Media Monday–Fiddler on the Roof
This post is kind of a twofer, since we watched Fiddler last weekend on DVD and then went and saw it at the Oklahoma City Civic Center on Saturday.
Movie first: Loved Tevye’s character, and Golda’s as well, and Tzeitel was my favorite daughter. And Lazar Wolf, I would swear I’d seen him somewhere before, but I couldn’t find anything on IMDB. Anyway, I really enjoyed this musical (especially Tevye’s If I Were a Rich Man) even if it was a bit long. Because of the length (3 hrs), we decided to split it up into two nights. The dance in the bar was awesome and the ending bittersweet. For me, this was a rainy weekend movie, something you watch when you’d like to smile a little, and toward the end, you’ll probably cry a bit as well (in a good way).
Stage Version: LOVED, loved, loved the stage version. The performers were magical, and I couldn’t believe it’d been two hours by the time intermission came around. Even knowing the last bit was going to be an hour, it sure didn’t seem like it! There’s just something about having an orchestra and actual props being moved around that adds that much more to the experience. I think one of the reasons I liked the stage version better was because I felt connected to the cast a LOT more, especially Tevye. Watching it live, you get a much better idea of what’s supposed to be funny (and there’s a LOT of funny in this show). I didn’t get that in the movie, it was more bittersweet. Also, the end of the stage show is glorious, with hope on the horizon, whereas in the film, it ended so bleakly, I was kind of depressed, if that makes sense.
Anyway, if you get the chance to see the Broadway version, it’s totally worth your while!
Media Monday–El Camino by The Black Keys
Y0u know, I didn’t realize I’d been listening to the Black Keys for years, probably because their style (if something so unique can be called a style) is a mish-mash of my favorite types of music. Seriously, you’ve got the blues, punk, good clean rock and roll and a bit of grunge thrown in. Huh. I heard Lonely Boy on the radio with about a gazillion other folks and was immediately drawn in by it, so I popped on iTunes to see what else they had to offer. Imagine my surprise when I knew a bunch of their songs (probably from our satellite radio on the tube). So I downloaded El Camino, and if anything, the rest of the album is better than the singles everyone is hearing (Lonely Boy and Gold on the Ceiling). In particular, I loved the retro sixties sound of Stop Stop; the rocking second half of Little Black Submarines was a happy surprise; and the almost beachy beat of Money Maker just makes me smile.
This album is well worth the $10.99 iTunes is charging…it’ll give you hours of enjoyment.
(and if you haven’t seen the video for Lonely Boy, check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8 Bet you can’t hold back a grin!!)
Media Monday–Practical Magic
Rewatched this one on Netflix last week and remembered why it was one of those stories that I go back to time and again (Romancing the Stone, anyone <G>). Bullock and Kidman’s chemistry, both together and when they’re apart, was fabulous, as was they storyline as a whole. The plot centers around the two sisters, who are sent to live with their aunts when their parents die. But there’s something very different about this family–they’re witches, cursed in love. The first bit of the movie sets up all this, in addition to showing the viewer how uncomfortable the town is about them being what they are. Then the real story of the two sisters begins, with Sally (Bullock) longing for a “normal” life and Gillian (Kidman) following the opposite, wild-child path. Eventually Bullock finds her normal life, and Kidman revels in freedom, but they come together again when tragedy strikes, and again when Gillian bites off more than she can chew.
While Aidan Quinn was good in the role, someone like Bill Pullman would have been better as the “everyman” in my opinion (shades of While You Were Sleeping success). Dianne Weist and Stockard Channing were FAB as the aunts–loved, loved, loved them. And Goran Visnjic was creepily haaaawt as Jimmy.
This is a true sisterhood movie that’ll make you all misty at the end, so something to keep in mind if you decide to grab it off the rack (or Netflix). Great for a girls night in, or if your man is going for points in the plus column <G>.
Media Monday–The King’s Speech
Getting back to the basics again, pretty much across the board (entertainment, writing, etc). Part of that was going back to our semi-scheduled movie night, and this time around we chose The King’s Speech.
SO glad we did! This movie was fantastic from start to finish. Colin Firth was brilliant as “Bertie”, as was Geoffrey Rush as Lionel. I think what I enjoyed the most was watching history unfold as Bertie went from being the son who would never ascend to the throne to King George the VI. Yes, I realize they tweaked the script to accomodate length, but they did it skillfully, and without directorial intrusion (with the puzzling exception of the reimagination of Churchill’s alliances). Helena Bonham Carter was great as the Duchess of York/Queen Elizabeth I, even though her role was hugely understated.
The psychology behind the King’s stammering was subtly done, and made it interesting rather than a “profile”, and Lincoln’s use of nonconventional tools ranged from outright hysterical (the cursing) to blasphemous (sitting in King Edward’s Chair in Westminster Abbey).
In the end, this is something I would wholly recommend. The time absolutely flew by and it’s a movie I’ll probably watch again.
Media Monday…In Plain Sight
Am blazing through In Plain Sight, and am liking it lots. Yeah, there are some trite moments, but on the whole I’m very much enjoying it. It gets much better as the first season progresses, as they characters settle into their skin a bit better. It took me awhile to warm up to Mary, but now I like her, messed-up personality and all. And at first I was kinda annoyed by Marshall (ha ha…US Marshal Marshall Mann) but again, as the first few episodes came to a close, I found myself digging him and all of his encyclopedic knowledge, and his laconic delivery of it.
