Mob Week on AMC - my kind of movie marathon

This week is Mob Week on AMC, hosted by Rudy Guiliani. They are showing classics of the genre of crime/mafia films, including interesting interviews with real-life mobsters and lawmen during the commercial breaks.

As I post this, I'm watching "The Untouchables," the Brian de Palma movie based on the real events of law enforcement trying to bring down Al Capone in Prohibition-era Chicago. If you've never seen it, it's absolutely worth a view. The cast is excellent and the writing is very memorable. I first saw this movie when I was very little (probably way too young for a film like this, but hey, my parents know good movies) and a lot of it has stuck with me. "They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way."

The last two nights featured "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part II," which are obvious must-sees for any film lover. Other movies to be aired this week include "Scarface," "Goodfellas," (one of my favorites of all time) and "Donnie Brasco." For a complete schedule, click here.

It's appropriate, then, that I post my 100th entry about such a great topic. Too often we get marathons of shows or movies that are only marginally related to each other or not at all. Here we have a worthy theme with enhancing extras. Oh, and really kickass promos. Have you seen those promos? (I wish I could link to them for you, but they aren't online anywhere I can find. I guess you'll just have to tune into AMC's Mob Week then!)

My Favorite Things of 2010

I've read around a thousand lists of "Best movies of the year," "Worst movies of the year," "Biggest breakout stars of the year," etc. I didn't want to do a cliche one like that, so instead I'll do a super creative list of things that made me happy this year. Enjoy, and feel free to yell at me for anything I missed. It's been a long year, after all, and I know I didn't remember everything.

"Inception" gives us a 2 for 1 gift
I thought I'd put the obvious one up front. We got a thrilling, summer popcorn movie combined with a thoughtful, mind-bending film rolled into one amazing time at the movies (or three, depending on how many times you saw it. I couldn't get enough!) "Inception" is one of my new favorite movies of all time. No other director can make blockbuster movies that are incredibly popular, incredibly smart, and incredibly original like Christopher Nolan.

The continual rise of AMC
I'm slowly falling in love with this channel. From top-notch original programming like "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" to quality movies that aren't just whatever they could get the rights to and throw on the air, they live up to their slogan of "story matters here." I don't think "The Walking Dead" lived up to its fantastic premise, but AMC deserves all due credit for making an effort to have all-around quality programming.

BBC's "Sherlock"
From "Doctor Who" writer Steven Moffat, "Sherlock" had a lot of the charm and energy of Moffat's "Doctor Who" contributions. A modern updating of the Sherlock Holmes stories could have easily been a disgrace to Sherlock's history, but it turned out to be an extremely entertaining and smartly produced TV series. It's easily one of the best things I've watched this year and I can't wait for more episodes.

"Southland" lives
NBC couldn't hold on to it, but TNT knew better and kept this great cop drama on the air, even renewing it for another season to air soon. I don't like procedurals, but I do love lawyer and cop dramas when they're more sophisticated and realistic than the hundreds of "CSI"s and "Law & Order"s out there.

"Cougar Town" keeps getting better and better
I'm really hoping I won't be saying this still next year as it pains me to admit, but "Modern Family" seems to have peaked in its first year. But "Cougar Town" worked out its kinks, ditched the off-putting premise, and became a terrific sitcom that has the same silly yet smart comedy that show creator Bill Lawrence put in "Scrubs."

"Fringe" crosses over to the Other Side
I've raved about this show all over my blog, so I won't bother to reiterate my praise, even if it does completely deserve it. After all the highly advertised 'next big things' in SciFi that sputtered and died, it's nice to have one show around that nails the big narrative scope and intimate character development that all those other ones promised but couldn't deliver on.

Andrew Garfield
I had no idea whatsoever who this guy was when they announced him as the lead actor in the "Spiderman" reboot. I wasn't excited already because I thought the first two movies were very good. But after seeing him in "The Social Network," I couldn't wait to see more of him. Jesse Eisenberg plays it cold and distanced, but Andrew Garfield brings the emotional weight of the film. It excited me to uncover another tidbit of why I thought he looked so darn familiar. He had a lead role in the two-part "Doctor Who" episode "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks." He definitely has my attention now!

"Toy Story 3"
So many people of my generation were terrified that our childhood memories of the first two movies would be retroactively tarnished by an awful addition to the franchise years later. Imagine our relief when the third movie was every bit as wonderful as the first two. Who knew three animated kid's movies could be so emotionally affecting and enjoyable by young and old equally. More than a success due to nostalgia alone, this third film earned all the praise it got.

