The holidays are a special kind of hell for many of us, an uncomfortable confluence of too many people, unfamiliar settings, forced jollity, and our own personal baggage. For Krisha (Krisha Fairchild), a woman in her '60s attending Thanksgiving festivities at her sister's house, we can also add the pain of a long estrangement from her family, and many old wounds being reopened. She is intent on showing everyone that she's changed for the better and she's ready to reconnect with her loved ones. However, she's clearly not prepared for the event, and the day becomes a nail-biting high wire act as Krisha struggles to keep herself together and curb her worst impulses.
Details about Krisha, her relationships, and her past, come gradually. We first find her arriving late to Thanksgiving, going to the wrong house, in a frazzled state, and cursing under her breath. When she does finally reach her destination, her sister Robyn (Robyn Fairchild) and most of the gaggle of twenty-something guests greet her warmly. But then Robyn leaves to fetch their wheelchair-bound mother Gigi (Billie Fairchild), who lives hours away. To pass the time, Krisha chats with Robyn's husband, Doyle (Bill Wise), who clearly dislikes her. She tries to reconcile with her college-age son Trey (Trey Edward Shults), but it becomes clear that he wants nothing to do with her. She goes to the bathroom to take her medications and tend to a half-healed wound. And then, inevitably, Krisha starts to slip.
"Krisha" is the debut feature of Trey Edward Shults, who shot the whole film at his mother's house in Austin, Texas. The budget was tiny, and most of the principle actors are his relatives. Krisha Fairchild is Shults' aunt, and Robyn and Billie Fairchild are his mother and grandmother. Yet the filmmaking is remarkably self-assured, and beautifully executed. The intensity and verisimilitude of the psychodrama recall John Cassavetes, with Krisha Fairchild evoking more than a few memories of Gena Rowlands in her later films. However, the cinematography is more stylized, the images more deliberately composed and emotionally charged. We don't just witness Krisha's disintegration, but are invited to experience it with her intimately.
Brian McOmber crated the soundtrack, one of the crucial components that gives "Krisha" so much impact. He finds just the right combination of discordant music and heightened everyday sounds - the football game, the blender, the barking dogs - to really put us on edge. It's similar to Peter Strickland's recent work on "Berberian Sound Studio" and "The Duke of Burgundy." We can feel Krisha's gnawing anxiety and discomfort, in the middle of what would look like a fairly relaxed environment to an outsider. I've never seen anyone capture this so well on film, especially the way that fairly inoffensive noises can compound on top of each other, eventually drowning out everything else. The soundtrack does a great job of keeping tensions high, often to the point where it feels like we're watching a horror film. We know that Krisha is coming unglued long before it's apparent to anyone else.
And then there's Krisha Fairchild's tremendous performance, which is at the center of this whole feast. It's a positively heartbreaking portrait of an afflicted woman who is trying to make up for past mistakes with the best of intentions, but still maintains terrible, destructive habits. We never learn the details of what happened in her past to cause her estrangement, but scene after scene point to the likely culprits. As Thanksgiving day progresses, she reveals moments of terseness, instability, recklessness, and finally an ugly, destructive rage. Fairchild is wonderful throughout, able to channel so many shifting moods that can turn in an instant. And even when her behavior is at its most terrible, she's deeply sympathetic, because we know she's trying so hard.
Though Fairchild has a decent list of screen credits, she's never had a part as significant as this, and I'm so glad that she's had her breakout at last, even if it comes so late in life. I found "Krisha" tremendously affecting, and I'm eager to see what she will do next. As for Trey Edward Shults, I have no doubt that he's going to have a long and interesting career ahead of him.
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Friday, September 23, 2016
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
"Penny Dreadful," Year One
The horror literature of the Victorian era has spawned iconic characters like Victor Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dorian Gray. We've seen them grouped together in a shared universe many times in the past, most notably in the Universal Monsters film franchise and Alan Moore's "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." The Showtime and Sky TV series "Penny Dreadful," however, distinguishes itself from the others by fully embracing its Victorian roots. Created by John Logan, with its first two episodes directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, this is a series that is happy to take time unfurling its mysteries, less of a thriller and more of a moody, atmospheric meditation on the nature of monsters.
Our central characters are a gentleman adventurer, Sir. Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) and Vanessa Ives (Eva Green), a young woman with mysterious connections to the spirit world. They are trying to rescue Sir Malcolm's daughter Mina (Olivia Llewellyn) from the supernatural creatures that have abducted her. Murray and Ives recruit a gifted surgeon, Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) and an American sharpshooter, Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) to help them. Also in the mix are a hedonistic young gentleman, Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney), a prostitute suffering from consumption, Brona Croft (Billie Piper), and a malformed Creature (Rory Kinnear), who works behind the scenes of the Grand Guignol theater.
The first season of "Penny Dreadful" is only eight episodes, and elects to spend its time loosely retelling parts of "Dracula" and "Frankenstein," while quietly laying the groundwork for at least a half dozen other familiar tales. What keeps all the old material invigorated is that the central characters are new, and they're fantastic. Eva Green is absolutely phenomenal as the long-suffering and deeply guilt-ridden Vanessa, and Green can sell a demonic possession like no one else. Timothy Dalton is also a commanding presence as Sir Malcolm, though he doesn't get as much screen time as some of the others. I like Harry Treadaway's version of Frankenstein, who is more sympathetic than the ones I've seen recently, but the jury's still out on Hartnett and Carney, who have had less interesting things to do - but are being set up for much more.
