Heather's Pop Culture World

路顺风!

2009-04-11T00:13:00.002-04:00

I found a web site that says the above means bon voyage in Mandarin (apologies if it's wrong and says something offensive instead). This is my way of saying I am off to China for a two week journey (meet me Tuesday at the wall!) but I will be back the week of April 27th so tune back in then!

The Unusuals: Watch what you steal from The Wire

2009-04-11T00:07:00.003-04:00

Stealing the photocopier lie detector test was just ridiculous (and made no sense in the context of the show) but stealing Duqie is always OK by me (and indeed relieved some of the stress I've been carrying around since I last saw him doing drugs in an alley).

Wire steals aside, I have to say that I enjoyed the first episode of the Unusuals. Adam Goldberg did his perfect angry man schtick although I think Harold Perrineau was a bit misused as his death-fearing partner (just a bit too neurotic). The chemistry between Amber Tamblyn and her new partner (who they point out, used to play for the Yankees - yay!) worked for me and I am excited to watch Tamblyn probe the depths of corruption in the precinct (keep your eye on the Bible guy). I'm now planning to give this show a spot on the rotation and hopefully I will continue to enjoy it (until ABC cancels it that is - bets? May 1st anyone?)

Anyone else watch and/or enjoy the show?

Sugar: Donde esta I-A?

2009-04-11T00:01:00.002-04:00

Now I admit that I am a sucker for baseball movies, but Sugar is not like any baseball movie I have seen before. It is about the search for the American dream more than baseball itself and it is definitely, definitely worth seeing. The film follows a Dominican pitcher, nicknamed Sugar as he makes his way from the DR to the minor leagues and then, well see for yourself. I will say that there are parts which are hilarious (hope you like french toast) and parts which are heartbreaking and although I thought it had lost me two-thirds of the way through, boy did the end bring me back. The film is only playing in New York and L.A. right now but keep your eyes peeled - it will hopefully be rolling out in more places soon. Until you can catch it, whet your appetite with the trailer:

Lost: The Smoke Monster Walks Like an Egyptian?

2009-04-10T23:43:00.004-04:00

So Ben can't kill mothers (presumably because he has a complex from his mother dying giving birth to him) but he did indirectly kill his daughter. He would have liked to kill Widmore's daughter, since Widmore is also a daughter killer and would be mother killer (a la his plan to kill Rousseau) but since Widmore's daughter is now a mother, that plan's out the window. So instead, all he can do is go back to the island to stick it in Widmore's face that he can go back so easily but while he's there, Locke may as well force him into atoning for being a daughter killer. Actually, it was hard for me to tell whether Ben really intended to seek out the smoke monster or not. Here he says he does:

but then later Locke has to drag him to the temple to do it (oh gosh darn, I summoned him but he didn't come, ho hum. What's that? You know where he is. Oh, um, yippee.) Which would seem to make the above scene a front which would mean that Ben is also genuinely surprised to see Locke watching over him and did indeed want him morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably dead. And this heart of hearts wish leads to his punishment for being a daughter killer - Locke is his new master (which he perhaps should have been all along had history been written differently but since it can't be rewritten is this a course correction?)

Asides: Ben and Widmore did have really bad hair (as suggested by Jeff Jensen no relation at EW) but at least now we know a little more about their personal beef although why would one be banished for fathering a child (Penny) off the island?

I'm not quite sure why Sun has to be dragged around the island for the Locke/Ben showdown. What on earth could be the point in that for her? And how the heck will Locke be able to help her get back to good old 1977?

So Hydra Island has now officially gone Lord of the Flies? If Caesar is dead, I will be pissed because I was excited for Said Taghmaoui to join the show. Also, what kind of password riddle is what lies in the shadow of the statue? I would ask that the show explain this but I'm not sure that I care. There are enough people to worry about and things going on to see how Lapidus gets out of a jam with some random extras.

Going forward, I am excited about the prospect of a Miles-centric episode (as next week looks to be). Ironically, my sister and I said before we saw the episode that we wanted more explanation about Miles and his I see dead people powers and our wish apparently is their command. Too bad I have to hold out over two weeks to see it since I will be out of town. Think they have Lost in China?

Rescue Me premiere: Back with a Bang

2009-04-10T23:34:00.002-04:00

The season 5 premiere episode of Rescue Me featured just about everything I love about the show. And if you haven't seen the premiere yet (Merri) stop reading now.