"24" ends
I loved this show for a long time but the last few seasons went really downhill and it broke my heart. The character assassination of Tony Almeida was bad enough, but Katee Sackhoff's Dana Walsh storyline put the final nail in the coffin and it became crystal clear - "24"'s time had come and gone and it was time to go.

"Ugly Betty" ends on a high note
No one really noticed when "Ugly Betty" recovered from its creative slump and got back to its first season goodness. By then, the show was canceled and was wrapping things up. But unlike other shows that march slowly toward their death with dwindling writing quality, "Ugly Betty" avoided that bitter end and proved that it deserves a fond place in our memories.

"Avatar" gets shut out at the Oscars
As the Oscar season roles around again, people are disputing the validity of nominations for ten films or for blockbuster films. But if "Avatar" can be a frontrunner, then so can "Inception" and other great movies that also happened to be wildly popular. As much as I think blockbuster movies deserve recognition when they're good, movies should win Academy Awards for having the whole package. Brilliant visuals should win technical awards. Brilliant visuals plus superb writing and acting should win Best Picture.

"Breaking Bad" winning big at the Emmys
Speaking of the whole package, "Breaking Bad" definitely has it. As much as I've wanted "Dexter" to get some love for a while and as exquisite as "Mad Men" is, "Breaking Bad" is shockingly terrific. Shockingly in that it has shocking moments, not that I expected it to be bad. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul absolutely earned those Emmy awards. Their performances are fearlessly genius and unparalleled in the television world.

"Billionaire" by Travie McCoy & Bruno Mars
I'll admit, I'm not an avid listener of Top 40 like I used to be, finding most of it to be overly autotuned and unoriginal. I don't like the state of pop music right now, I think American Idol alums only add to the generic singles, and rap/hip-hop has never been my favorite genre. (I don't say this to be an old timer at heart or a smug, arrogant hipster, I just like to be honest). But I really loved this song. So much of hip-hop that turns me off has to do with the Kanye West-type arrogance in the music. Social commentary and innovation, yes please. Giant egos going on and on about how awesomely badass and rich they are, no thank you. "Billionaire" came at a good time, when the economy was in a bad place and everyone could relate to this earnest song about the natural desire to have the freedom and joy that money can bring.

"Night Work" by the Scissor Sisters
Not nearly as popular in their native US as they should be, the Scissor Sisters released another album this year. The delightful new addition brought us more quality pop, heavily influenced by the best of disco and dance music. They also released the ridiculously upbeat song "Isn't It Strange," which got a place in the new "Shrek" movie. Still filthy, still gorgeous, I hope the Scissor Sisters keep putting out great music like they have this year.

"Kick-Ass" says 'yes' to violence and swearing
Is it base of me to say that I enjoyed the hell out of this movie? Is it immature of me to admit that I loved all the graphic violence? I don't care what anyone says, I had a great time watching this one and wish it had done better so we would get a sequel. It also got Mika to release another single specifically for this movie, so all things considered, this movie made me very happy this year.

Ben Affleck keeps directing
It looks like "Gone Baby Gone" was just the beginning. I don't care if Affleck ever acts again, but I can't wait to see what he does next behind the camera.

Mark Pellegrino scores some high-profile roles
Alright, Lucifer on "Supernatural" is definitely not a high-profile role. He was probably recognized mostly for his work as the abusive Paul Bennett on "Dexter." But he also got the role as the mysterious Jacob on "Lost." I may not have liked the direction "Lost" took towards the end, but Pellegrino was game to fill in the convoluted blanks in the story.

The pervasive use of "Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor)"
And I thought I'd put the bizarrely specific one last. I love this simple yet moving piece of music by composer John Murphy. It's showing up all over the place now, from episodes of "V" and "The Walking Dead" to the climax of "Kick-Ass" (which also used Murphy's "In the House, in a Heartbeat" from "28 Days Later.") I even heard it in a trailer for some Javier Bardem movie. It's quickly becoming the new go-to piece of music, much like the oft-used "Lux Aerterna" from "Requiem for a Dream."

"The Walking Dead" season in review

So "The Walking Dead" aired its final episode for its first season on Sunday. If you read my initial review, you might be surprised that I actually tuned in for the whole thing. But 6 episodes wasn't exactly a huge commitment, so I stuck it out and decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Well, 6 episodes later, I'm still bored with this show.