It doesn't surprise me that "Penny Dreadful" didn't catch on with a larger audience, because its approach is so unusual. It's a Gothic horror serial that actually stays true to its genre, so it's all about the gloom and the murk and the angst of impending death, instead of the thrills and the gore. We spend the bulk of the running time getting to know the cast of characters and untangling their mysteries, only checking in with the larger ongoing plot when its' absolutely necessary. From a writing standpoint, the series is cluttered, meandering, frequently lays on too much exposition, and drags its heels. It only occasionally bothers to be scary or sensual. Two episodes are almost completely composed of flashbacks, and stop the series dead in its tracks. However, it excels at its character studies and manages to pull off some very effective twists on the old stories. I was so gratified to find a piece of media that actually finds a new, fascinating angle on the "Dracula" story, and I'm interested to see what the creators have in store for some of the others.
For those who enjoy some eye candy, "Penny Dreadful" is a wonderful thing to look at, with high production values, a keen attention to historical details (though it mucks around with them for its own ends), and a wonderful sense of tragedy. Though it isn't always successful, the focus on the psychological and emotional lives of these characters makes their gloomy world so much more inviting. Maybe I've been watching too many of their slick action move reboots lately, but it's nice to see Frankenstein and the Wolf Man actually living out their haunted, miserable lives between the inevitable bouts of carnage. The restraint is so refreshing. It was a few episodes and a few sex scenes before a remembered that I was watching a Showtime show, which is notorious for shoehorning erotica into places where it doesn't really fit. "Penny Dreadful" doesn't have that problem.
The biggest problem it does have is one that I already know will carry through to the end of the show's short run. It's has a lot of ideas and not enough time to fully explore all of them. After the first season ended, I was surprised at how little narrative ground the series had actually covered, especially with the Frankenstein segments. With only nineteen episodes to go, I'm not expecting a very satisfying finale. However, I like these characters and their universe so much, I'm willing to see it out with them.
---
Our central characters are a gentleman adventurer, Sir. Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) and Vanessa Ives (Eva Green), a young woman with mysterious connections to the spirit world. They are trying to rescue Sir Malcolm's daughter Mina (Olivia Llewellyn) from the supernatural creatures that have abducted her. Murray and Ives recruit a gifted surgeon, Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) and an American sharpshooter, Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) to help them. Also in the mix are a hedonistic young gentleman, Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney), a prostitute suffering from consumption, Brona Croft (Billie Piper), and a malformed Creature (Rory Kinnear), who works behind the scenes of the Grand Guignol theater.
The first season of "Penny Dreadful" is only eight episodes, and elects to spend its time loosely retelling parts of "Dracula" and "Frankenstein," while quietly laying the groundwork for at least a half dozen other familiar tales. What keeps all the old material invigorated is that the central characters are new, and they're fantastic. Eva Green is absolutely phenomenal as the long-suffering and deeply guilt-ridden Vanessa, and Green can sell a demonic possession like no one else. Timothy Dalton is also a commanding presence as Sir Malcolm, though he doesn't get as much screen time as some of the others. I like Harry Treadaway's version of Frankenstein, who is more sympathetic than the ones I've seen recently, but the jury's still out on Hartnett and Carney, who have had less interesting things to do - but are being set up for much more.
It doesn't surprise me that "Penny Dreadful" didn't catch on with a larger audience, because its approach is so unusual. It's a Gothic horror serial that actually stays true to its genre, so it's all about the gloom and the murk and the angst of impending death, instead of the thrills and the gore. We spend the bulk of the running time getting to know the cast of characters and untangling their mysteries, only checking in with the larger ongoing plot when its' absolutely necessary. From a writing standpoint, the series is cluttered, meandering, frequently lays on too much exposition, and drags its heels. It only occasionally bothers to be scary or sensual. Two episodes are almost completely composed of flashbacks, and stop the series dead in its tracks. However, it excels at its character studies and manages to pull off some very effective twists on the old stories. I was so gratified to find a piece of media that actually finds a new, fascinating angle on the "Dracula" story, and I'm interested to see what the creators have in store for some of the others.
For those who enjoy some eye candy, "Penny Dreadful" is a wonderful thing to look at, with high production values, a keen attention to historical details (though it mucks around with them for its own ends), and a wonderful sense of tragedy. Though it isn't always successful, the focus on the psychological and emotional lives of these characters makes their gloomy world so much more inviting. Maybe I've been watching too many of their slick action move reboots lately, but it's nice to see Frankenstein and the Wolf Man actually living out their haunted, miserable lives between the inevitable bouts of carnage. The restraint is so refreshing. It was a few episodes and a few sex scenes before a remembered that I was watching a Showtime show, which is notorious for shoehorning erotica into places where it doesn't really fit. "Penny Dreadful" doesn't have that problem.
The biggest problem it does have is one that I already know will carry through to the end of the show's short run. It's has a lot of ideas and not enough time to fully explore all of them. After the first season ended, I was surprised at how little narrative ground the series had actually covered, especially with the Frankenstein segments. With only nineteen episodes to go, I'm not expecting a very satisfying finale. However, I like these characters and their universe so much, I'm willing to see it out with them.
---
Monday, September 19, 2016
Emmys 2016
Well, I watched this year's ceremony late, but I did watch them. Jimmy Kimmel delivered a thoroughly watchable, intermittently entertaining Emmy telecast, helped out so much by the fact that the awards themselves were actually exciting. While a lot of the expected contenders like "The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story," "Veep," and "Game of Thrones" cleaned up, there were also some genuine surprises.
