No fractal "cookie" today. The Mockingjay symbol from The Hunger Games is far too iconic not to include in a review. Besides--I don't have anything remotely suitable in my fractal library.
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I cute my literary teeth on dystopian science fiction. I had read classics of the genre like Alas Babylon, On The Beach and 1984 by the time I was a high school freshman. You name it, chances are I've read it by now--and honestly I'm pretty much over the whole thing (since there doesn't seem to be a lot left to say). So when the SFBC started advertising The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins I couldn't work up enough interest to buy the book. Even so I went to see the movie (because of the massive raves coming from all sides). The movie was pretty darn good but left me with a lot of questions so when we found a well-priced copy of the trilogy in hardback we decided to buy and give it a read. WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOKS AND PLAN TO (AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE PLOT IN ADVANCE) STOP READING NOW!!!
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It's reported that author Suzanne Collins got the idea for The Hunger Games after watching Survivor and coverage of the war in the Model East on television. She created a world where the wealthy. corrupt Capitol forced teenagers from outlying Districts barely seeking out a living to fight to the death with the winner's District getting extra food. The 74th Hunger Games drew Katniss Everdeen (who volunteered in place of her sister Primrose) and Peeta Mellark from District 12. Katniss charms everyone into becoming a media darling and eventually wins the game--even managing to save Peeta.
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No good deed goes unpunished in Catching Fire (second of the series). The action that saved their lives in the arena are perceived as an act of rebellion by the Capital and Rebels alike. Katniss is sent back into the arena for the "Quarter Quell." (Once every 25 years something "special" is done for the Hunger Games: this time the pool of contestants are drawn from surviving Victors.) An alliance forms to destroy the games from within and succeeds. Some of the contestants escape and Katniss awakens in District 13 (thought to have been destroyed in the first rebellion) to discover that Peeta and some of her new friends are being held captive in the Capitol and that her former home has been bombed out of existence.
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In Mockingjay Katniss accepts her role as the "face of the Rebellion" and she finally learns the whole, dark truth about the origins and history of the Rebellion. She deals with both the leaders of the Capitol and the Rebellion then has to choose between Peeta (the man who has loved her) and Gale (the man she always loved.)
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I try to tell myself this is a series written for teens and tweens so I should be kind. And, truthfully, the books have a lot of good points. The world is interesting if not well realized. The writing style of "first person present" (I get out of bed and head for the bathroom...) is interesting and different from most books you'll read. Sadly, that style is quite limiting: the reader never sees another point of view and we only learn about the characters through the filter of the narrator. To call most of the characters two dimensional would be an insult to cardboard cut-outs world wide: these characters are purely one-note. They exist only to further the story and/or to inflict pain or guilt on the lead character. It bothers me that supposedly smart characters make the worst possible decisions simply to make trouble for Katniss Everdeen.
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If you're looking for depth you ain't gonna find it here: a walk through the ocean of these books will scarcely get your feet damp. Still, there are a few gems among the gravel but those gems left me wanting more. (I know the writer has it in her but she didn't bring it out her.) The first book is quite good (mainly because of the setting). Book two is pretty much book one retold--only without as much fun and a lot more talking. The wheels completely come off in book three with a plot that strains willing sense of disbelief well past the breaking point. All that aside there is something between these covers that I can't define, something that speaks to a lot of younger folks. It's getting them reading and talking--maybe even thinking. And that's a good thing.
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'nuff said.
A review of a Summer In Song concert requires a summer fractal yes? Of course! What better cookie than Summer Solstice. So--on with the review.
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I must confess to a certain trepidation when I attended the Circle City Chorale concert yesterday. It was the fourth show in two days and by 4:00 PM the weather outside was warm and muggy. (I was having flashbacks to a concert last July in the same building when it was hotter and even muggier and the air considering was broken in the venue--so not fun!) Still, inside it was nice and cool and the Baroness and I had prime seats.