The firehouse banter is back in full force as are the dramatic fires that they fight - the image at the end with Tommy looking up at the figure in the high-rise window that he can't save from the flames was really moving, particularly with the haunting music in the background. Mikey and Sean have cooked up a fabulous let's open a bar scheme and Franco is perfectly relishing each moment, waiting for the scheme to fail. My absolute favorite aspect of the show, Tommy's relationship with his family, was also back with a vengeance. This scene of the family watching old home movies just killed me - Leary, as always, does angry truth so perfectly:

The only aspect of the show that sagged was the part that always sags a bit for me - Tommy and his women. I feel like he is particularly ill-matched with Gina Gershon, who is adding nothing in the way of humor so I hope that relationship ends quickly. His relationship with Janet also drags on as he is jealous of her new boyfriend Michael J. Fox. Fox had a great but brief scene in the episode, here's hoping he gets a lot more time in the next few episodes!

Fame the Remake Teaser Trailer

2009-04-07T16:22:00.003-04:00

So while I am glad they seem to be using some of the same songs as the original film, and while I wasn't completely turned off by the cover of one of my all time favorites "Out Here On My Own," I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I, as a lifetime Fame worshipper, will be able to make it through a remake or not. I think this is not enough information to decide - let's see how I feel when a longer trailer comes out. In the meantime, see what you think:

Rescue Me Comes Back Tonight!

2009-04-07T12:41:00.003-04:00

For 22 weeks!! I can barely contain my excitement!!!

For those of you who have somehow missed this show, you have to give it a try. It is hilariously funny, heartbreakingly sad, angry, twisted and topical all at the same time. Denis Leary, Steven Pasquale, Daniel Sunjata and the entire cast are hysterical and the way the show presents the gamut of emotions and issues Denis Leary's firefighter Tommy Gavin goes through is just perfect. You can catch promotions for the new season as well as lots of behind the scenes type videos on FX's web site http://vod.fxnetworks.com/fod/play.php?sh=rescueme#.

Please, please, please watch tonight and come back tomorrow so we can discuss the premiere!

Almodovar Will Return with Broken Embraces - Mark November 20th in your calendars now!

2009-04-03T18:41:00.003-04:00

I've been hearing about the new Pedro Almodovar film Los Brazos Rotos (translating as Broken Embraces) but I didn't allow myself to get truly excited until I saw this:

Teaser Trailer- Pedro Almodovar’s Broken Embraces - _Film
by sinemaestro

A longer trailer (in Spanish only - I regret giving up lessons) is available on the film's official site http://www.losabrazosrotos.com/. According to imdb.com, the film will hit the U.S. in "limited release" (AKA my local arthouse theater) on November 20th and I am now counting the days. C'mon it's Almodovar and Penelopse Cruz with lots of embracing men - anyone else with me?

Here Comes Bruno

2009-04-02T17:40:00.003-04:00

Now while I found parts of Borat hilarious, I would say parts of it went too far for my tastes so I would not call myself an enthralled fan. I feel pretty much the same about this preview for Sasha Baron Cohen's Bruno (coming in July) although something tells me I'll still be heading out to see it when it hits theaters. Watch the trailer and let me know - funny or too much? BTW, it's a Rated R trailer so you need to type in your birthday to watch.

Can't Shake That Tune!

2009-04-02T16:10:00.003-04:00

Perhaps it's because I tend to see this commercial right before I go to bed but this song has been stuck in my head all week. I finally had to look up last night who's singing this cover of Major Tom (answer: Shiny Toy Guns) but I still can't shake it. And since it's such a short snippet, it keeps running over and over on a loop in my head. Please, someone start humming something else.

Life on Mars: Um, guys, I don't think that was supposed to be literal

2009-04-02T13:53:00.003-04:00

So ABC cancelled Life on Mars but they still had time to get in a finale - the most bizarre, non-sensical finale I've seen in quite some time. Accepting that they were under the gun to slap together some kind of ending, what they came up with was still so ludicrous and hokey at the same time that I wish I had just watched a rerun of the British ending instead. If you somehow managed to make it through the U.S. show and were left scratching your head last night, please, please find a way to check out the British version of Life on Mars (or at the very least tune in to its sequel series Ashes to Ashes which is currently airing on Saturday nights on BBC America).

Green Porno is back!

2009-04-02T13:47:00.003-04:00

As I heard her promise a year ago, Isabella Rossellini has made a new Green Porno series focused on the reproductive habits of marine creatures (the whale, barnacle, limpet, anglefish and starfish). While they're not quite as bizarre as the first Green Porno insect series, they're still plenty informative and fun. You can watch them all (marine and insect life) on the Sundance Channel's web site http://www.sundancechannel.com/greenporno/video/

Lost: What's in That Temple?

