Gina Harris's Blog, page 176

Band Review: Mayhem Like Me

I've enjoyed listening to Mayhem Like Me this week.
Mayhem Like Me is a Rock/Metal band from Columbus, Ohio. Their style combines the aggressiveness of rock with fast and intricate playing. For me it brought to mind DragonForce on "Through Fire and Flames" (which is a pretty high compliment). You can bang your head to it, but there's some sophistication too.
The best example among the tracks is probably "Headliner", but I recommend checking out "No Signal" as well. If you like what you hear, keep listening. The bridge on "She Can't Say Love" soars. They have two EPs and a couple of singles, all within the past two years, so this is a current band, and one that can go places.
They are currently dealing with some lineup changes, but the guitars are intact, and I imagine they will be fine.
http://www.mlmband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mayhemlikemeband
https://www.youtube.com/user/MAYHEMLIKEM3
http://www.reverbnation.com/mayhemlikem3
https://twitter.com/MayhemLike_Me

Once Upon A Time and Galavant

As I said, I really tried to not watch "Galavant", but they promoted it really heavily during "Once Upon A Time", and it looked kind of charming. It ended up being really charming.
There were some jokes that didn't stick in the first two episodes, but that was only noticeable at first; they found their footing really quickly. It looks like a ton of fun to do, and I suspect that's paying off with the cast. It's definitely fun to watch.
Some of the nice surprises from the show have been Joshua Sasse in general, Vinnie Jones' comic timing, and the perfect casting of Young Gareth. One of the less pleasant surprises was that I thought the limited run was a one time thing, so without knowing that the show was angling for a second season I was expecting a nice wrap-up instead of a cliff-hanger. I mean, I don't mind if it comes back; I just thought there would be a mega-happy ending with a splashy musical number.
The part that really got me was King Richard's character arc. It wasn't a complete surprise because I expected Timothy Omundson to be delightful, but it was more than that. The character started out as obnoxious - and evil in a thoughtless kind of way. That worked, but then Richard kept showing more vulnerability, endearingly, while Madalena kept showing more psychosis. The chemistry between Richard, Gareth, and Sid was important to that, but it was the song that really put it over the top.
Richard had been a part of musical numbers before that, but they were more comical, and ensemble style. When he sang "Goodnight My Friend", it was like he'd never sung before. Suddenly Omundson had the voice of an angel, and the song had a magic that spread through the castle and kingdom.
I suppose a helpful part of his arc is that Richard seems to be enjoying himself a lot more while not being actively evil, and now he will be paired with Galavant himself, which should be interesting.
It occurs to me that this is where "Galavant" made such a good pairing with "Once Upon A Time". Yes, it's sillier and more musical, but both shows allow villains to become something else, and it is the relationships that make it work.
Regina has been pretty evil, and her reasons for going that direction weren't really good. Her path toward the light started because she loved Henry, but that hasn't been all. Henry loved her back of course, and that meant that he would ask for the others who love him to understand her. It meant that they would reach out to her, especially Mary Margaret at first, but then Emma. In the process they are finding friendship, and when there are opportunities for Regina go dark again, she keeps refusing.
Regina has a lot of blood on her hands, as does Richard, but we find ourselves liking them, and sympathizing with them. It's good to see that we can change. It's a good reminder how much relationships matter. That gives reasons to be hopeful for what happens next.
And talented casts don't hurt.
Next week I'll take on "Grimm.