First, we should talk about the boring bits about voting. Last year was the first time that all eligible voters were allowed to vote for winners, instead of the decision being in the hands of smaller "blue ribbon" voting panels. Also, all the voting is now done electronically, and watching the tapes for nominees is more or less based on the honor system. The preferential/ranked voting system has also been tossed, so nominees can win without getting anything close to the majority of the votes. That's had the effect of making the races a bit more of a popularity contest, and considerably friendlier toward genre programming, which has traditionally had a tougher time getting awards recognition.
And so, after four years of everyone gushing over Tatiana Maslany playing innumerable clone characters on "Orphan Black," she got the statuette for Lead Actress in a Drama Series. And Rami Malek got the Lead Actor Emmy for the pilot episode of "Mr. Robot." This trend did not extend to the supporting categories , however, with Ben Mendelsohn and Maggie Smith scoring wins over several "Game of Thrones" actors, for "Bloodline" and "Downton Abbey" respectively. This is the end of the line for Maggie Smith, however, as "Downton Abbey" ended this year, so Lena Headey and the rest will get a few more chances to win. What's really exciting about these races, however, is the possibility that it'll get more viewers to take a look at "Orphan Black," "Bloodline," and "Mr. Robot."
The Limited Series categories have made a remarkable turnaround over the past few years. I haven't seen "The People v. O. J. Simpson," being a little burned out on O.J. media, so I can't say anything about its quality. Still, I was disappointed that it shut out "Fargo" and "The Night Manager" from nearly every category. After seven nominations, they're going to have to give an Emmy to Hugh Laurie for something eventually. Still, I can't say I'm too disappointed to see longtime character actors Courtney B. Vance and Sarah Paulson getting some recognition for playing Christopher Darden and Marcia Clake - and how great was it that Paulson brought Clarke to the ceremony? Also, "The Night Manager" did manage to win one major award, Susanne Bier's statuette for Outstanding Direction of a Limited Series. I'd say she's now one step closer to that James Bond movie gig.
Speaking of female directors, Jill Soloway's win for "Transparent" means that Outstanding Direction for a Comedy has been won by a woman for four years in a row. The winners in the comedy categories seem more entrenched at the moment. Julia Louis Dreyfuss won again for "Veep," and Jeffrey Tamboy won again for "Transparent." However, the supporting categories were a nice surprise, with Louis Anderson winning for "Baskets" and Kate McKinnon winning for "SNL." And I should point out that McKinnon's award was one of only four statuettes that went to the major networks this year. The others were Regina King's Supporting Actress award for Limited Series, plus "Grease Live!" and "The Voice" in the Variety Special and Reality Show. HBO, Netflix, and FX were the big winners. New media is here to stay.
In the end, lots of people I liked won this year. Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang won for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for "Master of None" and Patton Oswalt won Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. John Oliver won for "Last Week Tonight," Key and Peele won for their show's final season, and "Sherlock" won, though as a Television Movie instead of a Limited Series. There was only one win that really made me seethe, but I'll keep it to myself. The Emmy ceremony went swimmingly, with the kids from "Stranger Things" handing out sandwiches, the requisite Matt Damon feud callback, and a perfectly delightful Jeb Bush cameo.
All in all, it was a very good year, and I hope we get more like it.
---
First, we should talk about the boring bits about voting. Last year was the first time that all eligible voters were allowed to vote for winners, instead of the decision being in the hands of smaller "blue ribbon" voting panels. Also, all the voting is now done electronically, and watching the tapes for nominees is more or less based on the honor system. The preferential/ranked voting system has also been tossed, so nominees can win without getting anything close to the majority of the votes. That's had the effect of making the races a bit more of a popularity contest, and considerably friendlier toward genre programming, which has traditionally had a tougher time getting awards recognition.
And so, after four years of everyone gushing over Tatiana Maslany playing innumerable clone characters on "Orphan Black," she got the statuette for Lead Actress in a Drama Series. And Rami Malek got the Lead Actor Emmy for the pilot episode of "Mr. Robot." This trend did not extend to the supporting categories , however, with Ben Mendelsohn and Maggie Smith scoring wins over several "Game of Thrones" actors, for "Bloodline" and "Downton Abbey" respectively. This is the end of the line for Maggie Smith, however, as "Downton Abbey" ended this year, so Lena Headey and the rest will get a few more chances to win. What's really exciting about these races, however, is the possibility that it'll get more viewers to take a look at "Orphan Black," "Bloodline," and "Mr. Robot."
The Limited Series categories have made a remarkable turnaround over the past few years. I haven't seen "The People v. O. J. Simpson," being a little burned out on O.J. media, so I can't say anything about its quality. Still, I was disappointed that it shut out "Fargo" and "The Night Manager" from nearly every category. After seven nominations, they're going to have to give an Emmy to Hugh Laurie for something eventually. Still, I can't say I'm too disappointed to see longtime character actors Courtney B. Vance and Sarah Paulson getting some recognition for playing Christopher Darden and Marcia Clake - and how great was it that Paulson brought Clarke to the ceremony? Also, "The Night Manager" did manage to win one major award, Susanne Bier's statuette for Outstanding Direction of a Limited Series. I'd say she's now one step closer to that James Bond movie gig.
Speaking of female directors, Jill Soloway's win for "Transparent" means that Outstanding Direction for a Comedy has been won by a woman for four years in a row. The winners in the comedy categories seem more entrenched at the moment. Julia Louis Dreyfuss won again for "Veep," and Jeffrey Tamboy won again for "Transparent." However, the supporting categories were a nice surprise, with Louis Anderson winning for "Baskets" and Kate McKinnon winning for "SNL." And I should point out that McKinnon's award was one of only four statuettes that went to the major networks this year. The others were Regina King's Supporting Actress award for Limited Series, plus "Grease Live!" and "The Voice" in the Variety Special and Reality Show. HBO, Netflix, and FX were the big winners. New media is here to stay.