If you have Netflix, I’d wholeheartedly recommend picking it up and giving it a try…just work through the first few episodes first!
Media Monday…Castle
I picked this one up as one of the DVD options from my Netflix account (would have preferred it to be streaming, but oh well). I fully expected to love this show for three reasons. First, Nathan Fillion. Second, the baseline story sounded cute. Third, Nathan Fillion.
Unfortunately, even Captain Mal couldn’t make this a winner for me. I think it was actually the way the heroine’s character was written that made me “bleh” more than anything. I guess I just never saw the chemistry even begin to bloom between Rick and Kate, even on a platonic basis. Yeah, I’m basing my “what this should look/feel like” on Bones, but still.
So, should I give it another chance? If it’d been available streaming, I’d continue to give it a try, but since I have to wait for the DVD, and it’s hoovering up another of my choices, not so much.
Media Monday…Alphas
So Monday nights have become my new happy place because of…drumroll…Eureka and Warehouse 13.
Alphas, the new show directly following Warehouse 13 is a bit of a conundrum for me. I LOVE the fact that the “alphas” are in fact betas, but I’m not quite sure if the series as a whole is going to hold me. The premise is fabulous, but the baseline is little sketchy, and the chemistry of the characters isn’t quite hitting yet. I WAS thrilled to see one of my favorite characters from Bones (Vincent Nigel Murray, played by Ryan Cartwright) in another role, so that’s a serious bennie.
I’m giving it two more weeks, and we’ll see what happens.
So what are YOU watching?
Media Monday…Eureka
I’m not obsessive about too many TV shows. Right now it’s all Bones and Eureka for me, though I am dying to see where Warehouse 13 goes in July. Netflix is releasing Season 4 of Eureka on 11 July, so of course I had to catch up on all of them, right?? LOL.
This is a fun series to watch, mostly for the lead character, Jack Carter and his dealings with the brainiacs inhabiting Eureka. I love how he, the dumb guy in the crowd, invariably saves the world. In the earlier seasons, Zoe was a bit predictable as the rebellious teenager, but I found myself really liking her as she grew up, so I guess the writers did it right! I’m torn on Alison’s character. I know Jack is over the moon for her, but I just don’t think she deserves him. It’s not that I don’t like her or anything, it just makes me crazy that she can’t see Jack. Joe Morton is FABULOUS as Henry. I would call him the town’s moral compass, but if you’ve watched into season 2, you’ll understand why he’s not, but you still love him anyway. And Stark? I hate the smarmy bastard just as much as Jack does. Excellent supporting cast members round it out, to include Jo, Jack’s deputy, Taggart (played by Matt Frewer of Max Headroom infamy), Chef Vincent, and who could forget Fargo?
If you haven’t caught this show yet and like something that’ll make you think, but is still reasonably mainstream, I’d really suggest grabbing the first season and trying it on for size!
Movie/Music Monday…Crazy in Alabama
Caught this one on cable Sunday night, and was more drawn by the cast than I was the storyline, and enjoyed it a helluva lot more than I expected. The story was less about Lucille (Melanie Griffith) than it was PeeJoe (Lucas Black), tho Lucille’s story certainly was an amusing cutaway as we watched PeeJoe come to grips with race relations in post-Selma Alabama. David Morse was fabulous as the moral center of the story, and the supporting cast was star0studded and hella-fun to watch. Meatloaf was superb as the slimy, racist sheriff and Rod Steiger was great as the judge. All in all I found this to be a fun story, which was kinda weird given the dark overtones of both the murder and the civil rights storylines.
Movie/Music Monday…Soundtrack to Shoot to Thrill
As you can tell from yesterday’s post, I’m jamming along with Shoot to Thrill, so I thought I’d share my soundtrack. I listen to a TON of different music, so putting together a soundtrack is always one of the fun parts of writing a book. Soooo, in no particular order:
- Shoot to Thrill, AC/DC
- Drift & Die, Puddle of Mudd
- Wonder, Natalie Merchant
- Bitch, Meredith Brooks
- Baby Get Lost, Dana Owens
- No Time to Kill, Clint Black
- Sinner’s Prayer, Sully Erna (isn’t that the BEST name ever?)
- The Warrior, Scandal
- Invincible, Pat Benetar
- (Don’t You) Forget About Me, Simple Minds
- Enter Sandman, Metallica
- Run this Town, Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West
- Sweet Surrender, Sarah McLachaln
- King of Sorrow, Sade
- What a Girl Wants, Christina Aguilera
- Somebody Already Broke my Heart, Sade
- Smooth, Santana featuring Rob Thomas
- Here to Stay, Pat Methany Group
- Human Nature, Michael Jackson
- Come Away With Me, Norah Jones
- Heaven, Los Lonely Boys
- Turn Me On, Norah Jones
- Cold, Annie Lennox
- Sound of Madness, Shinedown
- At Last, Etta James
- Carnival, Natalie Merchant
- Why, Annie Lennox
- The Closer I Get to You, Fourplay
- 183 Miles, Pru
- Stranglehold, Ted Nugent
- Boys of Summer, Don Henley
- Guitars, Cadillacs, Dwight Yoakum
- Twilight Zone, Golden Earring
- Meet Me at Midnight, Diana Muldaur
- Don’t Dream it’s Over, Crowded House
- True, Spandau Ballet
- If You Only Knew, Shinedown
- Constant Craving, k.d. lang
Thoughts? Anything I should consider adding?