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The show started of with a bang (figuratively) with an scapula rendition of The Star Spangled Banner that was spot on followed by a rendition of Earth Song that literally had me moved to the point of tears because of the sheer beauty and power of the performance. Hark, O The Harps Eternal rounded out a standout section with the group singing unaccompanied in mixed formation. (Non-singers--this is doubly difficult to pull off: doing so successfully is the mark of a particularly-skilled group.) Mi Inspiracion (excuse the lack of Spanish diacritical marks) was nicely presented but I could tell it was a bunch of English-speakers trying to sing in a language they didn't understand: I caught a number of minor pronunciation errors that spoiled the song for me. Singin' In The Rain and They Can't Take Away From Me were crowd pleasers with only a few minor missteps that only a mean old critic would notice. The first section was capped off by a rousing medley of songs from The Lion King (to a recorded track.
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The main choir took a break leaving a dozen or so elite members who make up the Circle City Singers (which IMHO needs to be spelled with three "c"s for symmetry's sake). They kicked of their section with The Tortoise And The Hare, a sprielty tune I'd ever heard. Lots of fun and well presented. Next up were three songs by George Gershwin that were equally well done and had the audience snapping along. After intermission they were back on stage with Sting's Fields of Gold and Viva La Vida (yes, the song by Coldplay) both of which had musical issues (most of which I'm sure the general audience didn't catch). Honestly I don't remember a thing about I Carry Your Heart With Me. Dirait-On, a deceptively sweet and simple tune with a murderous arrangement hat defeats most choirs who attempt the tune. The song started and finished nicely but the multi-layered middle section came apart for me. Still, you gotta give this small group "props" for doing as well as they did--the song is that difficult.
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A medley from Guys And Dolls brought the Chorale back on stage--complete with costumed soloists and choralography! I would be remiss if I didn't single out Chorale President Steve Gold who was a complete hoot on his Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat solo: who knew the guy was such a total ham. Kristen Potts had the Baroness seething with jealousy (not really but I thought I'd say it anyway) with Adelaide's Lament. (Robyn had her own star turn with her version during the first Coffeehouses On Broadway.) Chery Osborn upstaged herself during her duet on I've Never Been In Love Before but her tone and delivery were quite lovely. Oh, her partner Erick Lange did well too. The Lean On Me/We Shall Overcome mash-up was suitably rousing but Stars I Shall Find didn't seem to fit in with the general tenor of the rest of this program segment. For The Sake Of Our Children didn't work at all for me: I was only able to understand about one word in five--particularly sad since I think it had a really powerful message to deliver. Ride On, King Jesus was nicely performed but personally I'd have rather seen it swapped with the Lion King medley: that really would have given some "pop" to the second half of the show.
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You know it wouldn't be a Ron Review without a few minor quibbles.
- the Star Spangled Banner was done without music and there was a great connection with the audience. The rest of the show was done with folders open and some of the connection to the audience was lost (in my opinion at least.) It would be great if the Chorale would memorize their music.
- there were a few smiling faces among the singers but most of the group looked--serious at best. (A few looked annoyed or unhappy--but maybe they were just tired after a long weekend.) I wanted to see more smiles on the choristers' faces.
- LADIES: if you're wearing flower pins you don't need necklaces. GUYS: consider switching to black shirts. Your current ensemble simply shines a bright, white spotlight on how badly the women outnumber you. That being said, kudos to the entire group for such a good blend. You'd know the men were outnumbered two to one.
- I missed a "wow" moment in this show. I think C3 should consider bringing back Africa as a signature-piece--maybe as an encore.
Any quibbles I had with the show were minor (and since I have the soul of a critic I had to find something to complain about). We enjoyed an hour-and-a-half of great music well performed. Good job one and all. It almost made Robyn and I miss the group enough to want o return. Almost...
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'nuff said.
So it's that time again--time to see how well my predictions for the 2011-12 TV Seasons did. I chose Crystal Flower for today's fractal cookie because I don't think I've used it before and it was the closest thing I could find to a crystal ball. Now--on with the results!
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2 BROKE GIRLS: I hoped the show would do well but feared the worst since new comedies have such a high failure rate. RESULT: the show was the highest rated show of the season.
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A GIFTED MAN: I didn't think the Network would stick with it for more than a Season and I was right.
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ALLEN GREGORY: I thought this show would be more fun than it turned out to be but I predicted it would have a bumpy ride. The show never made it past midseason.