It's still well shot and the acting is good enough. The dialogue is nothing spectacular, but what more could you expect when 90% of it involves someone talking someone else down from a ledge? I still think it has offered absolutely nothing new or interesting for an avid horror film watcher to enjoy. Maybe if you like seeing the same cliches played out over and over, sure, there is plenty for the horror fan. But I was ready to start a drinking game by the third episode and really should have since they hit a lot of the plot points I was waiting for. By the time one of their group members was found to be hiding a zombie bite, I really should have been drunk.

In addition to the unoriginality of the show, I'm also experiencing what I'm deeming "Battlestar Galactica syndrome." It's where you just don't want to watch an otherwise good show because it is so damn depressing. "Battlestar" was a great show, and I know it's shallow, but I don't want to watch genocide and misery every week. Now, I want to distinguish this from other dark or violent programs. I have nothing against dark or violent shows. On the contrary, I prefer them to lighter shows. But what "The Walking Dead" has and "Battlestar Galactica" had is a crushing hopelessness. What good is cheering for the protagonists when the villain is all-powerful and always crushing them back into death and suffering? Even if you love the characters (which I don't on either of these shows), it's still difficult to watch because their greatest hope is to be killed off eventually. Their respective struggles against the Cylons and the zombies are so pointless and hopeless every week that I have to force myself to watch them. (FYI: I only got a few seasons into "Battlestar," right as Baltar was in charge and they tried to populate New Caprica when the Cylons took over. So if the tables were turned in some way, I didn't get to it.)

There's the added problem that, six episodes in, I don't care much for any of the characters. I guess we were supposed to feel sad that that one woman stayed behind to die? And we were supposed to feel bad that the other two almost stayed behind to die, but cheer when they ran out? And I guess Redneck guy's brother is just wandering around somewhere, that's done with? And despite the zombie apocalypse, we're supposed to be invested in Lori and Shane's relationship drama? I guess the big mystery we're supposed to cling to is what CDC guy whispered in Rick's ear? Perhaps having something to do with the results of the blood samples?
Thankfully, they finally sort of got around to the requisite "why is this happening?" conversation. And, naturally, one person suggested it was the wrath of God. But as I've been reminded multiple times, this show isn't about why a zombie apocalypse happened, it's about humans surviving and struggling. Honestly, I rather see the time period we saw at the beginning of the last episode with Shane in the hospital. I want to see how society broke apart and civilization slowly but horrifyingly went downhill. I want to watch THAT show. Partly because I want to know how it got as bad as it did. These are slow-moving zombies, and infection takes at least a little while to set in. So how did it spread that much unless there was some other initial way of infection? I also find it hard to believe that the CDC fell that quickly. It's in the city, I know, but of all places in the country to protect in a zombie apocalypse, good god it's the CDC. Another thing I want to know is why the group ventured into the city near dark, got to the CDC, and had no idea what to do when they couldn't get in. Why would they still go in near dark? Why wouldn't they have, like, a billion contingency plans in place? They seemed more organized and careful when it was just a few of them retrieving some guns.

I did semi-enjoy their use of "Adagio in D Minor" in the penultimate episode, even if it was a bit dramatic for 'driving away' music. You've probably heard the John Murphy-composed piece of music, most prominently from Danny Boyle's "Sunshine" or repurposed for "Kick-Ass." It was random, but I enjoyed it.

I'm sorry to be so critical, but once again, this is only my humble (brutally honest) opinion. I feel like a show on AMC should be held up to a higher level of scrutiny than a show on NBC or FOX. And I feel I should point out that it's still a good show, even if I don't like a lot of aspects of it. I really think this one ultimately comes down to personal tastes, and it's just not my flavor of choice.

"The Walking Dead" - about as fresh as a zombie

So I finally got around to watching the rest of "The Walking Dead," and I have to say I was kind of...underwhelmed. For all the hype and critical love, it didn't wow me like I was hoping it would. All October and Halloween weekend I've been revisiting tons and tons of horror movies, among them lots of zombie movies. So when I got to watching a zombie TV show, I was really hoping for something different. But what I got was a well-done example of zombie cinema, drawn out longer, but basically the expected elements were all there.

