Today's fractal "cookie" is Blaster because that's what I'll be doing in today's post. Now--on with the rant!
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I've come to expect a certain amount of "Silly Season" stuff during campaigns: sometimes I think it's funny but other times it just gets so out there that any half-way sane person literally has to wake up and go--say WHAT??? You think to yourself--did I REALLY just hear that??? So, being the half-way sane person you are you go CHECK and find that, yes indeed, you really DID hear that. Then you just scratch your head and wonder...
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My latest "say WHAT???" moment came courtesy of my "favorite" conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh. You problem wouldn't believe me if I told you so use the link that follows to hear it for yourself. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFA-e0R6l_s ) All I could think when I heard this was "really Rush--really??? You're kidding right? Please tell me you're kidding..." It is so completely silly that I found myself wondering if the dude is really that stupid or if he thinks his listeners are. (My money is on Option Two.)
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So, for all you Conspiracy Theorists out there--here's the real story: Bane first appeared in the Batman comics in January 1993. The rough draft for The Dark Knight Rises was done in 2008 and the approximate release-date for the movie was determined shortly thereafter. Back then NOBODY was worried about whether Mitt Romney would be running for President in 2012 or that his former company Bane Capital would become an issue (or non-issue depending on which side of the political spectrum you come down on). NOW--follow this carefully kiddies--either the "Evil Geniuses" of the Liberal Media either have the gift of precognition or this is just one of those weird coincidences. (Box Office receipes for movies like John Carter and Cowboys and Aliens indicate otherwise though.)
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Clearly, Limbaugh doesn't respect his listeners. If he did he'd confine himself to REAL issues. This is a tempest in a teapot that distracts from the real issues--and there are plenty of those that merit discussion. Why not talk about those?
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'nuff said.
I read a story in today's paper about a sad situation (that happens way too many times around here to make me comfortable). That story speaks to something broken in today's world. Thus I chose Fracture as today's fractal (mainly because it seemed like the best choice.) Now, on with the commentary.
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I live next door to "Horsetown USA" (aka Norco CA.--it says so on their web site) so there are obviously a lot of horses and horse stories here. It also means, thanks to the local economic downturn that there are a lot of horse problems. Most of them don't make a ripple in the press but one story hit today's Press Enterprise and it nearly broke my heart Thanks to a generous family the story has a happy ending but it may well break your heart when you hear it.
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A friend told Beatriz Andert of Perris CA about a horse that was trapped in a pen on a foreclosed property. She and her father took the poor creature some water and hay then went on to see what else they could do. In the end they were able to contact a bank officer (who knew the horse was on the property) that allowed them to take the horse. Sadie (the horse) was blind (not sure if that was a result of the neglect--the article wasn't clear), nearly crippled and literally starving to death. Kudos and a heartfelt "thank you" to the Andert family for taking the horse in and nursing her back to health.
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Now the parts I can't figure out who is the most wrong and who is the most to blame. Some of the blame has to fall on the family who had the horse: true, they were having hard times (and I do feel for them) but they chose to take on a living being. That means they had certain obligations to the critter. A lot more blame could be heaped on the bank people who KNEW an abandoned horse was on the property yet chose to do nothing. That's just sick--but, then again, I suppose they can hide behind the fact that there are laws in place to "protect" the property (i.e. you can be prosecuted--at least here in California--for removing animals from property belonging to someone else) but there is still something horribly wrong with an individual who would knowingly leave an animal to STARVE. Add to it the fact that it costs hundreds of dollars to euthanize and dispose of a horse body (and when you are financially strapped that's a lot of cash). Last, but certainly not least, the last three horse slaughterhouses in the United States were closed in 2007 so that took away the last easy way to get rid of an unwanted or sick equine. (Mind you, I'm not in favor of slaughtering animals but when it comes down to abandoning a horse to starve slowly or a quick death I think the choice is obvious.)
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Yes, there are horse rescue operations out there but they are few and far between. Rescuing dogs and cats are hard enough (believe me I know) but keeping horses is MUCH more expensive and requires a lot more space. This means that when times get hard there isn't a safety net for cash-strapped horse owners and guess who ends up suffering? Guess this means a would-be horse owner has to think long and hard before buying an animal. What else can be done? Honestly I don't know: I'm just glad there are people like the Anderts family with both the space and heart to take care of animals in need.
