Bridge of Spies sneaks up on you. The 20th century conflict between the Americans and the Soviets was not just cold, it was also dry. Accordingly, Bridge of Spies is mostly procedural. Discussions of due process are elucidated, and negotiations are often portrayed as merely functional. This approach is boosted with impassioned integrity and deadpan existentialism (the best running gag is Mark Rylance as Soviet spy Rudolf Abel asking “Would it help?” when told he never worries). Then, the movie brings out its finishing move, throwing down with the scale of all that negotiator James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) achieves, through the power of patience and keeping the faith.
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, and hopefully you voted (if you had someone good to vote for)
Monday – Fargo
Tuesday – The Grinder
Wednesday – You’re the Worst
Thursday – Nathan for You
Friday – Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories, featuring indelible characters like Bobby Bologna and Mama Pantone
Saturday – Doctor Who
There were several successful sketches on the latest episode of SNL (read my review here), but it is hard to embrace them, as they came at the expense of giving Donald Trump a platform. Considering that much of the episode played off of his personality and controversy, I am torn, as the good bits may have never even been pitched in the first place if he had not been there. Could the best moments have happened in any other episode? Here is a rundown of the top sketches, listed in order from most reliant to least reliant on Trump’s presence.
1. Weekend Update – Update was probably written independently of Trump’s direct influence, though he did figure in the material. That would have likely been the case anyway, as a matter of the political news cycle, but Trump actually being there probably did light a fire under Michael Che.
2. Toots – The fact that such a non-Top 40 band as Toots and the Maytals was the musical guest the last time Trump hosted was mostly a matter of bizarre randomness. Kenan appearing as Toots was not about Trump so much as it was about something that Trump happened to be present at. This bit could have been utilized in 2 weeks when Matthew McConaughey host if the Maytals had been on when he last hosted in 2003.
3. Drunk Uncle – Bobby Moynihan’s signature character still could have been introduced as “Trump’s #1 Fan” on any other episode.
4. Ex-Porn Stars – The low-rent co-opting of luxury in these sketches works insofar as the brand being advertised isn’t actually present, so Trump’s appearance actually didn’t really make sense.
5. Mr. Crocker – The head of Startraxxx Productions felt like a role designed for Kyle Mooney. It had a blowhard quality that fit Trump, but it needed someone weirder to really work.
6. Hotline Bling – The joke of awkward middle-aged men dancing alongside Drake worked without Trump showing up – he was just slotted in that so that he’d have something to do.
(Sorry for the late posting. I was on vacation over the weekend.)
Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.
This week, “You Oughta Know” artists are featured.
Original Version
1. Sam Smith – “Writing’s on the Wall” (Class of 2014)
2. X Ambassadors – “Renegades” (Class of 2015)
3. Miguel – “Waves” (Class of 2015)
4. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s” (Class of 2015)
5. Rachel Platten – “Fight Song” (Class of 2015)
6. Nate Ruess – “Great Big Storm” (Class of 2015)
7. James Bay – “Let It Go” (Class of 2015)
8. Tori Kelly – “Should’ve Been Us” (Class of 2015)
9. George Ezra – “Blame It on Me” (Class of 2015)
10. Ella Henderson – “Ghost” (Class of 2015)
11. Hozier – “Someone New” (Class of 2014)
12. Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance” (Class of 2012)
13. Tove Lo – “Timebomb” (Class of 2014)
14. Disclosure ft. Lorde – “Magnets” (Class of 2013)
15. Echosmith – “Bright” (Class of 2014)
16. Adele – “Hello” (Class of 2008)
17. Ed Sheeran – “Photograph” (Class of 2012)
18. Sia – “Big Girls Cry” (Class of 2011)
19. Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (Class of 2010)
20. Sara Bareilles – “She Used to Be Mine” (Class of 2007)
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Hello
2. Ex’s & oh’s
3. Renegades
4. Waves
5. Ghost
6. Magnets
7. Should’ve Been Us
8. Big Girls Cry
9. Blame It on Me
10. Someone New
11. Timebomb
12. Shut Up and Dance
13. Great Big Storm
14. Uptown Funk
15. Writing’s on the Wall
16. Fight Song
17. She Used to Be Mine
18. Let It Go
19. Photograph
20. Bright
SNL: Sia, Kate McKinnon (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
It is hard to recommend this episode. Some of it was well-written, but Trump’s presence soured just about everything.
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in November 2015.