10,000 BC - the screenplay

I will do a summing up post once I am done going through the screenplays, but I recently read this one, and I want to talk about it now.
I  haven't seen the movie, but I had heard things about it that weren't at all encouraging. I thought it made sense when I got to title page. In addition to the original two writers, it showed three rounds of revisions, for a total of five hands on the script. (That version at least.)
Upon starting to read, it made less sense, because actually the screenplay didn't seem that bad. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but it wasn't horrible. I did feel like the mammoth hunting techniques and the carved beads shows some Ice Age influence, which based on the time lines was certainly possible, but that's not necessarily bad.
I thought perhaps the problem with the final product had been special effects or something, until I got to around page 40 and the Terror Birds appeared. There was a sudden change in tone and realism. It appeared there was a conscious attempt to punch up the action, and it felt patchwork-y, but okay, the different revisions and writers totally made sense at that point.
After that, there was a kind of a return to normal. Some of the emotional exposition was a little clunky perhaps, but it felt like it was back to the type of writing the first 40 pages had, until we got to the pyramids.
Now, I do think I remember someone complaining that it was about 8000 years too soon for the pyramids, but actually that's okay, because they weren't those pyramids. I mean, yes, they are in the same general area, and built in the same configuration, but the end of the screenplay shows them being swallowed up by the desert, so it's not those pyramids. Obviously, someone just had the same idea later.
While it might seem like that doesn't make sense, because the pyramids were being built as a way to get the alien ruler back to his home planet, that clearly can't have been the real purpose since the ruler was later revealed to merely be a human in disguise, and not actually an alien, so it all makes sense.
No, that makes no sense at all. That section felt a little patchy too, actually.
You can see how it starts with a feeling that the movie is not enough. It's not exciting enough, or revolutionary enough. It will not draw enough viewers. It will not make enough money. (Maybe more that last part.) Trying to fix that does not automatically give you a better movie.
It might make you more money though. This one did not seem to earn back it's budget domestically, but it came close enough that foreign box office probably put it over the top.
It does seem possible that the original screenwriters would be disappointed with how the end result compared to their artistic vision, but one of them was Roland Emmerich, who was also the director. The other, Harold Kloser, has collaborated with Emmerich on multiple projects, including 2012 and White House Down, so maybe he's good with it.

Person of Interest, Season 4

Previously, of the dramas I watch, "Person of Interest" was my least favorite. That's not an insult, because it was still one of the dramas I watched. I would sometimes procrastinate watching it.
Let me back up. With the comedies and game shows, my family and I watch them together, so the viewing schedule is based on that, but we usually watch things pretty quickly. With the dramas, it's not just when I have time, but when I have the television to myself, because no one else likes my shows. (They're wrong, but it's not a battle worth fighting.)
"White Collar" aired on a completely different schedule, so keeping caught up was usually easy. When new episodes for the other three started at once, I was really busy. I let myself get eight episodes behind on POI, whereas with "Grimm" I would usually watch within 24 hours of the original airing. "Once Upon A Time" fell somewhere in between.
POI was less relaxing. I enjoyed the episodes and found them interesting, but I could wait to watch it. Sometimes I would think about dropping it, and that never sounded desirable, but I would think about the difference.
I have generally preferred fantasy to science fiction in the past (I read mainly non-fiction now). While the other two shows were (in different ways) directly inspired by fairy tales, POI is very much technology-driven. I thought that could be a factor.
I also thought the violence could be a factor. It has a lot more fighting and gun play than the other shows, and more deaths of people you care about. I think you can reasonably say that it's a darker show in general, and that has been getting worse since Samaritan went live. They are losing more numbers. The guy in Search and Destroy sort of sought it out through the way his arrogance in his need to know more overpowered everything else, but the programmer who got involved with the Nautilus contest fled and hid and tried to get Control to listen and none of it was enough.
Actually, that's another possible reason for my liking the show less there. There was always some bigger plot going on, and they kept getting bigger. HR seemed like a really big problem, but what Decima has wrought is much worse. I generally prefer things on a smaller and more relatable scale.
That would mean I should be getting more fed up with the show, but I am liking it better. After the last episode I think I understand why. The characters have become more human. Maybe they've had to in light of Samaritan's inhumanity.
I see their relationships mattering more to them. The grief over Shaw's loss has been a part of it. Root planned on murdering an innocent woman because she believed it was the only way to prevent Harold's death. That sounds horrible, and if the woman had died it would have backfired, but that is growth for Root. It took her a while to learn to value human life, so it seemed like a setback, but it was something different. And of course we have seen some flashbacks of Finch programming and teaching the Machine to value an individual, and to value life. Those have all been significant, but it was the April 14th episode that really drove everything home.
John opened a cold case that had last been worked by Carter, and we thought we were seeing flashbacks. Well, some if it was a flashback, but it was also a hallucination that John was  having after being shot.
Carter's death mattered when it happened. John went off the rails, and Fusco got on the wagon. Elias arranged the death of her murderer. Everyone was hurt, but had moved on.
It had come back a little. When firing his gun too often led to John seeing a psychiatrist, one of the first things he really opened up about was not being able to save Joss, and how that drove him now.
The thing that hit me the most was John's realization in the car that he had never opened up to her. He had a friend that he could share things with, but he didn't share. I know he had felt her loss deeply before, but it hit him in a new way then.
It also reminded me that in her death Carter took down HR. She nearly failed, because she had been working alone, but her friends constantly telling her that she didn't have to do it alone finally sunk in. She let them know where she was going, and they came, and they worked together long enough to put the bad guys away, except for the one who shot her.
The group's feelings for each other are getting deeper. There is pain in that with all the danger they face. You see it in little things, like John wanting Finch to learn how to shoot. Each one is aware that this could get them killed, and they've made peace with that, but not with leaving the others behind.
That seems like a vulnerability, but it makes me care more. Everything matters more.
That is why their hold is so much deeper on me now.