We open, after the credits, on the protagonist, Rick, and his partner Shane talking about women in a police car. It ends with the required set-up - Rick's wife asked him if he even cares about them at all, right in front of their child. Now we've established Rick's quest. Prove your love. Find your wife and son. Reconcile. Then the zombie apocalypse won't matter because you all have each other. A shootout occurs, and 28 days later (or so I like to say), Rick wakes up in the hospital after he ended up getting shot. And, oh my god, total zombie apocalypse! He walks around for a while finding bodies and some zombies, er, excuse me, walkers, before running into another survivor and his son. They give the necessary exposition about what causes you to turn and they bring up a "safe haven" in Atlanta, since that's where the CDC is located and the military can protect you. They eventually split ways. For some reason, the other survivor doesn't want to bother traveling to Atlanta, because he and his son are doing so well where they are? So by all means, shack up in a little house and engage in some target practice to draw in all the zombies in the surrounding area after you kept emphasizing that gunshots attract them.

Rick radios ahead to try to find any other survivors, and would you believe it? His partner Shane hears the broadcast but isn't able to respond. Also, apparently the woman there is Lori, Rick's wife, but for some reason I missed that the first time around. Probably because I was losing interest. That must be why Shane and Lori kissing didn't shock me like it should have. How long has it been since the apocalypse happened? Because if it hasn't been that long, Lori sure moved on quickly. Or maybe she and Shane just resorted to some good old fashioned crisis sex. Oh, and for some strange reason, no one recognizes Rick's voice on the radio. When Rick can't find gas for his car, he makes like a good cowboy and ropes himself a horse to ride into Atlanta. He wanders through the city and spots a helicopter in flight (the survivors from the original "Dawn of the Dead?") only to turn the corner to find tons of zombies waiting for him. The horse gets eaten, which is incredibly sad, and Rick gets trapped in a tank. As hope looks lost, a voice calls into the tank's radio, calling out to Rick aka the "dumbass in the tank."

• First thing I'm missing - did they ever explain what caused the zombie apocalypse? Did Rick ever bother to ask what caused all the insanity?
• Second thing I'm missing - why is no one saying the word 'zombie?' Okay, I know, that's Zombie Movie Rules 101, that you don't say that word, but 'walkers?' Really? A lot of times you really do have to follow the law that pop culture takes place in a void where there is no pop culture, at least as we know it.
  
• The show is based on a graphic novel. Is it just me, or is there some sort of flawed expectation that any show or movie based on a graphic novel should be a huge hit? The nerd population is not as big as execs thing, despite the impressive turn-out at ComicCon.
• I also had to check the facts of the original graphic novel and if it was really set in the South. I have this creeping fear that any show that doesn't take place in New York or California automatically ends up in the South. Not that I have anything against Southerners, but I feel like the "flyover state" mentality causes TV execs to forget about the entire Midwest. Not everyone in a "flyover state" talks with an accent. Just FYI.
  
• I feel like this show wanted to show off its big budget. The lingering shots of zombie killing, zombie feasting, zombified people, etc. Nothing wrong with being well funded, but it always makes me nervous when a show has a huge budget and lots of hype.
  
• I'm eager to know what the drop-off will be in the second week. Will people be up for a zombie show every week after October? Will horror fans forgive the show's utter predictability?
• I'm wondering how on earth they are going to sustain this as a TV series when we've all seen zombie movies. What I need to know is what is this show doing different? What is going to be on this show that I haven't already seen before? You can predict from here that there is going to be some human on human violence, themes of man's inhumanity to man under crisis, echoes of "Lord of the Flies," etc.

Sorry if I sound bitter or if I'm not taking the show seriously enough. But every other professional critic is treating it so seriously, I just wanted to be honest. This show is very well acted and well done, but it's also very predictable at this point and it's nothing you haven't seen before if you don't live under a rock.

"Brothers & Sisters" - "I'm just as lost and damaged and screwed up as the rest of you"

My review of AMC's "The Walking Dead" is in the works, but in the meantime I thought I'd talk about an exceptional episode of "Brothers & Sisters" that took place the same night.In "An Ideal Husband," Scotty's infidelity to Kevin was addressed and viewers were reminded just how emotionally invested you can get in this show when they have a family crisis. And it's all about family, really. The other key terms of the episode were commitment and marriage. It started off nicely with Nora on her new radio show talking about Kevin and Scotty's 'perfect' marriage. For a long time, their marriage has seemed like the most perfect on the show. And I always hoped it would stay that way since, as they pointed out later, every other relationship on the show has ended in divorce or death. But then the Walkers soon find out what we found out at the end of last week's episode - Scotty slept with someone else. I loved the scene where Nora and Sarah found out that Kevin slept on the couch and they kept badgering him, wondering what he did wrong. Perfectly understandable, as I would assume the same thing. Kevin's always the one screwing up relationships, so it was great to get a different perspective on things in this episode. I hated that Scotty cheated, but I liked how the writers handled it. It "didn't happen in a void" - Kevin had been distant, his best friend was in a coma, their surrogate had miscarried, and he couldn't be there for anyone in the months after the big accident, even his own husband. But the writers really tried to emphasize that they weren't blaming Kevin for his husband's infidelity, they were just explaining that things aren't so black and white. Scotty wasn't excused and Kevin wasn't blamed, but rather, circumstances were explained and context was set. It's so easy and tempting in this situation to just blame one party or the other, but it was more complicated than that.