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CHARLIE'S ANGELS: I had no idea how well the show would do (although I thought it would do better than it did.) The "Angels" took flight off the schedule early.
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FREE AGENTS: I had "no clue" how well the show would do but I said the signs didn't "bode well" and I was right. Despite Hank Azaria and some other A List cast the show died early.
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GCB: I was really looking forward to Good Christian Bitches (the first title) but the Evangelical Right wing got up in arms even before the air. Ten episodes aired starting in April but that's all she wrote. Too bad--GCB was a worthy successor to Desperate Housewives.
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GRIMM and ONCE UPON A TIME: two shows with a fairy tale theme but with different takes. I liked both based on the previews but thought hey were too quirky to survive on network television. Luckily I was wrong. Grimm and Once Upon A Time continue their network run (although honestly I don't know how much longer "Once" can keep it up.
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H8R: I thought he show would last a year but I was wrong. It ended after a few episodes.
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HART OF DIXIE: I predicted the show would be "transplanted to Cancellation Land" but it looks like it survived for a second season.
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HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN: I said I hoped the show would die early and it did. Yay! (IMHO it was one of the worsts shows on television since My Mother The Car.)
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I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER: I said "it's not the teenage daughter the audience hates--it's the show!" and that it would leave early. Turns out the show wasn't horrible. Still, thanks to a late start and being bounced on and of the schedule the show didn't last. Too bad.
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LAST MAN STANDING: I predicted this show wouldn't be standing by season's end but I was wrong. It wasn't a ratings blockbuster but it did well enough to earn another year.
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MAN UP: I said Man Up goes down early and it did--the show disappeared before November sweeps.
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NEW GIRL: I had high hopes for this show but I thought it might be a bit too quirky for network television. I said "New Girl doesn't grow old on television" but happily I was wrong. Audiences really embraced the "adorkable" Jess Day and her three roomies.
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PAN AM: I thought his looked great but I didn't think it would survive the season. The show started with massive ratings (and continued to do well internationally) but failed to make it past February.
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PERSON OF INTEREST: I predicted the show would last at least a year--and it did.
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REVENGE: I predicted the audience would "take revenge" on the show and send it packing early but I was wrong. Revenge turned out to be everybody's mid-week guilty pleasure--including mine. That being said I don't know how much longer the writers can keep spinning out the plot before the whole thing collapses under its own weight.
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SUBURGATORY: I said "forget Purgatory--this show goes to Hell early" and boy was I wrong. Yeah it had a soft berth between The Middle and Modern Family but the show is pretty good on its own.
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THE PLAYBOY CLUB: I predicted "this 'club' will close early" and it left the schedule after only two episodes. It was the first show cancelled of the season.
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THE SECRET CIRCLE: I predicted "the 'Circle' will be broken by season's end"--and it was. Another show about witchcraft bites the dust.
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THE X FACTOR: I said this was going to be one of the few "sure hits" of the season but boy was I wrong! X Factor failed to pull in ratings but it still managed to get a second season (with two new Judges). Too many people spent too much money to let the show fail. Still, I wonder how well it will do next year...
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TERRA NOVA: the prediction that "this show will vanish into the mists of time after one season" wasn't quite accurate. It only made half that. Terra Nova was just too expensive and not good enough to survive longer.
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UNFORGETTABLE: I predicted the show would be "forgotten early" but I was wrong: it survived the entire season before it went away.
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UP ALL NIGHT: I thought the show "lacked the complexity to hold an audience" but I was wrong. The ratings weren't great but good enough to get another year.
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WHITNEY: I didn't like the show would last based on the previews. Honestly I thought it was pretty awful. Turns out I was wrong on both counts: while Whitney wasn't nearly the monster hit her other show 2 Broke Girls proved to be--it survived for a second year.
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Also say goodbye to CSI Miami, Desperate Housewives and try to find Cougar Town on TBS. Come back next fall to see what I think about the next crop of television shows.
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'nuff said.
I picked Satin Arabesque 31 as today's fractal cookie for one simple reason--the red and white color scheme is always used in programs and advertisements for the musical Annie. Now--on with the review!