In the end, lots of people I liked won this year. Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang won for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for "Master of None" and Patton Oswalt won Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. John Oliver won for "Last Week Tonight," Key and Peele won for their show's final season, and "Sherlock" won, though as a Television Movie instead of a Limited Series. There was only one win that really made me seethe, but I'll keep it to myself. The Emmy ceremony went swimmingly, with the kids from "Stranger Things" handing out sandwiches, the requisite Matt Damon feud callback, and a perfectly delightful Jeb Bush cameo.
All in all, it was a very good year, and I hope we get more like it.
---
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Whit Stillman Does Jane Austen
I think this is the funniest adaptation of Jane Austen's work I've ever seen. Based on one of her more obscure short novels,"Love and Friendship" follows a brief period in the life of a scandalous woman. This is the widowed Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale), whose fortunes are at their lowest. She's penniless, reduced to living off the generosity of friends and relations, and has been forced to relocate to the household of her sister-in--law, Catherine (Emma Greenwell). She quickly wins over the affections of Catherine's brother Reginald (Xavier Samuel), an eligible bachelor, despite maintaining a secret relationship with her married lover, Lord Manwaring (Lochlann O'Mearáin). Then there's Susan's timid daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark), who Susan is keen on marrying to the rich, but blockheaded Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett).
The most important relationship in the film, however, is the close friendship between Lady Susan and her friend Alicia Johnson (Chloe Sevigny), an American who has married the older, disagreeable Mr. Johnson (Stephen Fry). It's only in Alicia's company that Susan speaks anything resembling the truth, confiding her secret plans and her contemptuous feelings for everyone else around her. It's clear that where Susan's position may appear precarious and unstable to outsiders, she sees it as a valuable opportunity to improve her fortunes. She knows the rules and restrictions of her society very well, and has no problem whatsoever with manipulating everyone in reach to get what she wants, including her own daughter. And she's so utterly unapologetic about it, and delightfully bitchy, that you can't help but root for her to succeed.
Whit Stillman's American comedies of manners have always been impressive, but not really to my taste, probably because his dialogue is so self-consciously stylized, and many of the elements feel oddly anachronistic - even when they're meant to be period films. "Love and Friendship," however, is the exact opposite, a very modern take on the social foibles of a bygone era. Lady Susan and Alicia are perfect Regency era mean girls, dropping elegant barbs and backhanded compliments with every step. The dialogue comes in torrents, especially from Lady Susan, who is able to talk circles around every challenger. It's only bad luck that lands her in the predicaments that she finds herself in throughout the film. And as it becomes more apparent how little control a woman of Lady Susan's circumstances would normally have in these situations, the more admirable her outrageous behavior becomes by comparison.
Before this, I'd never seen Kate Beckinsale in a proper leading role that didn't involve CGI-enhanced vampires, which is a shame. She's wonderful here as Lady Susan, charismatic, poised, infuriating, and above all funny. She heads an impressive cast, who all have a ball milking their lines for all they're worth. I especially enjoyed Tom Bennett as the genial, idiotic Sir James, mucking up his Bible verses and basic introductions. Jenn Murray has a brief, but searing appearance as Manwaring's wronged wife. Morfydd Clark manages to nearly weaponize Frederica's meekness. Sevigny and Fry are dependably spry. And then there's Xavier Samuel as the idealistic Reginald, who is clearly the most principled of the lot, not that it serves as any protection against Susan's schemes.
And, of course, there's Whit Stillman, whose voice is readily apparent in the elaborate dialogue, and gets in his little visual gags via intertitles and captions. His best notion is the use of character introduction screens from the silent film era, complete with full names and descriptions. It's just exaggerated enough to be fun, but not so much that it breaks the illusion of being a period piece or losing any charm. I'm not familiar with the original Austen novel, but Stillman's adaptation has clearly added more cynicism and sharpened the humor to the point where "Love and Friendship" feels more like something from Oscar Wilde. This would make a pretty good companion piece to "The Importance of Being Earnest."
I admit I expected very little from this film, not having had the best luck with Stillman's work in the past, but this was a treat. It's easily my favorite of his films, and I hope he sticks around in the UK to make a few more.
---
The most important relationship in the film, however, is the close friendship between Lady Susan and her friend Alicia Johnson (Chloe Sevigny), an American who has married the older, disagreeable Mr. Johnson (Stephen Fry). It's only in Alicia's company that Susan speaks anything resembling the truth, confiding her secret plans and her contemptuous feelings for everyone else around her. It's clear that where Susan's position may appear precarious and unstable to outsiders, she sees it as a valuable opportunity to improve her fortunes. She knows the rules and restrictions of her society very well, and has no problem whatsoever with manipulating everyone in reach to get what she wants, including her own daughter. And she's so utterly unapologetic about it, and delightfully bitchy, that you can't help but root for her to succeed.
Whit Stillman's American comedies of manners have always been impressive, but not really to my taste, probably because his dialogue is so self-consciously stylized, and many of the elements feel oddly anachronistic - even when they're meant to be period films. "Love and Friendship," however, is the exact opposite, a very modern take on the social foibles of a bygone era. Lady Susan and Alicia are perfect Regency era mean girls, dropping elegant barbs and backhanded compliments with every step. The dialogue comes in torrents, especially from Lady Susan, who is able to talk circles around every challenger. It's only bad luck that lands her in the predicaments that she finds herself in throughout the film. And as it becomes more apparent how little control a woman of Lady Susan's circumstances would normally have in these situations, the more admirable her outrageous behavior becomes by comparison.
