Looking Forward To...

In Time
Release: October 28, 2011
Distributor: Fox
Director: Andrew Niccol
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Alex Pettyfer, Olivia Wilde, Johnny Galecki, Vincent Kartheiser, Matt Bomer, and Justin Timberlake

Birthday Girl: Martina Navratilova

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova turned 55 today, just four shy of the total number of Grand Slam titles she has amassed throughout her storied career. Her last Slam win, also her last match ever, came at the 2006 US Open when she won the Mixed Doubles title. She continues to play a very active role in tennis by playing exhibitions and commentating during Grand Slams.

Navratilova defected from her birth country of Czechoslovakia in 1974 and became a US citizen in 1981. It was then too when she came out publicly as a gay woman and to this day she remains just one of the handful of out professional tennis players. Speaking just last year at a fundraising event at Stonewall in London, here's what she had to say:

When I first came out in 1981, it was pretty lonely out there. Coming out was not considered a wise business decision. I think the phrase I heard was 'career suicide.' I’m told I lost millions in sponsorship, but in my heart I know I gained things of much greater value—the opportunity to live my life with integrity and the knowledge that others might have come out because of my example.

With all of that on her resume, one of my favorite things about her is when she played herself in an episode of Will & Grace as one of Karen Walker's paramours. Good times.

Bloody Premieres of Walking Dead, Dexter, & American Horror Story

With Halloween less than two weeks away, it's as good a time as any to take stock at some of the bloodier offerings on TV right now, more specifically AMC's smash hit The Walking Dead, FX's new buzzy Ryan Murphy show American Horror Story, and Showtime staple Dexter. Ratings-wise they've all started just great this season. The Walking Dead's second season premiere over this past weekend scored 7.3 million total viewers breaking ratings records for basic cable drama in key demos. Meanwhile the pilot for American Horror Story ranked as the most-watched original series premiere in its network's history. Not to be outdone, Dexter had its highest-rated premiere ever, in its sixth season. Not too shabby.

Quality-wise they've all started pretty solidly as well, at least based on just the premiere episodes I've seen. Due to time constraints I haven't seen any follow-up episodes for Dexter and American Horror Story so things might have drastically changed especially for the latter show since it's a) brand new and b) a Ryan Murphy show.

The Walking Dead had the best premiere of the three effortlessly putting its audience right back into the post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world they so successfully introduced last season. The episode started with the group deciding to leave Atlanta in search of something new. Abandoned cars blocking the highway and the group's own mechanical troubles left them momentarily stranded and subsequently exposed to a herd of zombies. What followed was one of the episode's more breathlessly tense moments as they all had to take shelter underneath the cars as they watched the feet of zombies pass them by. The rest of the 90-minute (more like 63 minutes without commercials) offered plenty of gore (that zombie gutting scene was vomit-inducing), more suspense, and palpable human drama. Even expecting a cliffhanger, I was caught by surprise by the ending--with a young girl still lost in the woods somewhere and a young boy shot in the stomach. Kids in danger off-the-bat... brutal. A-

Many critics eviscerated American Horror Story before it premiered citing the show's tendency to be completely over-the-top, outrageous, and incoherently messy. Color me surprised then when I watched the pilot and, while not completely disagreeing with the critics, still finding myself enjoying it a bit. Yes, it's weird and fucked up and the characters were kind of despicable and it's all over the place, but I really appreciated how it wasn't like anything I've seen before on TV. With that said, I'm curious as to how they'll be able to sustain this. It seems like this show would be more suitable as mini-series, but I guess time will tell to see how they can make it work (or not work). Still the cast is pretty good, the concept is intriguing as hell, and at worst I can drop it without feeling too guilty since it's seems like the kind of show where I don't have to worry about developing attachment to its characters (I like how that's a pro for this show). B-

Finally, I have to say the sixth season premiere of Dexter, while good for the most part, gave me a few apprehensions. First some of the things I liked. Whoever idea it was to put Dexter in a situation where he had to dance to "Hammer Time" deserves a raise. I also quite liked seeing Dexter having to interact with some of his high school classmates giving Michael C. Hall much to do. I also have high hopes for the addition of Angel's cousin as a supporting character. Everything else, meh. Never really connected with the Deb/Quinn and Laguerta/Angel relationships and since most of the rest of the episode was about them it left me unimpressed. There was also the heavy heavy heavy religious undertones throughout the episode hinting at the possible overarching theme of the season which, at the moment, doesn't really interest me. It could certainly be good, especially with Edward James Olmos and Colin Hanks as the possible Big Bads, but I worry that religion would make the show a bit more cumbersome that it's capable of handling. B

Are you watching any of these shows? Can The Walking Dead keep its premiere momentum or like last year have a lull in the middle? Is American Horror Story too weird? What do you think about the religious overtones on Dexter?