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I feel like I've seen Annie at least a million times: the reality is that it has only been about half a dozen between the stage and screen. (Still--it feels like a million but maybe that's just me...) The latest production I saw (via Performance Riverside) doesn't add anything new to my experience and only served to reinforce my notions about the show. Annie is a broadly-drawn cartoon of a musical (based on a broadly-drawn cartoon--so maybe that's not such a bad thing). The show is sappy-sweet with a few good numbers with a script to match. The show has one note--full on: everything runs full-out with no subtlety whatsoever. Still, the whole thing is sweetly harmless fun for the whole family. Maybe that's not such a bad thing but it is what it is.
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Jaidyn Young is a classic Annie--cute as a button with a paint-peeling belt that can paste you to the back wall. She did well with what she was given although I did notice a couple of pretty serious voice "cracks" during Act II. (Is her voice changing or did she simply not have the vocal strength to keep up with the whole show?) The chorus of orphan girls are cute but very LOUD. Rhett Guter (as Rooster) so far outperformed Kirklyn Robinson as Miss Hannigan that it was almost embarrassing: either he needs to bring his performance way down or she needs to bring hers way up.
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The rest of the cast was adequate if not stand out in their performance with one exception, Sutton--the dog who played Sandy. One of the most difficult aspects of mounting a non-professional production of this show is casting the dog. (I've seen everything from an apricot Poodle to a German Shepherd Seeing-Eye Dog play the role.) This poor doggie-dog was clearly not into his part: yes, he hit his marks but really didn't seem to be having a good time--and he couldn't get off stage fast enough. Ah well--such is the problem with working with kids and dogs.
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Technically the show had some ups-and-downs, the nine-piece orchestra played well enough but it wouldn't be a performance at the Landis without some sound mixing issues. The costumes looked rented (and cheap) and the sets were on par with a good high school production. The choreography was nice if not overly complex.
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Annie isn't a show for jaded old grumps like me: still, the show is a fast-paced, easy to follow and fun for the whole family. It's a great show for grandparents to take their grandchildren to or for those who don't regularly attend the theater to cut their teeth on. Even so--it doesn't hold up to repeated viewings so go once, enjoy it and then leave.
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FINAL GRADE: C+
I can't think of a better fractal "cookie" for my review of Titanic 3D than Waterdeep. The connection seems pretty obvious to me. Now that I've said it--on with the review!
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Unless you've been living under a rock (or at the very least boycotting movie theaters) you probably already know the story told in Titanic. If you're not familiar with the history you probably know the movie--the love story, the epic effects the sheer spectacle on screen and the near-record setting take at the Oscars--not to mention becoming the world's highest-grossing movie. Fifteen years later a 3D version of the film was released to coincide with the ship's 100th anniversary. Was it done in honor of the anniversary or just as a grab for more cash I cannot presume to speculate.
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The bad news is that the after-production 3D addition really doesn't add a lot to the movie. The good news--it doesn't take away anything from the magnificence that was the original film. The movie is still epic, loaded with accurate details in the sets and costumes. The effects (left unenhanced from the original release) are still pretty spectacular even after all these years. It's amazing to see how impossibly young and pretty Kate Winslet and Leonardo di Caprio were way back then. It's also pretty awesome to see the wonderful performances of the many supporting actors gave. Yes, the movie still deserves to be seen on a big screen--and the bigger the better but you have to be a serious "Titanophile" to be willing to part with the extra money for a ticket.
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FINAL GRADE: A
I'm reviewing a movie about Snow White so it would have been great if I had a fractal of that title: since I didn't I chose Winter White as today's fractal "cookie". Now--on with the review of Mirror Mirror.
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Revisionist fairy tales have been around for quite a while: I first came across the idea with the FIRST televised edition of Once Upon A Mattress (starring Carol Burnett, Ken Berry, Jack Gilford and Bernadette Peters). In the years that followed I had quite a broad choice of fantasy novels and now movies and television have caught up. Right now Snow White seems to be the current favorite: she's featured prominently in Once Upon A Time and two separate theatrical releases. Mirror Mirror was just released to tepid reviews and reception while Snow White And The Huntsman bows in June.