Before this, I'd never seen Kate Beckinsale in a proper leading role that didn't involve CGI-enhanced vampires, which is a shame. She's wonderful here as Lady Susan, charismatic, poised, infuriating, and above all funny. She heads an impressive cast, who all have a ball milking their lines for all they're worth. I especially enjoyed Tom Bennett as the genial, idiotic Sir James, mucking up his Bible verses and basic introductions. Jenn Murray has a brief, but searing appearance as Manwaring's wronged wife. Morfydd Clark manages to nearly weaponize Frederica's meekness. Sevigny and Fry are dependably spry. And then there's Xavier Samuel as the idealistic Reginald, who is clearly the most principled of the lot, not that it serves as any protection against Susan's schemes.
And, of course, there's Whit Stillman, whose voice is readily apparent in the elaborate dialogue, and gets in his little visual gags via intertitles and captions. His best notion is the use of character introduction screens from the silent film era, complete with full names and descriptions. It's just exaggerated enough to be fun, but not so much that it breaks the illusion of being a period piece or losing any charm. I'm not familiar with the original Austen novel, but Stillman's adaptation has clearly added more cynicism and sharpened the humor to the point where "Love and Friendship" feels more like something from Oscar Wilde. This would make a pretty good companion piece to "The Importance of Being Earnest."
I admit I expected very little from this film, not having had the best luck with Stillman's work in the past, but this was a treat. It's easily my favorite of his films, and I hope he sticks around in the UK to make a few more.
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Thursday, September 15, 2016
"Orphan Black," Year Four
Full spoilers for the series up to this point, minimal ones for the season.
One thing that I've come to admire about the creators of "Orphan Black" is how they're perfectly willing to cut characters and abandon storylines that are no longer working for them. So there's no sign of Mark and Gracie this year. Or Shay. Or Cal. Angie Deangelis remains MIA. Instead, we get a couple of new villains this year in the form of new Neolutionist leader Evie Cho (Jessalyn Wanlim) and the shady Detective Duko (Gord Rand), who may have been involved in Beth's demise. One new Leda clone and one new Castor clone are introduced, and Susan Duncan (Rosemary Dunmore) plays a much bigger role.
The year starts out with Beth, who the show has finally decided to spend some time with, clearing up all the lingering mysteries around her final days while setting up a new storyline in the present. The remaining Neolutionists behind Dyad are now backing a rival project, led by Evie Cho and her company, Brightborn Industries. It's not clear what Evie's plans are, but they involve some scary new implantable tech and extreme hostility toward all things clone related. Sarah is obliged once again to get involved, coming back to Toronto with Kira and Mrs. S. She and Art look into the case Beth was working on before she died, and its ties to Neolution. Meanwhile, Cosima steps up her search for a cure, Rachel continues her recovery, and Felix has someone new in his life.
Though it's all gotten very familiar, "Orphan Black" is in fine form this year. Everyone has something to do, and those who don't only make brief appearances. The creators finally learned that less Helena makes for a far more effective Helena when she does appear. It all feels like one show this time out, instead of three or four separate ones that have been mashed up together. But that said, the plot is constantly hurtling through different storylines, characters, locations, and ideas. It requires much more effort to keep up with what's going on. I've learned to live with the multiple loose ends and weird digressions that the show employs so often, but it was gratifying to see more callbacks to odds and ends I'd thought were left by the wayside. The Hendrixs' criminal career, for instance, finally catches up with them in a couple of different ways.
It was also clearly a tough season for Tatiana Maslany, who is juggling more characters than ever. However, she's still so good at giving every single one of them a full, interesting performance. I barely even notice when she's playing against herself in the same scene anymore. And when one of the major clone characters got sidelined for a few episodes, my first reaction as to wonder whether the actress was unavailable. Maslany is especially good as Cosima and Rachel this year, who had both previously been a little two-dimensional. Among the supporting cast, lots of characters only dropped by for part of the season, so it would be spoilers to say too much. However, this was a good year for Art, Donnie, and Felix among the regulars. Evie and Duko were supremely hateable, and Ari Millen fares much better when he's only playing one clone at a time, in this case a newcomer named Ira in Rachel's storyline.
We've only got one season of "Orphan Black" left, according to recent news. Though I'm sure that the creators could go on for quite a lot longer based on what they've done so far, and I really enjoy this group of characters, the announcement is a relief. One of the only parts of this season I found lacking was the character of Sarah, who is starting to become very repetitive. She took a backseat to other clones for much of the season, and there aren't many places her character can go without making some drastic changes. Kira and Mrs. S had the least to do this year, mostly just hanging around the safehouse and giving other characters someone to play off of. If Sarah has to remain at the center of "Orphan Black," then I think it's about time that they wrapped things up.
Besides, I can't wait to see what Tatiana Maslany does next.
---
One thing that I've come to admire about the creators of "Orphan Black" is how they're perfectly willing to cut characters and abandon storylines that are no longer working for them. So there's no sign of Mark and Gracie this year. Or Shay. Or Cal. Angie Deangelis remains MIA. Instead, we get a couple of new villains this year in the form of new Neolutionist leader Evie Cho (Jessalyn Wanlim) and the shady Detective Duko (Gord Rand), who may have been involved in Beth's demise. One new Leda clone and one new Castor clone are introduced, and Susan Duncan (Rosemary Dunmore) plays a much bigger role.