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'nuff said.
I chose Arab Diamond 79 as today's fractal "cookie" for a couple of reasons: first, I like the series (it's one of my absolute faves) and second it was about as close as I could come to the colors of the Spiderman costume using fractal designs I have on file. Also, I've used the two Weird Web images way to many times so I had to go for something a little less obvious. So now you know--on with the review!
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So after three, or is it four?, Spiderman films the franchise gets a reboot. (I guess they couldn't come to an agreement with former star Toby Mcguire--who was growing a bit long-in-the-tooth anyway.) Rather just re-cast the star they chose to jettison the heavy-laden old continuity and start with a retro-reboot. As you can tell by the title I was less than overwhelmed. Yes, there are a few good things (like the fact that they try to get a bit closer to the comic book origin and that they chose a costumes that looks close to what you'd see in the older comics) but they've turned Spidey into a sulky, self-involved proto-Goth played by a none-to-good looking Andrew Garfield). (Yes, that's in line with the comic book but I didn't love it.)
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Aunt May (played by Sally Field--late of Brothers and Sisters) gets much younger and hipper but poor old Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) is the same old poop he ever was. Former love-interest Mary Jane Watson has been replaced by bright and brainy Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) and her dad Police Captain George Stacey (Dennis Leary--playing his usual self--but he does have one really good scene at the end of the movie.) Rhys Iffans gets to chew the scenery playing Dr. Curt Connors who transforms into the villainous Lizard with mixed results.
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I was pleased to see that for once a recent movie was shot without he aid of blue or yellow filters but the FX weren't anything I hadn't seen before. The same could be said for the plot: I've seen it before--and it was done way better in the original series. Maybe this movie came too closely on the heels of the original series but I didn't see anything new here. One week after the debut I didn't hear a lot of buzz and I didn't hear a lot of positive commentary coming out of the theater so I guess I wasn't alone. (This weekend it was beaten out of the Number One spot by the latest Ice Age vehicle.)
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Frankly, I had a lot of hope for The Amazing Spiderman--but it never quite lived up to the hype. The movie isn't really--bad--but it doesn't cover any new ground. There's no reason to go see this unless you want to get out of the heat for a few hours.
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FINAL GRADE: B-
Brave is set in Scotland so I chose Quilt 2 as today's fractal "cookie" since it looks like plaid and the colors are featured pretty prominantly in the movie. Now--on with the review!
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First the good news: Brave is absolutely gorgeous! Every frame is beautifully drawn and drenched in amazing color. I don't know if I've ever seen a more beautifully-done computer-animated movie. There's also a really nice soundtrack loaded with Celtic music: if you're a fan (which I am) you're sure to enjoy listening to the music. The bad news: to see all this beauty you actually have to WATCH the movie. It's a great movie for girls and even women (the Baroness certainly enjoyed it) but any guy who has past puberty is going to be less-than-enthralled by this girly tale of self-discovery and empowerment.
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Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) is none-too-happy to be a Princess of "marriageable" age: she's happy to be off riding, shooting and having adventures and is none too interested in in any of the suitors from the other Clans. After acting out she flees to the woods and encounters a witch who offers her a spell to change her fate. Of course no spell is cast without its consequence--and this one turns Merida's overbearing mother, Queen Elinore (voiced by Emma Thompson) into a gigantic bear! King Fergus (Billy Connolly) lost his leg to an ancient bear (an earlier victim of the witch) so the girl must hide Mamma Bear and figure out a way to break the curse. From this you ought to be able to figure out how the story unwinds from here.
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Honestly, I think the message that girls should be masters of their own fate and make their own choice is a great one--I just don't know if Brave is the best way to get that message out. The movie tries to mix action and slapstick but, like oil and water, it just doesn't work. I'm not a slapstick fan so I don't find physical humor all that funny. There wasn't a lot of laughter (even though the theater was crowded) so I'm guessing the jokes weren't that good. Even so, a lot of people were making positive comments on the way out of the theater so I'm guessing I just wasn't the target audience. Brave is the kind of movie parents can take their kids to see--and both should have a great time. Even the most jaded individual will find something worthwhile here.