Band Review: Colton Brown

Colton Brown is a rapper and producer from Moore Haven, Florida, working in Hip-hop, Rap, and Southern Rap.
Interestingly, while the rap is there, it never feels like the defining part of the song. The Southern influence is definitely felt, especially on "Tough Enough" and "Whip Your Ass", but there is also a classic rock feeling. I think fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd might enjoy Brown's music.
While it is somewhat less typical of his sound, Brown does an interesting cover of "Wild World" that is worth checking out.
http://www.coltonbrown.net/
https://www.facebook.com/coltonbrownmusic
https://soundcloud.com/coltonbrown1
https://twitter.com/Colton_Brown

Band Review: Cugini

I admit to some confusion about Cugini. The descriptions make it sound more like a label or studio that works on developing talent. However, there are songs performed by Cugini, which makes them seem like a band. For the purposes of this review, I am treating them like a band.
There could also be some confusion about the genre. On Facebook they use the acronym "S.P.E.C.H.", for Sexy Punk Electro Contemporary HipHop.
I do hear the hip hop elements, but the electronic elements feel more critical to the overall musical effect. There is rapping sometimes, but there is always synthesizer. At times it is a little reminiscent of Real McCoy, but more moody and downbeat. I don't hear any punk, but I definitely see the possibility of the band doing well in contemporary.
The video for "Activity" gives a good feel not only for the general sound, but the type of dancing that might go with it. That is a good starting point if they sound interesting, and if they are, various tracks are available on iTunes.
They don't really stick with me, but I may be too old for them. Either I am missing something, or the shoes are way overly romanticized on "Converse Girl". That in no way rules out the possibility of them really catching on.
https://www.facebook.com/cuginiofficial
https://www.youtube.com/user/cuginimusic/feed
https://soundcloud.com/cugini
https://twitter.com/cuginiofficial

Goodbye White Collar

I am happier now with the "White Collar" conclusion than I was initially.
Although Neal had an "ironclad" deal guaranteeing his freedom upon the successful capture of the Pink Panther theft ring, the Bureau had shown a pattern of not being completely trustworthy. If you consider that to be the main reason that Neal faked his death and disappeared, it's logical, but not satisfying. It felt disrespectful to the relationships that the show was built on. Not only will he not see Peter and Mozzie anymore, but they are left with intense grief, even if Peter ends up realizing what happened a year later.
I have come to accept it more as a way of sparing them. While the Panthers should no longer be a threat once captured, it is possible to pull strings from prison, and it had been stated earlier that if you cross them, they will go after the people you love. If Neal is sacrificing for their safety, and not just as a fail-safe for his own freedom, then the love is still there.
There had been a theme - somewhat throughout the series, but especially toward the end - that Neal's actions sometimes led to people getting hurt, and he could not fix it. Sometimes those were innocent people, and sometimes not, but it was a sobering thing for him, and it may have made flight seem more necessary.
That goes along with one thing that they didn't explore more, and I wish they had. It came up in episode 5.4, Controlling Interest.
A psychiatrist who specializes in former inmates is brainwashing them to commit crimes where she gets the spoils. Neal goes undercover, and it is disturbing for him. In their conversation she tells Neal that he's a sociopath. It is exacerbated by the tension between Neal and Peter over Neal's most recent deception, which again was undertaken with good intentions, but there was a pattern there.
It is true that Neal was a habitual offender, and you could legitimately question whether reform is a real option for him. If nothing else, it seems like the challenge and the thrill are important enough to him that any future plans for staying on the right side of the law would have to find ways to allow for that (one reason why working for the FBI worked so well for Neal).
However, as much as Neal loves those aspects of crime (he might also make a good member of the A-Team), he's not a sociopath because he has a conscience. He cares about other people. Their feelings are real to him. Their pain matters to him.
Neal is larcenous and he has an ego, but he will put that aside to help others. If he believed that stealing art from rich people truly hurt them, that might actually cause him to reform. (That would probably be hard to manage though.)
I would have liked to have seen more attention paid here. The tension between Neal and Peter calmed down anyway, and Neal seemed to be in an okay place emotionally at the end of the series, so nothing was horrible. If they had explored it though, if they had talked about his goodness, would he have been able to trust more? Would he have been able to choose a different life? Would he have been able to keep the old life instead of jettisoning it?
And if you are going that route, then probably the last season arc has to go differently, but there are always possibilities. I was often amazed at how seemingly insurmountable difficulties were met.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the show. It was a good cast. I remember watching the Monkeys In Space episode of "My Name Is Earl" and seeing Tim DeKay in it. I had seen the episode before, but never recognized that scruffy, not at all bright felon as Peter. That was fun to see. I think the cast and the show had a good sense of fun in general. I also had not initially recognized Marsha Thomason from The Haunted Mansion; that's not quite as impressive, but that's not her fault.
So here's wishing good luck to all of them. Matt Bomer. Tim DeKay. Willie Garson. Marsha Thomason. Sharif Atkins. Tiffani Thiessen. For Diahann Carroll, James Rebhorn, and Gloria Votsis too. I hope good roles are coming your way.
And good job Jeff Eastin. I may quibble with you on minor points, but I still kept coming back and watching your show, and not everyone can make me do that.
And they got six seasons. If the goal was six seasons and a movie, then I guess Neal will show up again.