2009-04-02T13:40:00.004-04:00

I have to say I was fairly disappointed with the episode this week which was fairly low on revelations. Kate did Sawyer his whispered favored which, as expected, was going to visit his daughter. She also, as expected, left Aaron with his grandmother although I didn't quite expect the spontaneous, conveniently timed change of heart prompted by nothing more than Aaron getting lost in a supermarket. I was hoping for something a little more Lost-like like a visit from Claire or Charlie or any other of the free floating spirits. Oh well.

Also, as expected, Ben can't die because we all know he lives to torture our heroes another day but the motivation of Juliet, Kate and Sawyer to save the life of a child no matter what it takes is the possible cause of Ben becoming an other and living life on the dark side. So if I get this straight, although our heroes think they're making independent decisions in their present, all they are doing is playing out the past that has to happen so we can get the future we know, right guys?

[That had to be hands down my favorite part of the episode. Love that Hurley - he's always good for a scene steal.]

So if only Jack had said yes and saved Ben at the Dharma camp, he might not have become one of the others but Jack has to say no so that the future can play out as it needs to right? He says no of course because he says no and that's the way it's written in history and it can't be changed, right?

I am very excited to see just what's happening in that temple (which looks like will be part of next week's episode) - let's get back to a little Island magic action and leave the woes of the boring lovelorn behind (I'm so over the Kate and Sawyer thing already!)

Congratulations to “The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-Milligram Containers of Fromage Frais”!

2009-03-27T10:03:00.001-04:00

This article in today's Times about this year's winner of the Diagram Prize for oddest book title of the year had me laughing out loud http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/books/28contest.html?_r=1&hp. Enjoy and happy Friday!

Lost: So If the Past Can't be Changed...

2009-03-26T14:25:00.002-04:00

then has Sayid inadvertently started the war that will lead to the purge? Too bad Faraday wasn't around to share his time travel theories. I correctly predicted that Sayid would think his purpose was to kill Ben but I'm guessing that Ben the child is not dead and will only be further inspired to his future evil ways. I also think that since the Dharma group will think they have yet again been directly attacked by the Hostiles, war is inevitable. This means that our band of main characters is in the 1970s to cause the historical events we have heard so much about rather than alter them - Right? But why would the island need them to set those events in motion? And why does it need some of them but not others?

Beyond the ending, there were a few more pieces of information dished out. Sayid fell out with Ben because out of the clear night sky, Ben declared their assassination scheme to be complete without any regard for Sayid and his sense of vengeance. Ben's attempt to lure him back into L.A. worked because he said Hurley was in danger but Sayid never had any attention of getting into bed with Ben again and was dragged on to the plane by a seductive bounty hunter. It seems to me that although she claimed to have been hired by the family of the golf course casualty, Ben likely engineered the "arrest" as a way to get Sayid on the plane. Which Ben knew was necessary because if Sayid didn't get on the plane then he wouldn't be back in the 1970s to try to kill Ben which Ben must remember and oy, my head hurts.

We also got a little time with our other buddies trapped in the 70s. Juliet is warning off Kate who is looking wistfully at Sawyer even though she could fall back with Jack if she wanted to. Sawyer is taking his head of security job very seriously and actually votes to kill Sayid (WTF?) rather than cross his boss. Sayid spilled the entire true story to the Dharma people but they of course didn't believe a word (no seriously, we're from the future!) Poor Jin gets knocked out in the jungle so Sayid can alter/enact the course of history. And Hurley is a cook - those waffles did look good.

So all in all, I was with them right up until Sayid said you were right about me. Hopefully next week the effect of the time travelers' actions will be clarified a bit.

In the meantime, this week's episode of ABC's Lost Untangled puts things in a humorous perspective (even if I wish they would go easy on the whole love rectangle thing). Dude!

God of Carnage: Havoc Wrought Through Hilarity

2009-03-24T17:08:00.002-04:00

God of Carnage is certainly the funniest play I've seen on Broadway in quite some time and may be the most fun I've had with a Broadway show in the past year. It's only an hour and a half and it flies by but it's worth every penny for every moment. The cast is just so well-matched - Marcia Gay Harden and James Gandolfini start by negotiating with Jeff Daniels and Hope Davis over an incident between their sons but allegiances start changing and constantly jump around throughout the show. James Gandolfini in particular starts out as such a polite, sweet concerned father that I was amazed how un-Sopranoish his character was but as the politeness begins to crack, solely that Tony sensibility starts to seep through. The play itself touches on what lurks beneath social civility but does not dig too deep into the characters and their motivations. Despite this lack of a strong, deep message, the play crackles with some witty dialogue, expertly delivered, and some quite surprising moments. I can't imagine the stamina the actors require to keep up the pace night after night because it is quite the tour de force.