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FINAL GRADE: B
Les Miserables is uniquely French--and what is more uniquely French than Bastille Day? Hence I chose it for today's fractal "cookie". Also, the musical deals with the (or at least A) French Revolution so it seemed doublly appropriate. So--on with the review!!!
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The latest national tour of Les Miserables is overwrought, overblown and oversung--and the audience completely ate it up. I found myself (strangely enough) thinking of the movie Spinal Tap when I was watching the show. ("We're turning the amps up to eleven!!!") The music starts big and goes bigger and biggest--but it doesn't stop 'til it hits gargantuan: furthermore--most of it is hard to sing with loads of impossibly high notes for every cast member. The good news is that everyone in the large cast is up to the task (there's not a bad voice among them) and they had to sing over a large orchestra (12 pieces instead of the usual 3-5 players). Honestly, it would be a sin to try and find fault with any aspect of the performances--they were 99 44/100% spot on. If there is anything to complain about in the show, it's the plot itself.
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Les Miserables, the novel from which the musical is taken, is a behemoth: the story spans many years and many locales. Following the story on stage is next-to-impossible: you would be completely lost without program notes. Furthermore, the whole story is one gigantic roller coaster: characters are either purely good or evil and motivations can swithc 180 degrees on a dime. For me, those are major "minuses" in a show. There's not a ounce of subtlety in ther show: everything is full out--whether it is the singing or the plot. I found myself wishing for a little less now and then--but I was definitely in the minority. I don't think I've seen the PAC fuller and the entire audience went wild for everything.
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This is the kind of show for those who don't attend theater regularly to go see: the audience can feel like they've seen something important without being mentaly or emotionally challenged. The songs are beautifully written and memorable (even if the average person will never be able to hope to sing one). Even though the cast is unknown they are all incredibly talented and their vocal instruments are spectacular to hear.
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FINAL GRADE: B+
Remember this fractal from early April? I used Winter White for my review of Mirror Mirror. No it's time to review Snow White And The Huntsman so I decided that the same story needs the same fractal. That being said--on with the review!
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Snow White has been revived and revised a number of times of late: this time the story gets the "sword and sorcery" treatment. Snow is no longer the sugary-sweet, completely innocent maiden we know from the Disney flick: she's still revoltingly pure but now she's plucky and strong in her own will. Kristen Stewart comes across like Bella Swan 2.0 with a broody, low-energy performance--but she really looks the part. Charlize Theron is suitably cold as the wicked Queen Ravenna but she doesn't get to go over the top. Chris Hemsworth draws on his experience playing Thor: this performance has all the gravitas but none of the fun. The Dwarfs (played by a bunch of normal-sized British Character Actors CGIed down) are a disreputable lot. The Queen gets a brother in this version (played by Ian McShane) has a thankless role as the Chief Stooge. There's a Prince (actually a Duke's son) but he's not super charming--but that's the script's fault not the Actor (Sam Claffin)--he's just not given anything to do her.
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Basically, you've seen this before: the whole movie is shot in muted tones that give the whole thing a cold, bleak tone. The costumes are adequate to the story but not over the top. The FX ran the gamut from pretty good to ho-hum. The whole tone of the movie is solemn and it evens ends on an ambiguous note: for me though--fairy tales need to end with "happily ever after" but this one never pays out. Neither Robyn or I enjoyed the movie but I think it might speak to the collective angst that the younger generation seems to love so maybe it just wasn't made for me.
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FINAL GRADE: B-
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Lets be brutally honest: neither Snow White And The Huntsman nor Mirror Mirror NEEDS to be seen on the big screen. Still, you might want to rent the video for one or the other some time down the line so I'm going to give you a comparison guide to decide which one (if any) you might want to spend your hard-earned cash on.
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SNOW WHITE: Lily Collins has it all over Kristen Stewart in the beauty department but Kristen is way more badass. Still, I'd much rather date Lily.
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THE EVIL QUEEN: Julia Roberts get the wardrobe and the over the top rants (not to mention a much better wardrobe) but Charlize Theron gets the award for evilest behavior.
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THE PRINCE: Army Hammer gets a much bigger part in Mirror Mirror and he has a goofy charm. Sam Claffin isn't given a lot to do so you can forgive him for being forgettable. Of course rhis movie IS titled Snow White And The Huntsman so what did you expect?