Television update, spring 2015

I might have more to write about movies after I finish the screenplay reading, but for now I have more thoughts on television. The last time I did this was 2012.
These are the shows I was watching at the time.
White CollarGrimmOnce Upon A TimePerson of InterestModern FamilyBig Bang TheoryJeopardy
I wrote about it then because I was making decisions then. "Grimm", "Once Upon A Time", and "Person of Interest" all started in 2011, and I was committing to them about the same time that I was trying out and deciding against "Leverage" (without prejudice) and "Alcatraz" (with extreme prejudice).
For the three I stuck with, I started watching them all around episode 8, but I had been reading recaps and internet forums on them, because I knew I was interested. If I spend eight weeks reading about an interesting show before I actually start watching, perhaps it is not surprising that three years later my television schedule is essentially the same.
There have been some changes. "White Collar" has concluded. That seems like it could leave room for a new show, and technically it did, because I also started watching "Galavant". I tried not to, but the heavy promotion during "Once", and it's role as the hiatus replacement, pushed me there, and then I loved it.
I don't doubt that I could love other shows. I have had two separate friends recommend "Forever", and I am sure there is nothing wrong with it; I just don't want to take on anything else.
We have added some new re-runs. In addition to occasional re-runs of "Everybody Loves Raymond", we will also watch re-runs of "Family Feud" and "Newhart".
"Family Feud" is more of an opportunistic thing. It may be on before the next thing we are going to watch, or I am waiting for my sisters to get back before we start the recorded episode of "Jeopardy!" (The DVR is still invaluable.)
"Newhart" is different. Maria will look for episodes that sound interesting and record them to watch later. It is related to our other watching. I believe their interest started with Bob Newhart's turns as Professor Proton on "Big Bang Theory".
This is also pretty fun. I remember catching occasional episodes back when it originally aired, and I liked it, it just wasn't a priority. I think I prefer quirky patients to quirky rustics, but I don't mind spending some time in Vermont.
I do think that since "Newhart" entered the rotation, there is less "Judge Judy" being watched, but we have already seen quite a bit. Also, "The Rifleman" seems to have dropped from the rotation, and I don't know if that's a scheduling issue or if Maria lost interest. I'm okay with it.
I mention all of this because I have deep thoughts on the dramas at least, and intend to write about them. I have a lot to say about "Grimm".