The show's web site features a short video where you can see some stage shots and hear the actors talk about the play. Check it out at http://www.godofcarnage.com/home.php and definitely use that discount offer to check it out!

Duplicity and I Love You, Man: Bring Back the Fun Movies

2009-03-24T16:26:00.002-04:00

Yes it's that time of year where spring starts to peek its head out (although not in cold New York today) and the movies start to entertain again. After a dark winter, here we are with two new, fun movies: Duplicity and I Love You, Man.

Duplicity, which combines romantic comedy with a snappy espionage caper, kept me entertained all the way through. The cast seemed to be having fun which allows the audience to have fun as well. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen were well-matched and their scenes were well-scripted and nicely, quickly paced, as in this brief example:

Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson were also both great as warring, rival corporate executives (their "fight" in the opening credits is particularly hilarious). There were plenty of little twists and turns and a perfect ending that I did not see coming. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a smart, entertaining film.

I Love You, Man in contrast may not be for everyone but I thought it was hilarious. There are a few gross-out scenes but the rapport between Paul Rudd and Jason Segal was just so perfect that I let the little things slide. The movie takes a little while to get going but once Rudd meets Segal, it really takes off. There are some really great lines that I think I will be quoting for awhile and while I don't want to ruin any of them I have to say that I agree that Chocolat is delightful. While Segal steals most of the scenes he is in, Rudd is just so likeable that you can't help but smile every time he goofs around. There is a very funny running gag where he keeps trying to make up nicknames and slang with mixed results. Here are some outtakes where Rudd riffs on these, enjoy and please go watch the movie!

The End of Flight of the Conchords

2009-03-24T16:24:00.002-04:00

The episode started out on such a cheerful note, you knew something evil had to be lurking. After getting through the song on cannibalism (I'm not a fan of anything cannibalism related), we got this very sad, unsatisfying ending in which Bret and Jemaine must return to their shepherd roots:

Although they seem happy, I'm just depressed. This is a show that has surely ended too soon.

Lost: Namaste and Welcome to 1977!

2009-03-19T15:31:00.004-04:00

Right off the bat, my favorite thing about last night's episode had to be Jack's bemusement with finding himself as a Dharma janitor in 1977 - the smirk on his face, the way he looked in his cute seventies polo (as pictured), the way he just seemed to be having fun was such a nice change. He's been so serious and so angry for so long, that it's nice to see a little time travel loosen him up. He didn't try to debate Sawyer's critique of his leadership skills, he didn't fight to be in charge, he didn't struggle for answers to what was happening - he just sat back, explored and began to enjoy the ride. Jack seems like he will be content to let Sawyer take the reins and figure out how to get them back to the future although I am sure his bossy streak will poke its head up eventually.

That said, I am pretty confused as to what is happening and why. How come Jack, Hurley, Kate and Sayid get to take the ride through time with Sawyer and Jin but Sun has to stay in the present? How come non-Oceanics like Juliet, Miles and Faraday get to jump around the record but Lapidus has to escort Sun? I am speculating that the island must have destinies and reasons for each character and thus it may need some people and not others but it is a bit puzzling. I also was very disappointed that Jin and Sun are still thirty years apart - I was really geared up for their reunion. [A tiny little piece of me was also still hoping for Rose and Bernard info but the dearth continues - ].

I am also confused as to what effect this time travel is having on the present. Jack's dad pointed Sun and Lapidus to a 1977 recruit photo featuring Jack, Kate and Hurley but when did they pop into that photo? As EW's Jeff Jensen no relation put it was it hanging there all this time and no one ever noticed it or was it somehow Back to the Future effected when the future revealed itself? Are the characters fulfilling a preordained destiny that made the future possible or are they affecting what the future will be?

For instance, in the attractions for next week, Sayid hinted that he knew why "I am here." My guess would be that he thinks he has to get rid of future evildoer Ben in child form in order to change the evil that is perpetrated in his adult wake. Could this really be done or do the time travelers do things which lead to the coming events such as the purge? Oy, too confusing.

I also don't quite understand all the small details such as Ethan being born on the island in 1977 - according to imdb.com, the actor who played adult Ethan, William Mapother, is twelve years older than that. Also, is child Ethan somehow saved or recruited by Ben into working for the others?