Donald Trump might be a bigot, or he might just be shamelessly aping the rhetoric of bigots to win over their support. Which is worse? Either way, one would assume he is a terrible fit to host a comedy show that many believe has the responsibility of holding the powerful accountable. Thus, the petitions to reverse the Trump booking or calls to disrupt the episode have made for one of the most controversial episodes in decades before it has even aired. In a way, Trump’s appearance actually turning out to be a funny episode would be troublesome, because of the fear that it could legitimize a rather objectionable person. Politics (or cynically misshapen facsimile of politics) aside, Trump is also a terrible actor. That issue can be overcome with strong writing, which this episode features plenty of, but it is hard to fully embrace it when Trump’s mere presence is so hard to digest.
Democratic Candidates Forum – The latest not-really-a-debate in the 2016 election cycle is used as fodder for a not-really-a-fully-formed-sketch. While it lacks in the inspired premise department, it does allow Kate McKinnon and Larry David plenty of room to mess around with their already beloved Hillary and Bernie impressions. They both find new notes in their expected beats. This is not an all-time high, but there is plenty left worth exploring in these roles. Structurally, good on this sketch for keeping up with the gag of uncomfortable close-ups of black people. B
The top Jeopardy! contestants from the past year are returning for the Tournament of Champions. Here are my estimations of everyone’s chances.
(1 and 2 are set. 3 and 4 are close to each other. 5-11 are more or less interchangeable. 12-15 are close to 5-11; one could possibly argue them up a few spots.)
1. Matt Jackson – Prone to occasional slow starts and recent pop culture is a weak spot; otherwise one of the best contestants of all time
2. Alex Jacob – Employs the most counterintuitively successful strategy ever
3. Dan Feitel – Strong all-around player given to unnecessarily large wagers in Final – may not matter in a Tournament, where there’s less incentive to do so
4. Greg Seroka – His 7 wins are the second most among this ToC group
5. Brennan Bushee – Mr. Creepy Smile was fairly dominant for a handful of games
6. John Schultz – Great contestant, but his facial hair skills currently outrank his Jeopardy! skills
7. Michael Bilow – Only a 3-game winner, but a bit of a wild card – excellent in his victories, but flamed out spectacularly in his loss
8. Vaughn Winchell – The OG of the Winchell-Yates-Schultz Streak
9. Kristin Sausville – Wife of a former ToC contestant pleasantly won five games
10. Scott Lord – His streak ended when Alex started losing his voice
11. Andrew Haringer – Won his 5th game on the 7000th Jeopardy! program
12. Kerry Greene – Led going into Final in only half of her wins – unlikely that she can maintain that luck in a tournament
13. Catherine Hardee – 4-game winner’s run actually preceded the last ToC
14. Jennifer Giles – Teachers Tournament champ needs to show some improvement if she wants to be on the level of Colby Burnett
15. Elliot Yates – The sweetheart of Season 31 won four games without too much spectacle
This review focuses on a major twist, which I will speak about in oblique terms, but SPOILER ALERT for the whole thing if you are especially sensitive. The monsters penned by R.L Stine are real in the Goosebumps movie and must be corralled through the power of his storytelling and magical typewriter. In the course of returning these ghouls and goblins to the page, an inconvenient truth about one of the main characters in relation to the books is revealed. A sacrifice involving this person is necessary to save the day, but the ending reverses that decision, thus bringing up a host of philosophical and ethical questions that there is no time left to address. ’Tis a shame, but an understandable one. That turn of events, combined with the psychoanalytic implications of Jack Black voicing Slappy the Dummy and the Invisible Boy in addition to playing Stine, could have made for a more probing examination of the natures of storytelling and forming a legacy. As it is, Goosebumps is a mostly worthwhile yarn about the thrills lurking underneath the exterior of a small town that is clear-eyed but also very safe.
There was a recent article in Entertainment Weekly about how trailers are giving away major plot twists for the movies they are advertising. One example cited was Crimson Peak’s, which made it very clear that Lady Lucille (Jessica Chastain), sister of Sir Thomas (Tom Hiddleston), ends up a villain to Thomas’ new wife Edith (Mia Wasikowska). This reveal is not at all a spoiler. It is clear from Chastain’s first onscreen appearance (about 10 minutes in) that she is not trustworthy.
This lack of surprise is Crimson Peak’s entire m.o. Edith is warned multiple times to beware of the title location, among every other development that is foreshadowed in no uncertain terms. This is not necessarily a fault, as this is more or less the approach of gothic horror. When forgoing the element of surprise, a horror film must bring it thematically and aesthetically. On those counts, the story is fine, but nothing special. The acting is adequate, but mostly boring and straightforward; Wasikowska is really the only one who gets to show off complexity. The visuals at least are sumptuous, but even that area is not immune to the obviousness (what with an excessive use of iris fades).
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