The other Gotham

Periodically people will ask about favorite or best or most underrated horror movies. I always say Gotham, 1988, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Virginia Madsen, written and directed by Lloyd Fonvielle.
Part of the problem is that I am not a huge horror fan. I don't seek it out, and what I do see is probably not something I like that much, so I don't really have other answers to give.
That could be an excellent reason not to respond, and leave the discussion to the people who know what they are talking about, but I still feel compelled to give my vote, because I love Gotham so much.
Not that many people know about the movie in the first place, so it truly is overlooked. It might not count as a horror film; though there is a supernatural element. Despite only seeing it once, on late night television, it has stayed with me. A ghost story should be haunting.
When the question gets asked, and I give my unimpressive answer, I will often go check out the IMDB page, and see what other people have said. There are some who love it, and got what I got, or wonder over things that I didn't, but at least they are thinking about it. One poster wrote at length on how it's all about the Jungian constructs, but he didn't have enough room to really get into it.
There are also posters who completely miss the point, and that just makes me want to talk about it more. Well, if you don't use it to expound on things that no one is interested in listening to you go on and on about, what's the point in even having a blog?
Spoilers will follow.
Tommy Lee Jones is a down-on-his-luck private eye. He is named "Eddie Mallard", which is exactly right, but I will stick to actor names for the most part. The movie is full of characters who we recognize from classic gumshoe films, but the movie is not set in the past; it's just about the past.
Colin Bruce hires Jones to get his ex-wife to quit bothering him. The tricky part is that the "ex" is through expiration, not divorce. Bruce points out Virginia Madsen, young and beautiful and tangible. Jones assumes Bruce is delusional, but that makes the job easy money; he can get paid to chat up a beautiful woman who obviously can't be the dead wife. She is the dead wife.
It takes Jones a while to believe it. The coroner photos strike the first serious blow. He may have been suspecting a con up to that point, but not this.
Jones' reaction in the scene is visceral, but there's a little detail I like in there. The photos are found by his friend Tim, played by Kevin Jarre. Every PI should have friends who are good at getting information, and Jones is no exception. He was going to pay Tim for the help, but Tim at that point says he doesn't want pay. He's Irish and superstitious and there is something bad here.
Superstition seems very reasonable at that point. You are in a modern city where no one is supposed to believe in ghosts, but the doorman knows that sleeping with a ghost is bad for your health, and the priest Jones visits later takes him seriously too.
There are little details that I could think about forever. Jones is told that the dead don't lie, but the priest tells him that the dead always lie. Both seem plausible. Both seem true.
Jones starts going downhill fast. Even though she is destroying him, you can still feel pity for Madsen. A trophy wife for Bruce, she drowned during a boat party (I wonder if Natalie Wood's death was an influence). You can question whether the other guests were as callous as she remembers, but the raw pain that she felt when she was dying and no one cared is real.
Her one request was that she be buried naked in her jewels. She haunts her husband because he took the jewels back.
If this was Sam Spade, Tim would probably end up dead, and Jones would end up sadder, wiser, and alone, though Debbie, the former girlfriend who was getting involved with Tim would still be around. This is where things get different.
Jones gives Madsen a choice: she can have the jewels or she can let them go and he will follow her anywhere, including death. She wants the jewels more.
And it was a false choice. They have been placed on a chalice in the church, blessed and protected on holy ground, because there have been some bad forces at work around them. The last we see of Madsen is her telling Bruce that he still owes her the jewels. The increased difficulty in getting them is his problem.
The grasping desires that led her into a loveless marriage and pitiless friends will not let her rest. We saw better sentiments in her more than once, but she ultimately turned them down.
He will remain haunted, and you feel the dread in that, but he could have stopped it at any point by just giving up the jewels when he still had them. He doesn't want to be haunted, but he still cared about the jewels more.
Jones is free. Maybe the jewels are cursed, but not for him. He can let go.
Jones goes away with Tim and Debbie. Symbolically they head off for tropical sunshine, leaving the gloom of Gotham behind. Their flaws were not fatal. It was a film noir, but they escaped it.
It's not a jubilant happy ending. Even the ending music, if I recall correctly, had a subdued and eerie tone while it played over pictures of the three in paradise. I was in a dark family room with the volume low so I wouldn't disturb anyone, so it could be that. Maybe it couldn't be too jubilant because you see that not everyone does make it. Some people would rather stay bound by hate.
But for the darkness that out there, and for the things that could have happened, the resolution was pretty good. You can choose friendship. You can be helped.
That's what has stayed with me about Gotham. That's what I keep wanting other people to have seen.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095246/combined

Band Review: Liberty Deep Down

Liberty Deep Down is a five member alternative/pop band from Columbus, Ohio. Formed in 2011, their first full-length album, Blackout, was released in February.
My favorite track is probably "Bad Girl" which is on the new album, but first appeared as a single in 2013 and on the 2014 EP Love Worth Making. The rhythm and percussion work together well. There is a pronounced funk influence on the pop. Actually, I can see fans of 'N Sync really enjoying Liberty Deep Down.
The songs are overall enjoyable. I do feel that they lack heft. My instinct is that they need to take a good women's studies class so they can view male/female interactions at a higher intellectual level. It's the first time I have thought that specific thing about a band, but it's probably not a bad idea for others.
Of course pop does not need to be deep. They are stronger instrumentally than a lot of similar bands.
Some songs that get there more emotionally are "Best For You" and "Leaving You For Me", which not only have heart but nice musical detail.
http://www.libertydeepdownband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LibertyDeepDown
https://www.youtube.com/user/LibertyDeepDownTV/feed
https://twitter.com/LibertyDeepDown