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THE DWARFS: both sets are disreputable fringies forced to evil by the actions of the Queen. Honestly neither movie really needed these guys.
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THE APPLE: yeah, Snow gets put to sleep in both flicks (however briefly) but the Apple hardly makes in impact on the either story.
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COSTUMES and SETS: Mirror Mirror wins the award for sheer creativity and spectacle (in fact these are the best things in the whole movie). Snow White And The Huntsman falls back on every 'sword and sorcery" convention you've seen since the 1970s. Mirror Mirror might score some "Oscar" noms but I doubt the other will get a mention anywhere.
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THE HUNTSMAN: this character only appears in one movie (and you should know which). His character didn't leave a lot of impression and, worst of all, (according to the Baroness at least) Chris Hemsworth keeps his shirt on through the whole movie.
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PACE and MOOD: Mirror Mirror plays like a squirrel on acid it tries to be a hybrid of action flick and romantic comedy but ends up being neither fish nor fowl. Snow White And The Huntsman has a decidedly Gothic tone: the pace is slow and deliberate. There isn't a lot of energy to move the audience to a lot of interest.
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FAMILY FRIENDLY FACTOR: Mirror Mirror has its share of action but there are fewer scary moments that might upset the kiddies. Snow White And The Huntsman is aimed more at the young adult market and nobody but the youngsters will have an issue with it.
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So now you have it all in one easy-to-compare bit. View at your own risk!
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'nuff said.
Picking a fractal cookie for Chicago is a near-impossible task. In the end I chose Opposites Flower because of the black-and-white costumes (OK mostly black but still...) worn in the show. Now you know--on with the review!
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Chicago has an iconic look that makes it instantly recognizable on stage. The mostly-black costumes, bare-bone staging and tortured choreography by the legendary Bob Fosse making the show live and die by its performance. Performance Riverside was smart enough not to touch the basic elements and Director Matt Neves was smart enough to cast first-rate talent.
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The story of Chicago is sort of secondary to the social commentary on the celebrity of scandal and the manipulation of-and-by the media. Back in 1976 when the show debuted on Broadway it didn't do well but a revival twenty years later was well received by the public who had grown much more cynical. Even though the show is set in the "Roaring Twenties" the contemporary style and message strikes a chord with today's audience. The latest production by Performance Riverside sticks closely to the standards an pretty much got the look right. Yes, there were a few bits that weren't the best lit and it wouldn't be a performance at the Landis without some sound issues (but there were fewer than usual so I suppose I should count hat as a win).
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Ayelet Firstenberg and Chelsea Emma Franko brought the brass as Velma and Roxie respectively but there was no subtlety in the performance. Still, both girls were good singers and dancers and were a lot of fun to watch. Kudos to both. Jason Webb in the role of Billy Flynn has an excellent voice, can dance and is a good actor: still, there was this weird Nathan Lane vibe in his performance that Robyn and I both noticed. Jamie Snyder (who got castigated in this blog for his rendition of Alfred Doolittle in the recent production of My Fair Lady) fares much better as Amos Hart: yes he had some accent issues (it went in and out--not to mention sounding like a NYC Jew for the most part) but he has a strong voice and brought a wounded-teddy bear quality to the role that made you want to jump on stage, give the poor guy a hug and say "there, there". Good job Jamie! As Mama Morton, Kami Martin Crump successfully navigated a tricky role that of "ball-bearing be-atch" with a heart of gold and made both aspects believable. Loved her! I won't reveal R.C. Sands big secret as Mary Sunshine (for the sake of those who haven't seen the show) but who knew that voice could come out of that body??? The Chorus danced and sang well (although one tenor kind of stood out from the chorus (and it's never a good thing when you can pick out an individual voice in a choral piece.) Still, they were up to the task and supported the leads wonderfully well.
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Chicago has a special place in my heart: the show appeals to my cynical nature (and it was what got Robyn and I into regular theater attendance) and frankly I was terrified that Performance Riverside would screw it up royally. Thankfully, the didn't: in fact in enjoyed this performance better than the national touring production I saw a few years ago. This show is well worth seeing.
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FINAL GRADE A-