2011 SCREAM Awards

Over 30 awards were given out this weekend at the SCREAM Awards to honor all things fantasy, sci-fi, comic book, and horror. Even though I don't really pay attention to these kinds of awards, genre fare gets so little love from the bigger award bodies like the Oscars and the Emmys that it's only fair to give them some kudos when appropriate. Paul Reubens, Nicolas Cage, and Robert Downey, Jr. were all on hand to accept honorary awards while George Lucas was there to accept the Ultimate Villain honor for his Darth Vader. Other top winners include:

The Ultimate SCREAM: Harry Potter 8
Best Sci-Fi Movie: X-Men: First Class
Best Horror Movie: Let Me In
Best Comic Book Movie: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Best Thriller: Limitless
Best Independent Movie: Monsters
Best TV Show: Game of Thrones

The films and TV shows that Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 beat out for the top prize were Black Swan, Captain America, Game of Thrones, Scott Pilgrim, Super 8, Thor, True Blood, The Walking Dead, and X-Men: First Class as well as took home a few more awards including Best Actor and Best Villain. Meanwhile, Game of Thrones beat Doctor Who, Fringe, True Blood, and Walking Dead for Best TV Show. That's a pretty strong list of nominations if I do say so myself which wouldn't look too out of place at the Emmy Awards (if they were actually that cool).

Best Director: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Best Fantasy Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Fantasy Actor: Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter 8
Best Sci-Fi Actress: Milla Jovovich, Resident Evil: Afterlife
Best Sci-Fi Actor: Matt Smith, Doctor Who
Best Horror Actress: Chloë Grace Moretz, Let Me In
Best Horror Actor: Alexander Skarsgård, True Blood
Best Supporting Actress: Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Seems like Natalie Portman and her film didn't only play well with the Oscar crowd taking three awards here. Daniel Radcliffe is a fine actor, but it's pretty funny he won over the likes of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Similarly Anna Torv should've won Best Sci-Fi Actress easily. With that said, Matt Smith winning is pretty rad showing the increasing popularity of the show this side of the pond while Peter Dinklage repeated his Emmy win here besting a couple of Harry Potter lads (Rupert Grint and Alan Rickman).

Best Villain: Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort), Harry Potter 8
Best Superhero: Chris Evans, Captain America: The First Avenger
Breakout Female Performance: Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Breakout Male Performance: Joe Manganiello, True Blood
Best Ensemble: True Blood

The love for True Blood is evident, but these two wins are just a bit ridiculous. Game of Thrones and Harry Potter had a better ensemble (both were nominated) while Joe Manganiello inexplicably beat out Fassbender and Tom Hiddleston for Breakout Performance. Speaking of Hiddleston, his fantastic portrayal of Loki in Thor wasn't even nominated for Best Villain! Nice to see some recognition for Emilia Clarke though for a role that really should've garnered her an Emmy nomination.

Overall, a mixed bag certainly which is par for the course with these kinds of awards, but there are some good winners (and nominations) that probably wouldn't have gotten the recognition elsewhere. For the complete list of winners, click here.

Review: Weekend (2011)

Two guys, one a reserved semi-out-of-the-closet lifeguard and another an outspoken restless artist, meet in a bar one night and proceed to spend a weekend together filled with deep conversations, intense connections, and self-realizations. Sex, drugs, and alcohol are in the mix, but aren't they always?

Above is the synopsis of the British film Weekend written and directed by Andrew Haigh which has been making the festival rounds here in America the past few months and had its official release a month ago. It made its British debut this weekend at the London Film Fest. I saw it last weekend and have not been able to stop thinking about not just how it is most definitely one of my favorite films of the year, but also how it's one of the most romantic films I've seen ever.

