May 30, 2016
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
X-Men, X-Men: Apocalypse
X-Men: Apocalypse is liable to thrill and offend audiences in equally extreme measure. I mean, come on, just consider the plot: the oldest mutant arises from his millennia-long sleep after being betrayed in ancient Egypt, and then he works to enact his plan to conquer humankind and establish mutants in their rightful place atop the new world order. The acting, direction, production design, makeup, and cinematography all match the grandiosity of this vision. To make it all work, Bryan Singer and team take a mix-and-match approach to the plotting, mining elements from the comics and the earlier X-Men films and recycling or rejecting them as they see fit. The result is unmistakably audacious and constantly thrilling. This is a movie in which a Holocaust survivor razes Auschwitz, and in many respects that is not even the most shocking moment.
This bombast asks a lot of the actors, but most of them acquit themselves well, or at least as well as they possibly can. As the titular baddie, Oscar Isaac weaves gold despite being caked under a mountain of purple makeup. This could easily be a ridiculous role, and it actually is, but it is also frightening, kind of hilarious, and deeply felt. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy (Fassbender especially) benefit from drawing upon their earlier performances (and those of their predecessors). As Jean Grey, Sophie Turner must simultaneously be a novice and one of the most powerful beings in the world – she manages to pull off the appropriate dread and uncertainty. While not every character shines (an inevitability with a cast this big), Apocalypse is another example of an X-Men movie understanding its fundamental strength of a rainbow of unique powers. More than any other entry in the series, this is a film in which it truly feels like anything can happen.
I give X-Men: Apocalypse 8 Grand Speeches out of 10 Risers From the Ashes.
P.S.: Quicksilver’s signature scene tops the “Time in a Bottle” sequence from Days of Future Past, but even more jaw-dropping is the scene right before, in which Apocalypse legitimately destroys the status quo.
May 30, 2016
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Angeliki Papoulia, Ariana Labed, Ben Whishaw, Colin Farrell, Jessica Barden, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux, Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos
The Lobster weaves a tale of an alternate reality in which single people check into a hotel where they are given 45 days to couple up or turn into an animal of their choosing should they fail. This is not “how things are” so much as it is “how things are enforced.” There are strict rules in place to move courtship along. There are little performances explaining these regulations to demonstrate the value of togetherness over singledom. In promoting stereotypical roles, the horror of this fable is somewhat rooted in sexism, but there is genuine concern that everyone ends up happy. The greater problem is the excess literalness of the prescriptions. The world of The Lobster recognizes the importance of compatibility, but it doesn’t understand it. Even the rebel element is just as adherent to its own severe code. The scary lesson is that no matter what path you choose for yourself, it will be a landmine to navigate society at large with your chosen identity.
I give The Lobster 9 Nosebleeds out of 10 Toasters, but I must take away 1 point for one too many eye pokes.
May 30, 2016
jmunney
Better Call Saul, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Difficult People, Happy Endings, Mr. Robot, Television
Better Call Saul, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Difficult People, Happy Endings, How Did This Get Made?, Mr. Robot, Pop Culture Happy Hour, Vulture, Vulture Festival, You're the Worst, Younger
Last weekend, I attended several panels at the Vulture Festival, an annual pop culture extravaganza thrown by the entertainment wing of New York Magazine. Here’s how it went down.
DAY 1: SATURDAY, 5/21/2016
Breaking Better Call Saul
Vulture TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz chatted with Rhea Seehorn, Michael McKean, and BCS co-creator Peter Gould. Bob Odenkirk joined in via phone (which was unfortunate because he is not the type of guy who will be all “Awkward setup be damned!” and just jump into the conversation). This was a rather engaging discussion, as these folks are eager and eloquent when discussing their process. One major point was the inevitability posed by Breaking Bad already establishing where Jimmy/Saul’s life is headed. To this end, Peter noted how fans often ask him if Kim and Chuck will die, which he at first thought was due to a lack of imagination but then realized it was more about a concern from people in the hope that their favorite fictional characters will remain alive and well.
I had a chance to talk with Rhea Seehorn after the panel. I asked her if she would be submitting as Lead or Supporting for the Emmys this year. She said that her publicists take care of that, but she was pretty sure they would be putting her down for Supporting. When I mentioned that I blog my Emmy prognostications every year, she asked for my info so that she could check out my stuff.
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May 29, 2016
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
2CGS, CashOrTrash, Fresh Off the Boat, Last Week Tonight, Orphan Black, The Chris Gethard Show, The Detour, VICE
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – The Detour
Tuesday – Fresh Off the Boat
Wednesday – A bonkers, mindblowing Chris Gethard Show
Thursday – Orphan Black
Friday – In “State of Surveillance,” VICE watches you.Saturday – Sports!