Finally, most cryptically but most likely to be explained soon, Sawyer said that Faraday is no longer a part of their little time traveler group. Now I assume that has to do with his work at the Orchid station we saw in the first episode but it will be interesting to find out what caused his separation. I'm guessing that we will soon be returned to the battle between Locke and Ben, the explorations of Sun and Lapidus, life at the 1977 Dharma compound but I'm kind of hoping that we get back to Faraday first since his involvement in all of this as well as his time travel theories is what I feel is really missing from the show right now.

From this promo though, it looks like next week is going to be about those at the 1977 compound including Sayid's new mission and the romantic tension between our love quadrangle SawJulKatJack. I am of the opinion (and I think Jeff Jensen no relation support this) that the person you've been with for three years is the person you should stick by and you should not be jilting them for people you pined over for a few weeks/months. Let's hope that Sawyer and Juliet stick together and Kate goes back to Jack or finds herself a new Dharma man:

It's Thursday, Let's Tango

2009-03-19T15:22:00.002-04:00

The next installment in my ongoing oh so popular series about famous dance sequences involves the art of the tango. There are many tango moments on screen (including an entire dedicated film) but to brighten up a rainy Thursday (at least here in New York), let's count down my favorites:

#3: This is a cheat because it's really from a musical but here is the film version of the Tango Maureen - even though one learned to dance the tango with the rabbi's daughter and the other with the French ambassador's daughter, they mesh quite nicely:

#2: In Baz Luhrmann's sprawling pop amalgam that is the fabulous Moulin Rouge, the Argentinian tango version of the Police's Roxanne is quite breathtaking and keeps me glued to the screen every time:

#1: The on screen tango will never get any better than Jack Lemmon and Joe E. Brown in Some Like It Hot. Their serious demeanors and the little details like the flower transfer are priceless:

Remembering Natasha Richardson

2009-03-19T08:26:00.002-04:00

What an absolutely horrible tragedy. From her Tony award winning performance in 1998's Cabaret which I had the pleasure of seeing:

America's Next Top Riot

2009-03-16T14:38:00.004-04:00

I find this scene from over the weekend of would be hopeful candidates for the next edition of the reality show America's Next Top Model to be a horribly depressing statement on our society's misplaced sense of the importance of "fame" and how far some people will go in their desperate quest to achieve instant "stardom." It is also so sad that the producers of the show did so little to create order and organization - how hard would it have been to set up clearer lines and not just let a mob develop? Whatever led up to this moment, it is certainly a scary thing to watch:

Flight of the Conchords Song of the Week

2009-03-16T14:33:00.004-04:00

Not only do I love, love, love that this week's episode began with one of the showcase musical numbers but this song was just absolutely hilarious. Keep your ears peeled for such lines she was like Shakespeare's Juliet/thirteen? and she reminded me of a morning in winter/what, frigid? - I'm still smiling today thinking about it:

Brighten Up Your Day - Watch Ricky Gervais and Elmo!

2009-03-12T12:56:00.001-04:00

I just saw this over on Popwatch and I think I may have to watch it many more times - it's outtakes of Ricky Gervais' appearance on Sesame Street and it is hilarious:

The Completely Unnecessary File: Why Remake 2007's Death at a Funeral?

2009-03-09T15:14:00.004-04:00

I just noticed this article on imdb.com:

Rock Gathers Stars For Funeral
9 March 2009 9:15 AM, PDT

Chris Rock is assembling an all-star comedy cast for his forthcoming movie Death At A Funeral - both Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan have signed on to the project.

The film, a remake of a 2007 British movie of the same name, revolves around a dysfunctional family which comes together for the patriarch's funeral, only to be rocked by gay revelations from the deceased's alleged former lover.

Lethal Weapon star Danny Glover, Regina Hall, Zoe Saldana, Columbus Short and James Marsden are also on board for the comedy, which will be co-written and produced by Rock and directed by Neil Labute.

Filming is due to begin this spring, reports Variety.

Now I have no idea how Neil Labute got in on this project but I really don't understand the point of it in the first place. Frank Oz's hilarious Death at a Funeral just came out in 2007, had a full run in U.S. theaters and even featured one or two actors familiar to U.S. viewers. I saw it in the theater with my dad and he was falling out of his chair laughing the entire film. It was so perfectly timed, so perfectly outrageous and I can't imagine anyone doing a better job - especially so soon! I see that there may be a different spin on things by transferring the story from a British to a mostly African-American cast but just do yourselves a favor - rent this movie on DVD and skip any imitations: