One to Watch: Lilyhammer

So, I'd heard for a while about this series, which is the first Netflix original programming series (yep, they're also bringing back Arrested Development).  It is a "classic" fish out of water tale, but with a unique twist.  The always cool Steven Van Zandt plays Big Apple mobster Frank Tagliano.  After Tagliano testifies against the new boss, the Feds place him in witness protection.  A-ha, but here's the twist.  Our man Frank says he doesn't want to relocate within the States, as it's "not safe around here these days."  He asks to be sent to far away and picturesque Lillehammer, Norway, admitting he fell in love with the place after the 94 Olympic games.

All 8 episodes of the series are available for instant streaming on Netflix.  I won't give away many plot lines, but so far (after watching the first 3 episodes), I'm really enjoying it.  Van Zandt essentially plays the exact same character, Silvio "Sil" Dante, as he did on The Sopranos, right down to the pompadour hairstyle.  This isn't a bad thing, at least for me, as Sil was one of my favorite characters on that show.

I was fearful going in that the series would stray into predictable territory and story lines, where Frank "gets things done his way" in every episode.  The pacing is pretty quick essentially, but then, we've only 8 episodes to get things covered here, so I forgave that early on.  Once he's quickly settled into his new digs in the gorgeous mountain community, the action starts to pick up right away.  

The series isn't perfect, of course, but every time I feel like they're almost stepping into predictability, the sheer strangeness of the setting and premise assure me, the viewer, that nothing should be taken for granted. Often, first seasons are a time for not much more than establishing plots and characters, and essentially setting things up.  Further seasons, if a show is lucky enough to have them, can dig in a little deeper for some real character buildup.

Tagliano does indeed feel like an outsider to the rather docile Scandinavians, but in his usual affable way, he makes new acquaintances quickly, giving ample room to some of the great supporting cast, which includes Trond Fausa Aurvag, Marian Saastad Ottesen, Sven Nordin, Kyrre Hellum, and Anne Krigsvoll.  

The series, created and written by Anne Bjornstad and Eilif Skodvin, premiered in January 2012 and drew a record 998,000 viewers (one fifth of Norway's population).  The series has been commissioned for a second season, but no production schedule has been announced yet.

Overall, the series is much more than your classic "mobster show" and sheds some light on another nation and their culture, and is definitely One to Watch.

- Johnny Decibel

Goodnight, Mr. Armstrong (RIP Neil Armstrong, 1930 - 2012)

NBC News has reported the passing of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, earlier this afternoon, reportedly from complications following a recent cardiac bypass surgery.  He was 82 years old.  Rest in peace, Mr. Armstrong.

To the stars...

(photo source: I Fucking Love Science Facebook page)

BEGGARS CAN'T BE BLOGGERS - Movies and Comics

Was derailed this week from sharing almost anything movie and comic wise by an amazing TV show, but I do want to share a very bizarre scene from a Tony Scott movie called “The Last Boy Scout”.  I won’t speak ill of the dead because I’ve seen a lot of people come out on Twitter and praise Scott for being a stand-up guy and a mentor, which he probably was… As a young man I got fired up every single time I saw “True Romance” but upon last viewing a few years ago,  I cringed at everything but Hopper/Walken showdown (which still holds up).  

But this scene may be one of the craziest, illogical ways to take down an armed thug EVER:

Dr. Who – BBC America

Soooo late to this party, and being aware of all the praises and accolades bestowed upon the recent version(s) of Who, I'm very happy to report it lives up to it's reputation.  But let me warn you, I'm still very much a newbie.  I'm have virtually no familiarity with the Who Multiverse.  I'm not aware of any cute nicknames for fans of the show, even though I consider myself among their number.

I've seen roughly 10 shows (9 with Christopher Eccleston and 1 with Matt Smith) and here are my scattered bulletpoints:

1. Dr. Who (who is only referred in the program as "The Doctor") is the last of a race called the "Time Lords".   
2. The Time Lords were wiped out in a war with their arch-enemies, The Daleks, a race that's similar to Star Trek's Borgs, substituting exterminating for assimilation; The Daleks are genetically altered to remove all emotion from their minds except for Hate, and there for want to destroy all existing life except for Dalek.
3. Dr. Who prefers to travel with a "companion".  I gather that they are almost always human and female.
4. Dr. Who has two hearts.
5. Dr. Who regenerates into a new body, and this is why different actors can cycle through without calling for a complete reboot.  Why he regenerates I still don't know.  But it appears his memories don't upload immediately afterwards.
6. His ship is called the "TARDIS".  I don't know if this is an acronym.
7. TARDIS is alive.
8. TARDIS looks like an old fashioned Police Box (similar to a phone booth), but due to a dimensional masking property it's secretly as big as a hotel .  I'm aware of it containing a bridge, a wardrobe, and a swimming pool but I'm quite sure there are many other rooms.
9. TARDIS doesn't arrive to the next adventure via flight most of the time, but rather beams in and out similar to Star Trek.
10. Dr. Who rarely uses a gun (though he isn't above it, specially when it comes to Daleks), but instead utilizes his brain or a "sonic screwdriver".
11. The Sonic Screwdriver is also similar to data devices used on Star Trek, but it's also a master key to almost any locked door the characters stumble across.
12. The few I've watched were mostly time travel stories rather than space travel.  But the spectrum of adventure is huge.  One episode may be hanging out fighting zombies with Charles Dickens and the next may be 200,000 years in the future fighting an oppressive television network executive.
13. The show is driven by fantastic writing.  It does contain special effects but they never overwhelm the story.   
14. It's a family friendly show.
15. But that doesn’t mean it’s not sophisticated science fiction.

Now, like I said, this is what I have inferred from just a few shows so I could be offbase about a number of points.  But my biggest misconception going in was that the show was too cerebral for me, or too dry.  It's actually very easy to follow, and yet retains it’s wit & charm, and some damned scary monsters as well.
The following scene produced one of the greatest “Fuck Yeah” moments I’ve seen on any show.  This episode was written by Stephen Moffat, who is also responsible for another “Fuck Yeah” reboot, the series Sherlock, also on BBC.  This is Matt Smith’s debut as The Doctor.  Watch how he gets dressed in the climax on the rooftop, casually talking a little trash to a monster while dawning his superhero bowtie.

The Doctor
Here’s a better question; Is this world a threat to The Atraxi?    …. Well, come on.  You are monitoring the whole planet- Is this world a threat?

(The Atraxi Eye Avatar projects a hologram of human history on the rooftop, and scans all of human history in seconds)
                                            
Atraxi Eye Avatar
No!

The Doctor
Are the peoples of this world guilty of any crime by the laws of The Atraxi?
(The Atraxi Eye Avatar scans hologram of the faces of Earth citizens.)      
                                                         
Atraxi Eye Avatar
No!                            
                                                        
The Doctor
Okay…… One more.  Just one…. Is this world protected?


The way Matt Smith is adjusting the tie while the hologram gives the audience a curtain call for every actor who ever played The Doctor is the greatest “Fuck Yeah!” moment I’ve seen in a long, long time.

- Dale Beggars

NEW TUNES: James Blake and Trim Release "Confidence Boost"

English electro producer and singer-songwriter James Blake has teamed up with British grime MC Trim (formerly of Roll Deep) to release music under the moniker Harmonimix (an alias Blake has previously used to re-imagine tracks by Lil Wayne, Destiny's Child, and others).  Below is the first single, "Confidence Boost", released on R&S Records September 24th. 

The cut is pretty sparse (typical of Blake's work, as himself or otherwise), but grows on you after a listen or two.  It doesn't benefit from Blake's syrupy blue-eyed soul vocals, however, but gives Trim the lead on his own lyrics (over Blake's astute sonic stinginess).  

Ultimately, the track works precisely for what Blake is known for, subtle complexity masquerading as simplicity.  Neither big nor bombastic, "Confidence Boost" is direct and deliberate, and despite itself, actually quite catchy. 

Give it a listen (or three):

- Johnny Decibel

Why Marvel Comics Is Starting To Piss Me Off

Big M, I love ya...but you need to New 52 this shit, pronto.

I've been a fanboy since about...1988 or so.  I would have been 10 then, so that sounds about right.  In particular, I have been an X-Men fan for ever and always - since then.  I grew up in a rural area outside a small town - where the only place to buy comics locally was at the grocery store.  Ewwww, non direct-only versions.  I know.  Whatever.  I started buying comics when cover price for a standard monthly was 75 cents.  Yeah, I'm that old.

I digress.  There was one X-Men title: the classic, Uncanny X-Men (R.I.P.).  I remember what a humonstrous deal it was when the X-Men series came out.  Of course, there was also X-Factor and The New Mutants, which became X-Force.  But that was it.  Easy to keep up with.  Pretty self-contained, save the occasional cameo appearance across one book or another.  

In the ensuing years, however, we've been given bludgeoned to death with X-Man, Astonishing X-Men, Ultimate X-Men, X-Men Legacy, Uncanny X-Force, X-Statix, X-Men Legacy, Generation Hope, Wolverine and the X-Men, X-23, and probably 150 or so that I'm forgetting.  Not to mention all the "event crossovers" and mini-series.  Don't get me wrong, some of those were (or were probably) good to excellent books.  *Full disclosure: I stopped reading regularly around 1996, picked up again around 2000/01, and stopped again around 2003, until 2010/11.*  Here's my problem:  I don't care.  Oh, and I don't make enough money to support any semblance of keeping up with all the goings-on in the X-Universe. 

I still love the X-Men.  And Marvel, I still love you too as a whole, but bro...why are you fucking with me?  I can't keep up with your ways anymore.  You're getting sloppy.  Lately, I'll admit, my eye has been wandering more than usual.  Yeah, I'll admit I've been creeping on Oni and Image...hell, even calling up old Wildstorm and Dark Horse back issues for some quick fun.  What do you expect?  Cut the shit.  You got way too much drama for me right now.

Oh, and...where the fuck is Dazzler????  Find a way to properly utilize her already.  

Hell, give me a title (even the Avengers have, what, 30 or so now?) - I'll build a new team consisting of Dazzler, Cloak and Dagger, Saint Sinner (yes, from Clive Barker's Razorline...line), Moon Knight, Penance (er, Hollow now, apparently), Chamber, and Nightmask.  Hire Jae Lee or Chris Bachalo (haha, like I could afford them) for the art, Neil Gaiman for the writing (again, what's my budget here????) and make it Marvel's dark, twisted fantasy of a book.  

- Johnny Decibel

BEGGARS CAN'T BE BLOGGERS - Movies and Comics

Outbreaks:  Real Life and Fiction - Contagion and Vito
Contagion – Warner Bros. – PG13
Vito – HBO – Not Rated

There’s plenty reason to revisit "Contagion”; the big budget suspense from 2011 which divided critics, yet was a modest success.  It’s solid storytelling all the way around, from a script which avoids the clichés of last minute antidotes interstate highway traffic  jams , etc… to it’s haunting score by Cliff Martinez.

Living in Dallas County in the midst of a West Nile Virus outbreak, where 10  have died (so far)of the 217 cases reported, I find myself returning again to it’s message,  that our world has traded immunity for speed.  And the local controversy ensuing over today's aerial spraying confirms, like many of the film’s characters soon realize,  there are no compromise-free solutions  in the age of digital media, and the mass hysteria that accompanies it. 

Director Steven Soderbergh makes the inspired choice of allowing the Nipah virus be the main character, in a film peppered with A-list stars, like Matt Damon & Kate Winslet, all of whom disappear for large amounts of screen time as we shift to another spot of global outbreak.  The virus kills a major actor in the first 15 minutes and it’s immediately unsettling because no one's safe .  No matter the billing, or how prominently the actor is featured in promotional material.

And, yet, the film's message about the media/government war in controlling the story is what unsettled me most.  Those responsible for spreading truth, whether it's the CDC's Laurence Fishburn or blogger Jude Law, are compromised by a need to protect loved ones, or their opportunity to make money in promoting alternative treatments.  If an outbreak of such magnitude occurs, "Contagion" says it will be almost impossible for those individuals in power to not recognize it as a chance for advancement, instead of the catastrophe that it truly is.

The film's aftermath shows us the trash on the streets, the looted homes, the people shot dead in their drive-ways... Millions dead.  Governments crippled.  Some A-list actors survive, but the modern world has changed significantly because of a microscopic organism.  A tiny organism within a grotesque one, whose antibodies were long ago overwhelmed by personal status updates.

With the coverage of West Nile locally, I've also been thinking of another film recently, the outstanding documentary "Vito”, about the life of activist and film scholar Vito Russo .  As West Nile related deaths emerged in Dallas over the years the local newscasters would close stories with a disclaimer; the victim was elderly or infirm.  It struck me as admittance that West Nile was NOT a concern because it only killed sick & old people.  

And in the 80's activists like Russo and Larry Kramer knew the Reagan Administration wouldn't lift a finger to combat AIDS until, in Russo's words, "the right people started dying".   And, this is just opinion, but the face of HIV changed nationally when Magic Johnson announced he'd been infected.  Which, along with Reagan's exit, perhaps went a long way to proving Russo's point.

Anti-Reagan protests footage is featured prominently in "Vito" as Russo, Larry Kramer, and their colleagues make desparate efforts to no longer be ignored.  It's amazing to survive the 1980's and wonder how the hell so many of us didn't care that the Feds disregarded a health crisis, based purely on a prejudice for the victims.

But the biggest reward in "Vito" is learning that Russo was not so incredibly different from any passionate film buff, like myself or the friends I grew up with.  The way he recharges himself with film, and then channels that into one the great essays about not only gay culture, but to old movies, "The Celluloid Closet", is an inspiration to all of us freaks who stay up late watching TCM.    

It's through Russo's fascination with old cinema and it’s stereotypes that he researched and authored the book, which was later turned into it’s own documentary.  Some “Closet” clips are featured in the HBO film, in brilliant testimony of how Hollywood completely undermined the legitimate status of a culture.  We see, for instance, how many Hitchcock films featured a gay conspirator or remorseless killer.  

And suddenly, I get why so many people were upset with Sharon Stone’s bisexual character in Basic Instinct.  It's not that there aren't gay criminals and killers in the real world.  There are.   

But there are almost never any gay heroes in the film world.  And that ultimately is why you should see "Vito".  Vito Russo is one.

Random Fandom

Comics

Suicide Squad - DC- New 52 - 1 through 12

The DC Comics clearing house of super villains known as the New 52 monthly title, "Suicide Squad" has been back for one year, and it just gets better and better.  Admittedly, I came late to the party, being a fan of Gail Simone's version of Deadshot and not being familiar with writer Adam Glass.  Also the brief controversy about the new younger, slimmer Amanda Waller at launch allowed me to wrongly conclude this was a soulless, extreme makeover of one of DC's better team concepts.   

It started getting really good with the Harley Quinn origin story, complete with Joker flashbacks and a really creepy showdown between Quinn and Deadshot.  These two, with government liason Waller, are the major players of "Suicide Squad" with King Shark popping up in (cannibalism) relief.  Don't think too hard about the logic of a rogue cannibal team member.  League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Ultimates, and The Dark Avengers all had cannibals, but I must admit King Shark is the first one who's consumed a teammate who went on living within his intestinal tract before making a grand escape (why I love comics).