The year starts out with Beth, who the show has finally decided to spend some time with, clearing up all the lingering mysteries around her final days while setting up a new storyline in the present. The remaining Neolutionists behind Dyad are now backing a rival project, led by Evie Cho and her company, Brightborn Industries. It's not clear what Evie's plans are, but they involve some scary new implantable tech and extreme hostility toward all things clone related. Sarah is obliged once again to get involved, coming back to Toronto with Kira and Mrs. S. She and Art look into the case Beth was working on before she died, and its ties to Neolution. Meanwhile, Cosima steps up her search for a cure, Rachel continues her recovery, and Felix has someone new in his life.
Though it's all gotten very familiar, "Orphan Black" is in fine form this year. Everyone has something to do, and those who don't only make brief appearances. The creators finally learned that less Helena makes for a far more effective Helena when she does appear. It all feels like one show this time out, instead of three or four separate ones that have been mashed up together. But that said, the plot is constantly hurtling through different storylines, characters, locations, and ideas. It requires much more effort to keep up with what's going on. I've learned to live with the multiple loose ends and weird digressions that the show employs so often, but it was gratifying to see more callbacks to odds and ends I'd thought were left by the wayside. The Hendrixs' criminal career, for instance, finally catches up with them in a couple of different ways.
It was also clearly a tough season for Tatiana Maslany, who is juggling more characters than ever. However, she's still so good at giving every single one of them a full, interesting performance. I barely even notice when she's playing against herself in the same scene anymore. And when one of the major clone characters got sidelined for a few episodes, my first reaction as to wonder whether the actress was unavailable. Maslany is especially good as Cosima and Rachel this year, who had both previously been a little two-dimensional. Among the supporting cast, lots of characters only dropped by for part of the season, so it would be spoilers to say too much. However, this was a good year for Art, Donnie, and Felix among the regulars. Evie and Duko were supremely hateable, and Ari Millen fares much better when he's only playing one clone at a time, in this case a newcomer named Ira in Rachel's storyline.
We've only got one season of "Orphan Black" left, according to recent news. Though I'm sure that the creators could go on for quite a lot longer based on what they've done so far, and I really enjoy this group of characters, the announcement is a relief. One of the only parts of this season I found lacking was the character of Sarah, who is starting to become very repetitive. She took a backseat to other clones for much of the season, and there aren't many places her character can go without making some drastic changes. Kira and Mrs. S had the least to do this year, mostly just hanging around the safehouse and giving other characters someone to play off of. If Sarah has to remain at the center of "Orphan Black," then I think it's about time that they wrapped things up.
Besides, I can't wait to see what Tatiana Maslany does next.
---
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
The "Labyrinth" Post
Once upon a time, in 1994, I watched a "Great Performances" documentary called "The World of Jim Henson" on PBS. And I immediately fell madly in love with several pieces of media that it featured. I had never been a big Muppet fan before, but "Sesame Street" and the "Muppet" movies had been a part of my childhood. The segments about them were fun and nostalgic. However, I wasn't familiar with the later work of Jim Henson in films and television. The documentary's clips of "The Dark Crystal," "Labyrinth," and the "Storyteller" television series were what really caught my attention. I had to see them. I just had to.
So began a years-long quest to track down the various pieces of Henson-related media. "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth" were available on home video, so I was able to find them fairly quickly. "The Storyteller" and "The Jim Henson Hour" were not, and required more work to obtain. I still have my VHS recording of the "World of Jim Henson" documentary, which I taped from a PBS broadcast from 1996, after more than a year of scouring the pre-Internet TV listings every single week to catch it in reruns. I ended up buying "The Storyteller" both on VHS and DVD as the different versions were released in the late '90s and early 2000s. Most of my "Dark Crystal" media, including a theatrical poster and the comic book, came from friends. It was "Labyrinth," however, that really had an affect on me. That was the one piece of media that I think was the most responsible for turning me into an early Internet-age fangirl.
I can trace so much of my early teenage fandom experiences back to "Labyrinth." It was the first fandom I joined a mailing list for, wrote fanfiction for, and even drew some awful fanart for. In the days before Google and Fanfiction.net, I navigated the online fansites and archives via ancient webrings and online directories. There were tons of sites, many of them named after different song lyrics from "As the World Falls Down." I learned to digitize CDs with my copy of the "Labyrinth" soundtrack. I developed a habit of paging through old movie guides and fan magazines from the '80s looking for mentions of "Labyrinth." I tracked down books by Brian Froud, the primary concept artist for "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth." When it went back in print, I eventually bought a copy of Froud's "The Goblins of Labyrinth," containing key pieces of concept artwork.
While I had the usual teenage crush on the Goblin King, I had absolutely no idea who David Bowie was until much, much later. And it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that after Bowie's passing earlier this year, his work in "Labyrinth" turned out to be the major point of reference for Millennials when discussing him. Though the film was a financial bust in 1986, it has quietly become a classic over the years with a huge cult following. It's certainly juvenile, occasionally wildly outdated, and I can offer up no defense for the "Chilly Down" or "Dance Magic Dance" segments. However, I've long maintained that there's a dearth of good media aimed at teenage girls, and "Labyrinth" is brimming over with fantastic, romantic, and surreal elements that make it absolutely irresistible to certain young women with overactive imaginations.
