Happy Halloween, all you witches, ghouls, banshees and other creatures of the night. I hope you spend the day gorging yourself on miniature candy bars. While you’re at it spare a thought for me, lost in a foreign land without any candy corn. It’s truly horrifying, I tell you.
Via Queerty
I can’t remember the last time a movie trailer has taken me on a journey of indecision quite the way the Southland Tales one has.
The trailer begins with hand-held camcorder shots of happy Americana, which can only mean that the film intends to explore the dark underbelly of the American dream. Yawn. -3
Ooooh, mushroom cloud! +1
From the creator of Donnie Darko! Woot! +4
But does that mean he directed this one? I know your tricky ways, Hollywood marketing machine. -2
They’re using music by Pixies. Awesome music by the Pixies, too. +2
Is that The Rock? And Seann William Scott? Seriously? -3
Except I secretly like The Rock and Seann William Scott. +2
It’s Buffy! Aw, I miss Buffy. +1
Although, much as I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I’m not convinced Sarah Michelle Gellar is a very good actress when she’s playing other roles. -1
Film is the story of a dystopian society in Los Angeles. Point for realism. +1
Cold-hearted bitch wearing a wicked collar that Maleficent would envy. +1
Jon Lovitz. Yes, he can be funny, but rarely does his presence indicate a high-quality film. -2
Bai Ling? Fucking Bai Ling? -3
“I’m a pimp, and pimps don’t commit suicide.” [wink] Okay, I’ll give you that one. +1
He’s Dwayne Johnson now? Not The Rock? But is there a goofier name than Dwayne in the whole world? -1
Synchronized movements. And dance sequences! +1
At last, directed by Richard Kelly. All right, trailer, you got me. +2
Final tally: +3. It looks like I’ll be seeing this one, though I’m reserving the right to say, “I thought it might suck” at a later date.
What do you think? Are you able to come down with a bit more conviction on the yay or nay side?
Share ThisTelevision is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn’t have in your home. ~David Frost
Mr. Frost is right, you know. At the moment, I have an episode of Dexter waiting on my hard drive and watching that will likely be the high point of my evening (which isn’t quite as sad as it sounds because, as I have pointed out previously, Dexter is one of the best damn shows on television).
I know I’ve brought up the idea of audience theory before, but I’m feeling especially pedantic today and in a mood to go into a bit more detail (skip to the jump if you just want to read about Hugh Laurie). The uses & gratifications theory states that audiences consume media in order to be gratified in some way and breaks the reasons into four categories. The first is diversion and escapism, such as with fantasy blockbusters. The second is personal relationships, the idea that people begin to feel close to these characters and want to spend time with them. This is the only explanation for the continuing existence of Two and a Half Men, though I would dearly like to have a word with anyone who encourages Charlie Sheen to continue acting. Next you have personal identity, in which the audience takes their cues on how to behave from the media. Best case scenario, this means that your house is inspired by Top Design; worst case is that you spent the late 90s wearing the “Rachel” haircut. Lastly is surveillance, the acquiring of information through the media. Think news and documentaries or, for that matter, Sesame Street. Hey, Bert has some extremely valuable knowledge to impart. On the surface, that all sounds like a straight-forward and valid theory, but where the hell does a serial killer fit in? I’ve decided to add a fifth category to this popular media concept: vicarious cruelty.
Continue reading ‘Vicarious Cruelty and Other Happy Thoughts’
Share ThisGuest poster Erin is here to share the Halloween spirit in this week’s Friday 5: The Best Moments from The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror.
I have a special love for The Simpsons, likely because I was not allowed to watch it as a child. My mother seemed to consider it inappropriate or uncouth, and I still get a giddy, disobedient feeling when I watch it now.
My husband is an even bigger fan than I am, and I figured out quickly when we started dating that whenever he’d make a random reference I didn’t get it was a Simpsons quote. I’ve learned them all now, of course, and am prone to doing the same thing myself. The husband (hereafter “the boy” because saying “the husband” makes me feel old) helped me significantly with this list, particularly because I would say “Hey, which episode has the thing and that other thing?” and he’d respond with the episode title, number, original air date and selected quotes. Also, he does a very good impression of Milhouse doing an impression of sprinklers.
The Simpsons Halloween Specials (aka Treehouse of Horror) have always been our favorites because of how they function a bit outside the (already rather large) box. There are power-hungry and yet strangely practical aliens. The regular characters die in enjoyably horrible ways — some multiple times per episode. Pop culture references ricochet off the walls with frightful speed. Each episode is broken into three story segments out of respect for your Halloween-candy-induced short attention span.
There have been 17 (XVII) Halloween specials to date, which means 51 (LI) segments to choose from. It was a trying task, but we’re not ones to back down from a Simpsons-based challenge. So the boy and I are pleased to bring you this week’s Pop Vultures Friday 5 (V).
Continue reading ‘5 Best Moments from The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror’
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I have tried to make this entry funny. Really, I have. It turns out that there is a very fragile anger/snark balance, and right now I’m too annoyed to properly access the snark. You see, yesterday I gave the first two episodes of Samantha Who? a try. The show has received fairly warm reviews and it looks a safe bet to be picked up for an entire season. Granted, considering its competition this season, that’s not saying much. It turns out that, for the most part, the show is a moderately successful, light-hearted comedy. So why did it have me yelling and chucking things at the TV?
Continue reading ‘Kooks, Nutjobs and General Incompetents’
Share ThisSo far as I can tell, there are three reasons people watch Prison Break:
1. They enjoy the thoroughly implausible predicaments and the MacGyver-esque strategies Michael Scofield must employ to break out of prison/escape insane FBI agents/keep his head freshly shaved with nary a razor in sight/break out of prison again.
2. They appreciate the serialized format and the character relationships that have been built up over the last two seasons.
3. They like to watch Wentworth Miller looking pretty as he gazes off into the middle distance.
Considering that television is full of shows that better explore interpersonal relationships, it would seem that reason #2 is the weakest. And, for those that fall into the first or third category, season three should be brilliant. Michael is back in prison under a flimsy pretext and gazing at all he surveys with his trademark detachment, busily plotting his next big escape. So why are the ratings falling at a rate that is causing FOX executives to consider sacrificing personal assistants at an altar of Dancing With The Stars?
Season 3 thoughts and spoilers after the jump. Continue reading ‘Prison Broke’
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