The stakes are enormous in Task Force X, where members carry a surgically implanted neck bomb.  Glass doesn't play with our expectations too much in this respect; Chances are if it's a villain you've never heard of, they won't make it through the arc without Waller igniting a neck bomb, or King Shark turning them into a human PEZ dispenser.   This is the fun of it.  Metas get lied to by the government.  They die horrible, final, goodbye forever deaths within the confines of a monthly title.  Go figure.

DVDs

The Grey ***1/2 - Way better than it has any right being. In the age where "Man vs Nature" is a requirement for Hollywood to overdose a movie with CGI & 3D, The Grey dares to be existential.  At one point I felt like I was reading the greatest Wolverine comic ever written.  I mean that as the highest compliment.  It's a beautiful, bloody film about the shadows in our own hearts, and the shadows where the beasts prowl.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel *** - Predictable as hell, but a joy to watch.  Reminded me of those Neil Simon movies from the 70s where a list of comic actors have their lives changed on holiday* (* also see "The Love Boat"). Three locks on Oscar noms for Dench, Smith, and Wilkinson, all playing transformed

seniors.  And if you love Indian Food and aren't craving it at the end of this movie, then you filled up on too much popcorn.

Audio

The Nerdy Show Podcast - Gay guys talking movies and comics. The panelists stray into some explicit descriptions about what they would do sexually with certain teddy bear comic writers, requiring FF>>or fighting through. But I like listening to these guys, especially the episode where one expressed outrage at Chick-Fil-A, and then two minutes later admitted eating there that week (but justified it because his coworkers paid for it).

- Dale Beggars

BEGGARS CAN’T BE BLOGGERS – Movies and Comics

Texas Theater is showing “Dark Side of the Rainbow” on 8/24.  When I brought this up to my wife she didn’t sound so excited by the prospect of catching a contact high.   You know you’re old when you have that conversation.  At some point “contact high” crossed over from the “Pro” side of my page and entered the “Con” side.
Anyway, if you have never witnessed that groundbreaking mash-up, from before we knew to call them “mash-ups”, it’s pretty fantastic.

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My personal choice among the 5 Best DFW Movie Theaters is the Dallas Angelika at Mockingbird Station.  Yes, there are better on-screen presentations elsewhere and more charming venues, certainly, but crotchety old me loves Angelika mostly because parents don't dump hellspawn there for the entire day (See Northpark, just down the road).  So most of Angelika’s clientele are film lovers from University Park and surrounding areas.  Occasionally there’s the RTF drop out who challenges himself to shout answers to all the trivia slides.  But I've run into jerks at Angelika only a handful of times.  Wes Anderson movies will attract more feet proppers than most films.  Stay away from exclusive engagements of director Wes Anderson, unless you like feet smell.
The "Cry Baby Matinees" Angelika offers is a terrific opportunity for parents who can't afford or don’t trust baby sitters.  Parents can watch sophisticated flair and not be concerned with fellow patrons wishing death on their kid.

Plus there are places to sit inside and drink a cocktail if one is chronically 30 minutes early.  We grab whatever free literature is lying around and head for the big cushy chairs on the far right side.  And there are so many cool spots nearby, like Trinity Hall,  Premiere Video and Keith’s Comics, it’s so convenient to  partake in double features, buffering dead time with alcoholic shopping sprees.

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Here’s something I learned this week:Since Toy Story's debut in 1995 over 70 computer animated films were produced by major studios and very few of them earned less than $100 million. And these are just the earnings before studios factor in fast food promotions, DVD sales, and all of the merchandising. 17 of the top 20 computer animated films have been produced by Pixar or Dreamworks, grossing over $13 Billion.