The fact that the film only takes place in such a narrow time-frame, over the course of a weekend, and mostly features two guys just talking to each other, never make the film feel rushed or claustrophobic. It actually feels just the opposite courtesy of Haigh's confident direction and his elegantly efficient script where the actors and their words are allowed to breathe in their spaces. The two leads played by Tom Cullen and Chris New are wonderful together and their chemistry with one another has a lot to do with why the film works as well as it does. Even with playing two characters that in the surface probably shouldn't match up well, their openness and intimacy make the ensuing deepening of their relationship as the film progresses believable and heartwarming.


My favorite parts of the film are all of the parts that reminded me of one of my favorite films of all time, Before Sunrise wherein two young people also meet up and spend a short amount of time with each other talking about various topics and forming a deep connection. It's clear that Haigh was influenced by Richard Linklater's work on that film, but he also managed to make a film that fits just perfectly for our time especially in regards to gays and their identities. Overall, the film hits all of the emotional beats out of the park especially the ending which was at once expected, poignant, and leaving you wanting for more. A/A-

Star Trek's Zachary Quinto Comes Out

Zachary Quinto in 'Angels in America'

It wasn't exactly a front-page breaking news kind of coming out, but Zachary Quinto made it very clear in his interview with New York magazine that he's an out and proud gay man. He talked about how his stint on Angels in America last year affected him "as a gay man" making him "feel like there's still so much work to be done, and there's still so many that need to be looked at and addressed." Then asked about the intensifying Occupy Wall Street movement, Quinto answered by calling on New York's recent fight to legalize gay marriage and the senseless tragedy of gay suicides and that for himself, "as a gay man, I look at that and say there's a hopelessness that surrounds it."

Quinto himself felt the need to issue a statement today on his website to give a bit more context:

when i found out that jamey rodemeyer killed himself - i felt deeply troubled. but when i found out that jamey rodemeyer had made an it gets better video only months before taking his own life - i felt indescribable despair. i also made an it gets better video last year - in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time. but in light of jamey's death - it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it - is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality.

He goes on to say:

i believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society - and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action. jamey rodemeyer's life changed mine. and while his death only makes me wish that i had done this sooner - i am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me. now i can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one other person in this world. that - i believe - is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other.

Quinto has been working in Hollywood for nearly a decade but got his big break when he was cast in a supporting role in 24 back in 2003. That was when I first saw him. He followed that up with a few guest starring roles until he was cast as the scene-stealing Sylar in Heroes where he ultimately became the breakout star. His fame ascended some more when he was cast in J.J. Abrams reboot of Star Trek as Spock. Currently he stars in Margin Call which is set to release in theaters next week and will appear in Ryan Murphy's new FX series American Horror Story. He will also reprise his role as Spock for the Star Trek sequel. An out gay man starring in a summer blockbuster aimed squarely at boys? Beam me up.

TV Report: Weekly Drama Rankings

Yesterday, I ranked the comedy episodes I saw this past week. Today here's my attempt to roughly rank the drama episodes. I'm actually finding this a tad difficult since none of the episodes were obviously bad. Oh well, here it goes...

1. "Subject 9" (Fringe) - This episode featured a masterclass of acting from two of the most under-appreciated actors working today. Torv and Noble just knocked it out of the park once again as we get one last episode without Peter. His reappearance in the end was exciting and the fact that the world hasn't been reset even more so. The two week wait is absolutely cruel.

2. "Kick the Ballistics" (Castle) - Nice to finally have a Ryan-centric episode which also tied into a major episode last season that affect Castle. Great emotional beats without being too much of a downer.

3. "Duplicity" (Revenge) - I love that we're slowly chipping away the cold exterior that is Queen Victoria which is not to say that she's grown soft at all. But Emily/Amanda continues her amusingly psychopathic mission to destroy her dad's enemies and I continue to love it. Daniel's Harvard roommate intrigues.

4. "Get a Room" (The Good Wife) - Eli and Kalinda working more together, this time on cheese! Lisa Edelstein makes her first appearance as an old flame for Will and it's pretty wonderful seeing her and Alicia try to emotionally manipulate each other. Great to see Owen get some screentime too, with a boyfriend no less!

5. "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" (Pan Am) - While this episode finally gave Christina Ricci more to do, she didn't impress me much coming off a bit manic and crazy (to meet JFK). The two things I have loved about the show though were still front and center: the spy plot and Karine Vanasse's lovely portrayal of my favorite character on the show, Collete.

