Hank Wiliams bio starring our beloved Tom Hiddleston. Hopefully, he'll do just as good of a job there as he did here.
In closing, finally, I am going to tell you to go see this. Now I suppose it's not exactly necessary to see it on the big screen. Rent if you must. But if you are a music lover, especially the music of the Four Seasons, I say go to the theater. Honestly, it's a good idea if you always wanted to see the stage production, because you really get surrounded by all the richness of that wonderful musical. It sounded unbelievable. Of course, I realize that this movie is getting mixed reviews, but I just don't get it. It's well-acted, well-directed, well-produced. I'm sorry nothing blows up, but what more do you want? Just see Jersey Boys, one way or another.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
So what do you think of when I say the words Clint Eastwood and music? Oh, you did not just respond with Paint Your Wagon. Yeah, how about we leave that for another day. If you know what's good for you, those words might make you think of how he has been quite successful as a musician when it comes to scoring his own movies and even writing some actual songs for them. And whilst I am not one who tends to notice score, believe it or not, I usually do remember the ones CLint has done. Still, even though he has been quite vocal about his love of music, I really never would have guessed that he would be the one to spearhead the latest Broadway musical brought to the big screen project, Jersey Boys. And yet, here we are.
As I said, Jersey Boys was originally a Broadway musical, which told the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, or just the Four Seasons, depending on whose side you're on. It tells their story from beginning to end, and, of course, it features a ton of their fantastic music. It debuted in 2005 and was very successful. A film version seemed inevitable. It just took almost ten years. Now I never saw the musical on stage, so I have no idea how much of the film was faithful to that. Then again, I have no idea how faithful the play was to real life. I don't recall hearing about any slander lawsuits, so I'm guessing it was as accurate as possible. Anyway, let's talk about that movie.
I am certainly someone who enjoys knowing the stories behind the music, so to speak, and Jersey Boys does that in a very good way. It doesn't just tell one person's account. Each guy from the band gets their say, though they may, at times, contradict each other. And the way that the guys tell their story is by way of a lot of asides. Seriously, if you have major issues with characters in movies breaking the fourth wall, you might have a problem here. I assume that this was done in the stage production, and they decided to carry it over. Still, there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. I think they did it right here.
Okay, now let's get to the cast, which was incredibly good. First is John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli. All the while I was watching, I was wondering two things: was he really singing and if so, was he the guy who was in the Broadway production? Well, yes and yes. And he was impressive, mostly with the singing. It is not easy to mimic a voice as distinct as that. Then, we have Vincent Piazza as Tommy DeVito. If we are going to classify the Four Seasons as a boy band, I suppose we would have to label Tommy as the "bad boy". Yeah, he might have gotten himself into a little trouble here and there. Thing is, though, Piazza played him in such a way that he was kind of likable. Sure, you might want to punch him a couple times, but you also rooted for him a bit, too. Next is Nick Massi played by Michael Lomenda. Apparently, Nick was the "other one" in the band. You know what I'm talking about. And this isn't me saying it. He flat-out calls himself the Ringo of the group, and we all know what that means. He was the guy who was just kind of ... there, but when time came for him to say something, he did. Finally, there's Bob Gaudio played by Erich Bergen. He got invited into the group because he was the songwriter. And that, of course, means that he was the most important member ever. Because the writer is always the most important person. I know, because I am one. Kidding aside, if I had to pick a favorite, I would pick him, if only because I can relate to him. They did use him in these interesting scenes showing how someone would randomly say something and that would inspire him to write a song. That's how it works. All in all, though, these four guys were really great together, chemistry-wise, and if they hadn't been, it could have ruined the whole thing. Thankfully, they worked together amazingly.
Of course, these guys weren't the only ones in the movie, as you know. May as well start at the top with Christopher Walken playing...Christopher Walken. Okay, he's actually playing a guy named Gyp DeCarlo, but he's doing his Christopher Walken thing throughout. I mean, that's what we want from him, am I right? Then, there was Renee Marino as Mary, Frankie's wife. God bless her, she did a fantastic job of playing a woman who appears to be maybe not so nice at times. That is not as easy as it looks. We also got Mike Doyle in this, who some of you may recognize as O'Halloran, formerly one of the best forensic techs on Law and Order: SVU, but you probably won't. Yeah, as much as I've seen him on SVU, I totally did not know that was him until I IMDB'd it. But that's good. It means he has range. And, wow, does he get to have some fun here, playing Bob Crewe, who was the producer for the Four Seasons, and also did some songwriting as well. I don't want to give too much away about this guy, because I'd rather you experience it for yourselves. Let's just say that things were a tad different fifty plus years ago. Also, there was Joe Pesci. Not actual Joe Pesci but a guy named Joey Russo playing actual Joe Pesci, who apparently was a friend of theirs back in the day. Oh, and this Russo guy was hilarious.
You also might want to keep your eyes open for cameos by some familiar faces. You get Steve Schirrppa, of course, because, let's face it, Jersey Boys is just a less violent, more musical, long episode of The Sopranos. Also, you'll see Francesca Eastwood, Clint's lovely daughter. I knew I'd see one of his kids in this, and I thought I recognized her. And we get to see Barry Livingston. Ernie Douglas from My Three Sons, right the heck there. I didn't see that one coming. Good times. Honestly, there were a lot of small roles and everyone was good.
So, as I have stated often, I am a great admirer of Clint Eastwood. I really like his directing style, and this is just him doing what he does best. And while on the subject of the behind the scenes action, shock of all shocks, Brett Ratner was apparently involved in this as an executive producer. Okay, I am not such a fan of his as a director, but it seems that, in this role, he does just fine. That gives me much relief, by the way, since he is apparently also going to be involved in the Hank Wiliams bio starring our beloved Tom Hiddleston. Hopefully, he'll do just as good of a job there as he did here.
In closing, finally, I am going to tell you to go see this. Now I suppose it's not exactly necessary to see it on the big screen. Rent if you must. But if you are a music lover, especially the music of the Four Seasons, I say go to the theater. Honestly, it's a good idea if you always wanted to see the stage production, because you really get surrounded by all the richness of that wonderful musical. It sounded unbelievable. Of course, I realize that this movie is getting mixed reviews, but I just don't get it. It's well-acted, well-directed, well-produced. I'm sorry nothing blows up, but what more do you want? Just see Jersey Boys, one way or another.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
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