All these years later, I can't quite say what it was that drew me to "Labyrinth," personally. The brief clips in "The World of Jim Henson" documentary were definitely the origin of it, and I found myself watching them more than I watched the actual full-length movie. That's not to say that I don't still enjoy the movie - it's definitely still one of my nostalgic favorites along with "Return to Oz," "The Princess Bride" and "Edward Scissorhands." However, Bowie's performance never quite lived up to those quick, initial glimpses of the Goblin King. And while I'm very fond of the film's low tech puppet characters, it's the optical effects and the art direction that still leave me breathless. The finale in the M.C. Escher set is so wildly ambitious, the kind of thing that nobody does anymore, even though CGI would make it so much easier to achieve today.
And I find I do hold it a little closer to my heart as I've grown older and more cynical about Hollywood. There's been talk of rebooting or making some kind of sequel or prequel to "Labyrinth" for ages, but it wouldn't be the same. So many of the key creative talents responsible for the film are gone, along with the creative culture that supported them. Could anyone get away with making something so genially weird and unabashedly fantastic today?
---
So began a years-long quest to track down the various pieces of Henson-related media. "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth" were available on home video, so I was able to find them fairly quickly. "The Storyteller" and "The Jim Henson Hour" were not, and required more work to obtain. I still have my VHS recording of the "World of Jim Henson" documentary, which I taped from a PBS broadcast from 1996, after more than a year of scouring the pre-Internet TV listings every single week to catch it in reruns. I ended up buying "The Storyteller" both on VHS and DVD as the different versions were released in the late '90s and early 2000s. Most of my "Dark Crystal" media, including a theatrical poster and the comic book, came from friends. It was "Labyrinth," however, that really had an affect on me. That was the one piece of media that I think was the most responsible for turning me into an early Internet-age fangirl.
I can trace so much of my early teenage fandom experiences back to "Labyrinth." It was the first fandom I joined a mailing list for, wrote fanfiction for, and even drew some awful fanart for. In the days before Google and Fanfiction.net, I navigated the online fansites and archives via ancient webrings and online directories. There were tons of sites, many of them named after different song lyrics from "As the World Falls Down." I learned to digitize CDs with my copy of the "Labyrinth" soundtrack. I developed a habit of paging through old movie guides and fan magazines from the '80s looking for mentions of "Labyrinth." I tracked down books by Brian Froud, the primary concept artist for "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth." When it went back in print, I eventually bought a copy of Froud's "The Goblins of Labyrinth," containing key pieces of concept artwork.
While I had the usual teenage crush on the Goblin King, I had absolutely no idea who David Bowie was until much, much later. And it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that after Bowie's passing earlier this year, his work in "Labyrinth" turned out to be the major point of reference for Millennials when discussing him. Though the film was a financial bust in 1986, it has quietly become a classic over the years with a huge cult following. It's certainly juvenile, occasionally wildly outdated, and I can offer up no defense for the "Chilly Down" or "Dance Magic Dance" segments. However, I've long maintained that there's a dearth of good media aimed at teenage girls, and "Labyrinth" is brimming over with fantastic, romantic, and surreal elements that make it absolutely irresistible to certain young women with overactive imaginations.
All these years later, I can't quite say what it was that drew me to "Labyrinth," personally. The brief clips in "The World of Jim Henson" documentary were definitely the origin of it, and I found myself watching them more than I watched the actual full-length movie. That's not to say that I don't still enjoy the movie - it's definitely still one of my nostalgic favorites along with "Return to Oz," "The Princess Bride" and "Edward Scissorhands." However, Bowie's performance never quite lived up to those quick, initial glimpses of the Goblin King. And while I'm very fond of the film's low tech puppet characters, it's the optical effects and the art direction that still leave me breathless. The finale in the M.C. Escher set is so wildly ambitious, the kind of thing that nobody does anymore, even though CGI would make it so much easier to achieve today.
And I find I do hold it a little closer to my heart as I've grown older and more cynical about Hollywood. There's been talk of rebooting or making some kind of sequel or prequel to "Labyrinth" for ages, but it wouldn't be the same. So many of the key creative talents responsible for the film are gone, along with the creative culture that supported them. Could anyone get away with making something so genially weird and unabashedly fantastic today?
---
Sunday, September 11, 2016
The Unusual Return of "Samurai Jack"
Revivals of past hits have been all the rage on television lately, with "The X-files," "Twin Peaks," and "Full House" all coming back in various forms. One project that's escaped my attention until now, however, is the return of "Samurai Jack." The Cartoon Network series, that aired 52 episodes from 2001 to 2004, is a favorite among Millennials. It follows the adventures of the title character, voiced by Phil LaMarr, as he hops around through space and time intent on defeating the evil demon Aku, voiced by the late, great Mako.
Cartoon Network is no strange to rebooting series. Just in the past few years, "The Powerpuff Girls" was rebooted, and "Teen Titans" came back in a sillier incarnation aimed at younger kids. Apparently "Ben 10," is getting yet another series in the future, on top of the three it's already had. However, "Samurai Jack" is very much a revival instead of a reboot. The new episodes will maintain continuity with the old ones, and the same core creative team is expected to return. And on top of that, "Samurai Jack" is going to air on "Adult Swim," the home of Cartoon Network's adult-oriented programming, as part of their recently rebranded Toonami action block. This means that we can expect more mature content in the new episodes. More importantly, this means that the revival is going to be aimed at the original "Samurai Jack" audience, now grown up after fifteen years. As far as I'm aware, that's completely unprecedented for any kids' show.