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Mirror Mirror follows (at least initially) the standard fairy tale. Snow White (Lily Collins--who looks perfect for the role) is as sweet and plucky as she is pretty. Her stepmother the Queen (and that's all the name she gets) is played by Julia Roberts is obsessed by beauty and power. Snow is destined to meet Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer--from The Social Network). Both Snow and the Prince encounter the Seven Dwarfs (not Dwarves a la Walt Disney)--villagers exiled into banditry by the Queen's decree. The apple is involved but the story changes from there bu it still ends with the requisite "happily ever after" (and a weird Bollywood dance number).
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The movie tries to be all things to all people with limited success. The romance works well enough but not all the action and comedy bits go over. Some are good but many just left me cold. The whole script seemed curiously flat--until the very end of the movie when things changed vastly for the better. The actors work well with what little they've got--but only Julia Roberts manages to rise above the mediocre script. Mirror Mirror is interestingly shot with a painterly quality that reminds me of paintings by the Brothers Hildebrandt. Costuming and Set Design are suitable fantastic and like nothing you've seen and almost make it worth the price of admission--to a matinee at least.
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In the end, Mirror Mirror simply isn't funny, exciting or dramatic enough to really succeed. It is all that BAD but really isn't all that GOOD either. I really wanted to like this movie and was sadly disappointed when it wasn't what Id hoped. The movie should be out on DVD soon enough but you might want to wait until you can see it for free on television.
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FINAL GRADE: C
I looked through my fractal galleries for hours trying to find a remotely-suitable fractal "cookie" for the review of The Hunger Games but came up with zip. In the end I chose Cross Spiral mainly because I thought it was kinda cool and I hadn't used it before. So--after a brief personal confession on with the review!
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I'm a "late adopter" from a family of late adopters: our household was way behind the curve getting a microwave and an answering machines. ATM Cards were in common usage before I got one and "Pottermania" was sweeping the world before I read J.K. Rowling's first novel. When The Hunger Games was released I gave it a pass: to me it seemed like just another work of dystopian sci fi. Still, the movie came out to pretty much universal praise so I decided to have a look. What I saw was pretty amazing but I was left wanting more.
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Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games came up with the idea for the novel after serving in the Middle East and watching Survivor on television. The fable she created of children battling to the death featured bits on stylists, coaches and show producers that put an interesting spin on the story. And, of course there's a romantic triangle to get the teenie-boppers invested and just enough politics to pique the curiosity of the intelligentsia. Still, enough about the plot--if you want the rest of the story read the books or see the movie.
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Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss inhabits her role and gives a stoic perforamnce: I don't know what it is about her acting but there's something in her performance that makes you root for her. Josh Hutcheson (Peeta) and Liam Hemsworth (Gale) are the other two sides of the triangle. Hutcheson plays his cardboard character well but Hemsworth doesn't have enough screen time to make much of an impression. (He'll play a larger part in the sequels.) The big moments come from supporting players Stanley Tucci (channeling Ryan Seacrest in the role of Ceasar Flckerman) Wes Bentley (who has the unenviable task of playing Seneca Crane--show runner of The Hunger Games broadcast), and Donald Sutherland as President Snow (a deep-thinking father figure with a heart as cold as his last name.) I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Elizabeth Banks in the role of Effie Trinket who gets credit for surviving the outlandish costumes she has to wear. Mark my words--you'll see some of these folks come Oscar time! The Hunger Games should be well-represented at the 2013 Oscars in Makeup, Cinematography and Set Design.
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Going in to The Hunger Games I was a bit worried that I might not be able to fully understand the story without having read the books: the good news is that you don't need the books to enjoy the movie. Still, more than once I found myself asking "who is...?" or "why did they...?" or some other similar question. That being said--I LOVE explanations and I suspect most folk won't even notice that many plot points are left out.
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The Hunger Games isn't one of the best movies of all time but it's certainly one of the best this year. Makes me wonder why the studio decided to release it so early in the year and why they had such a severe press embargo until literally the day before the movie opened: that's usually a sign the studio doesn't have faith in the release. Still, the movie is well worth seeing and I imagine it will play well if you see it more than once.
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FINAL GRADE: A