6. "A Whole New Kind of Bitch" (Ringer) - I appreciated how a lot happened in this episode though mostly when it came to Gemma finding out about Bridget. And Bridget was oh-so-close to getting away with it, but she gambled by telling Henry and now he may have just killed Gemma (doubt it). That said, anyone else getting a wee bit uncomfortable at the very dark Malcolm subplot?

7. "Defending Your Life" (Supernatural) - Last episode was all about Sam dealing with something from his past and this week it was Dean's turn. As expected, his look back was a bit darker and complicated especially in regards to his obvious alcohol dependency which I'm glad they semi-addressed. Seeing Jo back was nice also though the whole "trial" setup was a little too contrived for me.

8. "Slither" (The Secret Circle) - Can't believe how much happened in this one episode. Melissa gets possessed giving the actress some great scenes with others, Cassie confesses to her grandmother about their witchy powers, Dawn/Charles go darker and deeper, and finally Nick is killed. That final one shocked me since it's so early in the show for them to kill a main character!

9. "What Remains" (Terra Nova) - I actually enjoyed the concept and the emotions displayed in the episode with a virus slowly degrading memory and such, but it still felt a bit too closed off for me. I'm itching to get more on the Others and it looks like next week we'll get that!

10. "In Case of Separation Anxiety" (A Gifted Man) - Not a bad episode at all and it's only this low because all of the other episodes I saw this week were pretty good/okay. The cast seems to be clicking and it's probably the first time since the pilot that it's felt like an ensemble show which I appreciate.

N/A. Person of Interest - Sad to say, but I think I'm dropping this show. I've already missed two episodes and I just can't seem to amp myself up to catch up. Not a bad show, but it's also not an exciting one.

TV Report: Weekly Comedy Rankings

Trying something a little different this week when talking about the TV shows I watch. I'm going to rank the episodes all the while giving just the briefest impressions they left me this week. First up, the comedies!

1. "Remedial Chaos Theory" (Community) - Definitely one of my favorite episodes of this show. The concept of displaying different timelines is crazy enough, but to do so while serving the characters and their relationships with each other well is something else. Topnotch editing and writing as well. Can't get enough. I've already seen it a second time.

2. "Pawnee Rangers" (Parks and Recreation) - Currently the best sitcom out there delivered yet another strong episode. My favorite storyline was Donna and Tom bringing sad Ben along on their "Treat Yo Self" Day. I howled at all the craziness they put him though, but nearly died when he came out in that Batman costume. The Leslie/Ron part of the episode was also quite nice.

3. "The Chatterer" (Suburgatory) - Solid work from the father-daughter duo finding themselves suddenly on top of the social pyramid of this nutso world. I was more impressed at how at ease Jeremy Sisto was in taking on the PTA moms and how adept he has been at doing comedy.

4. "Garden Party" (The Office) - Did not expect to have Josh Groban in the episode, but he is pretty perfect as Andy's little brother. I love how we're learning more and more about Andy. From his interaction with his family, you can easily tell how he can both be an Ivy Leaguer and working as middle management. If there's one complaint, these first few episodes have felt very similar structurally. Let's switch things up here!

5. "The Russian Rocket Reaction" (Big Bang Theory) - Finding myself loving this show again. Most of that is due to it truly feeling like an ensemble show now. The show now doesn't fall apart when Sheldon isn't on screen. With that said, I also applaud them for moving forward the whole Evil Will Wheaton. Way to not settle for that joke too long.

6. "Hit and Run" (Modern Family) - Not one of their best episodes, but solid enough. Mitchell tackling that guy was a highlight as was the father-son antics of Phil and Luke (always). Not sure how I feel about Claire running for office, but I guess it makes sense.

7. "Field Trip" (How I Met Your Mother) - A bit of a filler episode especially when it came to the job hijinks of Ted and Marshall. The big story is Robin now dating her therapist. I was initially worried but they used this episode to aerate out any weird and it worked for me especially when you realize that Robin really only had one real session with him.

8. "Yesandwitch" (Happy Endings) - Megan Mullaly needs to be on TV more and she was great here as Penny's mom. They really hit it out of the park together. Unfortunately the rest of the episode paled in comparison. Though I did find myself chuckling at some of Brad and Jane's improv.