May 25, 2016
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
Fresh Off the Boat, Funny Freddy, I Did Saturday's Right, Jane the Virgin, Jeopardy!, Last Week Tonight, Love From New York, Orphan Black, Saturday Night Live, SNL, The Middle
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – Jane the Virgin
Tuesday – Fresh Off the Boat
Wednesday – The Middle
Thursday – Orphan Black is Orphan ACK!
Friday – Jeopardy!* (with the caveat that I haven’t started watching Lady Dynamite yet)Saturday – Funny Freddy in “Love From New York, I Did Saturday’s Right” (SNL)
May 23, 2016
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Courtney Barnett, Fred Armisen, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4121, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41
SNL: Courtney Barnett, Fred Armisen, Bobby Moynihan (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2016.
It hardly feels like Fred Armisen, one of the longest-tenured “SNL” cast members of all time (11 seasons), has ever left 30 Rockefeller Plaza. He has returned to cameo 7 times in the 3 years since departing, and he regularly collaborates with other “SNL” vets on his current regular gigs, “Late Night” and “Portlandia” (both produced by Lorne Michaels). But he has shown restraint this season, only appearing once before (to memorialize David Bowie). So while his first time as host is in no way long overdue, it is also not overkill. Speaking of cameos, several other alums also stop by, as befitting a season finale. This means that there is some squeezing out of the regular cast, but not of the good ideas. Year 41 ends on a high note.
Bernie and Hillary – “SNL” wraps up one of its wackiest political years with its two all-star impressions: one that broke big exactly as expected and the other a delightful surprise. The dance between Kate McKinnon’s Hillary and Larry David’s Bernie is as testy as the real deal. As they really explore the studio, there is a celebratory air that the show reserves only for times when it knows it has something special to celebrate. But wisely, it is not all just kissing and making up, because there is plenty of tension in this primary that the last call setting brings into focus. This is a summary of the fictionalized version of a slice of this campaign that “SNL” has managed to have its pulse on. B
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May 21, 2016
jmunney
Jeopardy!, Television
Al Franken, Anderson Cooper, Jeopardy!, Jeopardy! Power Players, Lara Logan, Louis CK, Michael Steele
MVP
Louis C.K.
Most Likely to Repeat What He Just Said
Al Franken
Most Inexplicable Winner
Lara Logan
Most Out of Sorts
Anderson Cooper
The Not-Quite-Wolf Blitzer Award (as he had the good sense to hardly ring in)
Michael Steele
May 16, 2016
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Black Jeopardy, Drake, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4120, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41
SNL: Drake, Leslie Jones (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2016.
Drake now finds himself in a select crowd of entertainers who have not just pulled “SNL” double duty as both host and musical guest, but done so multiple times. His first double threat gig was a highlight of Season 39, so in terms of potential hosting quality, he is a fine selection. But what about timeliness? He certainly remains big in the music world, but he is not quite as huge in the culture at large the way other repeat double dippers (Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus) have been. But he has the acting chops, so when it gets down to it, who cares? As for the material he is given, it represents a whole range of ideas, some of which work quite well, and others that only work sporadically. All in all, the expansive effort is appreciated.
Donald Trump Vice President Selection – There is not much to make fun of Donald Trump this week (at least, not much new), although the “Joey Pepperoni” quip points to a goofy path that could hold up for the future. So instead, the focus is on the mogul’s VP selection, which could offer new targets for humor, save for the fact that most of the candidates floated are casualties of this election cycle and thus have already been mocked. But sneaking George Zimmerman’s name in there is sharp and the right sort of dangerous. Otherwise, this is just putting down Chris Christie for being nakedly opportunistic, which is way too obvious and not pathetic enough to really make an impact. C+
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May 16, 2016
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Captain America: Civil War
One could argue that the sides the heroes choose in Civil War are arbitrary, especially with a few Avenger novices being given little choice in the matter and even less information. On top of that, Cap and Iron Man, the driving forces of the two opposing sides, choose roles that are against type. But maybe that arbitrariness is not a bug, but a feature. This is a story about grappling with what it means to be a superhero, not just in terms of responsibility but identity. In a world that is constantly besieged by world-ending threats, how can any soul bear the day-to-day grind of that? There are a variety of answers to that question, and the differences in that variety lead to conflict – the sort in which the fighters know that they have something to fight for, but they are not entirely what it is.
There is a close-up shot late in the film of Tony Stark slipping out of his jet on his quest to track down Cap. The expression on Robert Downey, Jr.’s face carries the weight of this man’s heroic burden. This moment represents the humanity that is so profoundly present when Marvel is at its best. There is a lot of chaos and confusion to Civil War, just as there are for the individuals who populate this universe, and so the meaning is in the mess.
I give Captain America: Civil War 8 Ka-Pow’s out of 9 Splash Pages and 6 Too Many Cooks in 10 Kitchens.
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