I kept comparing it in my mind to the cheating incident in "Gilmore Girls," where Dean sleeps with Rory while he is married. Lorelai insists that Rory shouldn't "be one of those girls who blames the wife for forcing the husband to cheat." I remember being disgusted by Dean and Rory in this episode, and I was trying to pinpoint why it was different for "Brothers & Sisters." Because I like Scotty and Kevin more than I liked Dean and Rory? Perhaps. But a big difference is that Scotty slipped up once and felt so horrible that he told Kevin about it. He told the truth when he didn't have to. Dean slept with Rory more than just once, and his wife only found out when she found Rory's letter to Dean stashed away somewhere. Also, Kevin was emotionally absent, unsupportive, and lying to Scotty. Not that this is a justification by any means, but it's not as simple as one person cheated on another person who was an absolute angel. You don't want to blame the victim, but "Brothers & Sisters" addressed the necessary - nobody is perfect. Not even my beloved Scotty. The moment between Scotty and Kevin after the fight in the restaurant was heart-wrenching and brutally honest. Kevin was in pain and upset. Scotty had to deal with the possibility of losing his husband and his family. But for the first time, they saw him as someone who is mortal like the rest of us. It got me thinking what an enormous pressure for a naturally good, kind-hearted person to deal with - the constant pressure that you have to be the epitome of all that is good and honest in the world. They made Scotty a more three dimensional character than the saint he's been all along. It was painful to see, but necessary. He admitted that "I'm not perfect. I'm just as lost and damaged and screwed up as the rest of you."

Nora summed it all up very well, when she went back on her radio show talking about the meaning of commitment and marriage. I think they made a great point on why marriage matters. Nora mused that "the thing about a good marriage is even if a terrible mistake happens, you just can't imagine your life with anyone else. That's why you commit to each other. That's why you make vows to each other. That through the good or the bad you'll just keep trying. You're fighting not only for love, you're fighting for something bigger than either one of you. You're fighting for the family you've become. You're fighting for the 'us' you've become. And that really is worth fighting for."

In subplots, Luc and Sarah got engaged, called off the engagement, then re-engaged. The affair spooked Sarah, since she was reminded that the person you least expect to betray you can hurt you, and hurt you more than anyone else since you love them. Kitty thankfully broke it off with the dull handyman or plumber or investment banker or whoever the hell he was. He couldn't have been more wrong for Kitty in the long-term, so I'm glad they just fessed up to who he really was - her rebound guy. I hate that Rebecca and Justin separated. As a viewer, I understand the constraints of the writers when an actor leaves a show. As a person invested in the Walker family, I'm pissed that Rebecca and Justin just gave up and stayed divorced. As they pointed out last week, they both have grown up so much together, that it's painful to see them separate.

This episode proved that "Brothers & Sisters" can still be a great show. As annoying as the Walkers are, you still want to be in their family. The final scene between Scotty and Saul reinforced what the Walkers were all about. Saul said he overreacted and he couldn't pick sides that easy. He sided with his nephew, but he couldn't simply side with family because Scotty is his family too. That's touching to us at home, but it's even more meaningful to Scotty, whose own parents basically disowned him and wouldn't even come to his wedding. These heartbreaking, emotional episodes are hard to sit through sometimes, but they remind us that we can get so emotionally invested in the Walker family. It put the crises back on a personal level. Not to say that the big accident wasn't personal, but it was so clearly a season finale stunt to get Rob Lowe out of the way and tug at our heartstrings. But the mini-crises throughout the season give the actors a chance to shine and they really did here. I was thrilled that Matthew Rhys and Luke MacFarlane got more screentime, even if it was for something so sad. Kevin and Scotty weren't reconciled by the end of the episode, but they're clearly on their way to reconciliation and a better, stronger relationship. In the end, this episode effectively boiled the show down to its essential element - the importance of family.