No wonder a sequel to Finding Nemo was recently announced.  A perfect film never needs a sequel, but the king-sized payday Finding Nemo 2 provides may bankroll a half dozen other potential hit films ( before the creative accountants get to it).

- Dale Beggars

Today's Awesome: Boy George Covers Lana Del Rey's "Video Games"

How did I miss this?  The inimitable Boy George recently offered up an excellent cover of LDR's 2011 Born To Die track -the one that went viral with it's grainy, lo-fi video clip.

The one-time Culture Club frontman, born George O'Dowd, gives a commanding performance, his voice still rich and textured.  He arguably possesses one of his generation's finest voices, and showcases it well on this cover, which is unique while not straying too far from the feel of the original.  According to his website, the song will appear on a new covers album (no release date given) that will be available exclusively through his website.

Aside from the great cover, it's accompanied by an equally arresting video treatment by Mike Nicholls, documenting memories-from-happier-times of two young lovers.  Enjoy.

BEGGARS CAN’T BE BLOGGERS – Movies and Comics – Dale Beggars

My wife and I were watching Jack Goes Boating last night and it occurred to me how just one random minute of it’s running time contained more truth about relationships than the entire run of comics featuring Black Panther and Storm as a married couple.  So what’s so shocking about Avengers VS X-Men #9?

And, no, we don’t buy comics to see T’challa get reamed out for pubcrawling by a curler wearing Storm, so Marvel creators don’t explore the same themes as the movies.  But can we be honest and say the last time T’Challa was interesting was the first 6 issues of the Reggie Hudlin run? And with Storm, we’d go way back to her mohawk days, back when she listened to The Exploited.

And the whole “Marvel doesn’t know how to portray positive black relationships” argument doesn’t work, because this was a Wakandan king marrying a mutant “goddess”.  The only way these characters get more dull is if they speak in verse.  At least Brian Michael Bendis, for better or worse, injects the Luke Cage/Jessica Jones marriage with real world problems.  Even Bendis’ critics must admit he’s trying to show married people struggle with anxiety and identity within the 616 area code.  

It’s hardly surprising Marvel employs an event comic to undo T’challa & Storm’s  vows since editors were inventing new ways for them to live separately.  My god, last year T’challa was running a diner in Hell’s Kitchen!  He had a greater shot of bumping into this guy than his wife .  His wife, who was joining one more superteam under Marvel’s cart-before-the- horse braintrust.  A therapist might ask one of these workaholics if professional obligation was but a convenient excuse to stay away from their spouse.

Speaking of Storm’s mohawk days, one of my favorite 80’s X-Men memories was when the powerless Ororo Munroe took her sabbatical to Dallas, Texas (where I live).  I loved the way JRJr drew Forge’s skyscraper so close in proximity to Reunion Tower.  And BWS would step in for those ” Life/Death” specials.  What a story.  Do you think Forge would ever lease a floor to the Kardashians, if the 616 Lakers traded Lamar to the 616 Mavericks?   Would Forge expose the Kardashians for the Dire Wraiths they truly are?  Before embarking on the destruction of the Seacrest Empire?

Thumbs of for Jack Goes Boating, by the way.  My wife hated it, and it’s very similar to Punch Drunk Love  which also starred Hoffman.  But I’m sucker for stories where repressed manchildren learn to contain their rage and speak to women.  Probably because it’s so different from my own life.

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On today’s pile was BOOM! Studios’ Steed And Mrs Peel 1-6 by Grant Morrison, Anne Caulfield, and Ian Gibson.  

Of course, I had no idea BOOM! republished these from a 1990’s Eclipse title.  It’s a terrific showcase for artist Ian Gibson, who I remember from the 90’s and looks better than ever on the improved paper.  It’s a very trippy read and, unlike some of Morrison’s more recent work, I wasn’t exhausted by all of the ideas he tossed in.  Morrison’s wonderful , but I admit sometimes I wish he’d throw in one less alternate universe Superman.

- Dale Beggars