I have only limited firsthand knowledge of "Samurai Jack," but I did watch a good chunk of the original episodes when they first aired (The one with X9 and Lulu is my favorite). I don't count myself a fan of the show, having watched it too sporadically to form much of an attachment, but there was a lot that I liked about it. Genndy Tartakovsky's characters are compelling, and the visual storytelling and art direction are fantastic throughout. Though highly stylized, the imagery is bold and ambitious. Several of the episodes have dialogue-free sequences, notably its intense fight scenes, which would occasionally border on the experimental. "Samurai Jack" is easily one of the best things that the Cartoon Network has ever produced, and because the central story was left unfinished, the existing fanbase has long been after a continuation in some form. There was talk of a movie version of a few years ago, but it never happened.
The level of violence in the old episodes pushed the network's standards regularly, so I can definitely see how a move to Adult Swim could be beneficial, especially if the creators intend to pursue darker storylines. There's always the danger that viewers might come across it unexpectedly, think the content is kid-friendly, and someone will watch something that they're not ready for. However, it's been so long since the original run that I don't think it's too likely. Besides, Tartakovsky and the Cartoon Network brass have stressed to the press that the new season won't be that much of a departure from the original. Most of the shows on the current Adult Swim action block aren't even all that violent. At most, I expect that Jack will now be allowed to cut down live combatants instead of robots, and he'll grapple with personal doubts in more grown-up terms.
I'm looking forward to the new episodes, because it looks like the Cartoon Network is really committed to the revival. From the clips and artwork released so far, it doesn't look like any corners were cut with the animation, unlike Warners' questionable "Killing Joke" direct-to-video Batman feature that recently had so many fans in an uproar. Animation for adults still retains a considerable stigma, but Adult Swim has been quietly chipping away at this for the past fifteen years. If there's anywhere than an adult-oriented "Samurai Jack" is going to get a fair shake, it's there.
My hope is that the fifth season of "Samurai Jack" is the ending that the fans have been hoping for, and that it does well enough to make more revivals like it a possibility. Animated shows can weather long hiatuses like this relatively unscathed, and I know there are a few other series that I'd love to see brought back in a similar fashion. At this point I should mention the other Adult Swim revival that was recently announced is a continuation of the year 2000 anime classic "FLCL," which will be getting twelve new episodes in 2017. That will triple the number of existing episodes.
And that's completely crazy, but for Adult Swim, it feels so, so right.
---
Cartoon Network is no strange to rebooting series. Just in the past few years, "The Powerpuff Girls" was rebooted, and "Teen Titans" came back in a sillier incarnation aimed at younger kids. Apparently "Ben 10," is getting yet another series in the future, on top of the three it's already had. However, "Samurai Jack" is very much a revival instead of a reboot. The new episodes will maintain continuity with the old ones, and the same core creative team is expected to return. And on top of that, "Samurai Jack" is going to air on "Adult Swim," the home of Cartoon Network's adult-oriented programming, as part of their recently rebranded Toonami action block. This means that we can expect more mature content in the new episodes. More importantly, this means that the revival is going to be aimed at the original "Samurai Jack" audience, now grown up after fifteen years. As far as I'm aware, that's completely unprecedented for any kids' show.
I have only limited firsthand knowledge of "Samurai Jack," but I did watch a good chunk of the original episodes when they first aired (The one with X9 and Lulu is my favorite). I don't count myself a fan of the show, having watched it too sporadically to form much of an attachment, but there was a lot that I liked about it. Genndy Tartakovsky's characters are compelling, and the visual storytelling and art direction are fantastic throughout. Though highly stylized, the imagery is bold and ambitious. Several of the episodes have dialogue-free sequences, notably its intense fight scenes, which would occasionally border on the experimental. "Samurai Jack" is easily one of the best things that the Cartoon Network has ever produced, and because the central story was left unfinished, the existing fanbase has long been after a continuation in some form. There was talk of a movie version of a few years ago, but it never happened.
The level of violence in the old episodes pushed the network's standards regularly, so I can definitely see how a move to Adult Swim could be beneficial, especially if the creators intend to pursue darker storylines. There's always the danger that viewers might come across it unexpectedly, think the content is kid-friendly, and someone will watch something that they're not ready for. However, it's been so long since the original run that I don't think it's too likely. Besides, Tartakovsky and the Cartoon Network brass have stressed to the press that the new season won't be that much of a departure from the original. Most of the shows on the current Adult Swim action block aren't even all that violent. At most, I expect that Jack will now be allowed to cut down live combatants instead of robots, and he'll grapple with personal doubts in more grown-up terms.
I'm looking forward to the new episodes, because it looks like the Cartoon Network is really committed to the revival. From the clips and artwork released so far, it doesn't look like any corners were cut with the animation, unlike Warners' questionable "Killing Joke" direct-to-video Batman feature that recently had so many fans in an uproar. Animation for adults still retains a considerable stigma, but Adult Swim has been quietly chipping away at this for the past fifteen years. If there's anywhere than an adult-oriented "Samurai Jack" is going to get a fair shake, it's there.
My hope is that the fifth season of "Samurai Jack" is the ending that the fans have been hoping for, and that it does well enough to make more revivals like it a possibility. Animated shows can weather long hiatuses like this relatively unscathed, and I know there are a few other series that I'd love to see brought back in a similar fashion. At this point I should mention the other Adult Swim revival that was recently announced is a continuation of the year 2000 anime classic "FLCL," which will be getting twelve new episodes in 2017. That will triple the number of existing episodes.
And that's completely crazy, but for Adult Swim, it feels so, so right.
---
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