9. "And the Rich People Problems" (2 Broke Girls) - The show is still two shows in one. There's the awful, awful show that is set in a diner. Then there's the pretty good show about two different girls just hanging out and making their way in the world. The second show is keeping me watching and this week it was great especially with Max getting a glimpse of Caroline's world.

10. "Mr. Bob's Toddler Kaleidoscope" (Up All Night) - Wasn't a bad episode at all, but it was the only sitcom that I didn't have much to say about. Though it did feel like the first episode to play off the whole work-home duality well.

Poster Musings: When Celebrities Take Over

Are you excited about New Year's Eve? It's the sort of sequel to last year's Valentine's Day! Lest you forget, Valentine's Day ended up making more than $110 million in North America last year and more than $215 million worldwide. So of course, there's a sequel! Like the first film, it's chock full of celebrities who somehow decided it was a good idea to be part of this venture. Really, look at how the poster displays them proudly and awkwardly:


The poster is pretty standard and unexciting, two standards the film will surely live up to. The dismal Valentine's Day at least had the imagination to frame all the celebrity mugshots inside a heart! Look:


Note that Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Biel starred in both films. Seriously? Just... seriously? Doesn't that just tell you just everything you need to know? And to make matters worse they are not even playing the same characters! What's the point? Though to be perfectly honest, this latest film will probably be slightly better just for the fact that it'll have one great character the first film didn't: New York City. I'll rent it just for that. Though if you want to see New Year's Eve in theaters (why?), it comes out just in time for the holidays.

Thoughts on Breaking Bad Finale

Walter White spent most of the season out of his league, trapped and isolated by his circumstance. He was under constant surveillance by Gus, felt useless around his wife and son, had to lie to his brother-in-law Hank, and had a falling out with his partner Jesse. And yet throughout all of this, he kept finding ways to prevail, to survive. In the finale, where we see Walter's greatest triumph, we also begin to realize its detrimental costs.

It was always going to be a Walt vs. Gus showdown in the end and even though the outcome had always been certain (one is the lead character after all), the journey getting there was no less thrilling. In fact, it was riveting to see a panicked Walter somehow outmaneuvering the super fastidious Gus. His plan to use Tio Hector as bait was pure genius as were those last few minutes of Gus' life as half of his face and body were blown completely off (a haunting image I've yet to recover from), giving the episode's title "Face Off" added meaning. It was also wonderful to see Jesse and Walt working together again after a season apart especially their beautifully shot scene of setting the Super Lab on fire. All four actors--Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Giancarlo Esposito, and Mark Margolis--were superb here and throughout the season. They really dominated the finale, but have to also give kudos to Anna Gunn, Dean Morris, Bob Odenkirk, and Jonathan Banks for what they did this season as well.

This finale could've worked as a series finale with Walter coming out on top, but that last image of the season of the Lily of the Valley plant in Walter's own backyard clearly told us that Walter has finally crossed the line and broke bad. Sure, he has lied and killed in the past, but most in self-defense and debatably justifiable. But by poisoning Brock, a little boy, just to manipulate Jesse is beyond despicable. He also put his elderly neighbor in danger earlier in the episode. As a person, I am appalled, but as a TV watcher, I'm just excited about what this means for Walt next season. Though it's probably a safe bet that when the show finally ends after 16 more episodes (probably split into two seasons), Walter won't be on top. An excellent finale to another excellent season.

A few more stray thoughts:

- Pretty convenient for Mike to be out-of-commission these last few episodes. But I'm totally fine with that since it means he is sure to return next season probably wondering whatthefuck happened.

- Jesse will find out what Walt did to Brock, right? And what really happened with Jane? I mean he has to, right? And if he does, holy crap.

- SO MANY people are still trying to figure out the exact logistics of how Walt was able to get the seeds of the flowers to Brock and force the kid to ingest it as well as how Jesse's ricin-filled cigarette disappeared. Sorry, I was too busy getting my brain blown away by the rest of the show to care.

- "Did you just bring a bomb into a hospital?" "What?! Was I supposed to leave it at his car?" "What you're supposed to bring it to a hospital!"

- Kind of wished Anna Gunn had more to do in the finale, but I did love her face/reaction when Walt uttered his "I won" line over the phone to her. What could she possibly be thinking at that exact moment I wonder.

Breaking Bad Finale: A-
Breaking Bad Season 4: A/A-