extending the (spooky) season

November may be here already (how did that happen?) but I'm in no mood yet to say a final goodbye to Halloween. Or the scary movies I marked to watch on Netflix and Hulu. The other night I finally got around to watching The Cabin in the Woods. I didn't get to see it when it came out last year - I don't get to see much "adult" fare first run. I'm a longtime Buffy and Angel fan. I like and respect Joss Whedon, but am the first to admit that his recent work can be hit or miss. Dollhouse? Yikes. The Avengers? Noisy fun, but not as amazing as it could have been. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? I tried, I really did, but it's a personality-free snoozefest for me.

So for all of the rave reviews, I was still a little hesitant about The Cabin in the Woods. It's sort of a difficult film to write about, because if you haven't seen it yet, pretty much saying anything might spoil it for you. What I can say is that Whedon and Drew Goddard, who co-wrote the script (in three days) and also (first-time) directed the film, know their horror films and monsters and weren't afraid to use them.

The film follows five college students Dana, Curt, Jules, Marty, and Holden on a weekend getaway to ... you guessed it ... a cabin in the woods. What should be non-stop fun with sex, drugs, and rock and roll quickly escalates into terror, zombies, and fighting for their lives. The 95-minute film has lots of forward momentum, and plays with tons of scary movie tropes, but the real pay-off, for fans of the Whedonverse or any horror films definitely comes in the last act, when all hell literally breaks loose, to terror and comic effect.

"Do not read the Latin!" (L-R: Curt (Chris Hemsworth), Dana (Kristen Connolly), and Holden (Jesse Williams) have obviously not seen as many slasher movies as the audience.

The Cabin in the Woods has as much gore as it does humor, but like other Whedon efforts, it's the funny moments that stay with you, especially the banter between some science geeks at a place called The Facility (which is staffed by such fun folks as Amy Acker, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford) and a bit of business involving a speakerphone. Apparently Whedon & co. put a lot of thought into not just the things that go bump in the woods, but the costumes the main protagonists wear:

The first of the archetypes we meet is Dana, dancing in her knickers in front of an open window and revealed to have recently had an affair with her tutor; obviously she is the tramp or Whore (Kristen Connolly). Then we see her friend Jules in a floral dress and new blonde hair. Jules (Anna Hutchison) is in a stable relationship with boyfriend Curt (Chris Hemsworth); Jules is the innocent girl or Virgin. Curt wears a plain grey t-shirt and is evidently book-smart; he is the geek or Scholar. Curt’s friend Holden (Jesse Williams) arrives catching a football in a blue hooded sweatshirt; clearly the jock or Athlete. And finally pot smoker Marty in a shabby cardigan and shirt; Marty (Fran Kranz) is the stoner or Fool.

All but one of these characters undergoes a costume transition. ... this was absolutely intentional. — "Costume Clues Reveal All in The Cabin in the Woods", by Christopher Laverty

Do I need to see The Cabin in the Woods again anytime soon? Probably not. I really hate zombies. But did I enjoy it and did it live up to its positive buzz? Most definitely, although as I stated earlier, its humor, not splatter, was the real take-away.

And those last fifteen minutes. "Let's get the party started."

geek worlds collide on once upon a time

Last night's Once Upon A Time, an episode entitled, "Dreamy," featured two actresses from fan favorites Lost and Angel. The fairy tale world and Storybrooke highlighted the story of a dwarf named Dreamy and a very grumpy man named Leroy (Lee Arenberg). Emilie de Ravin, who played Claire on Lost reprised her role as Belle, and dispensed some advice to the lovelorn dwarf, Dreamy. Angel's Fred, Amy Acker, played a fairy who dreamed of becoming a fairy godmother in the fairy tale world. In Storybrooke she was a clumsy nun named Astrid who struck up a friendship with Leroy.

From top: Emilie de Ravin, Lee Arenberg, Amy Acker and Emma Caulfield

Once Upon A Time just keeps getting better and better, serving up twists to favorite fairytale characters and their stories. It is also a visual treat. The fairytale world can look both menacing and magical. Especially gorgeous was a scene set on a hilltop at night when Nova, the fairy, and Dreamy the dwarf, surrounded by fireflies, realized that they cared for one another. But the "real" world of Storybrooke is just as visually impressive. The office of the Evil Queen/Mayor is wonderful, with black and white trees printed on wallpaper, stark furnishings and, of course, a bowl of blood-red apples.

It's fun to see old friends from Buffy and Angel. Just a few episodes back Buffy's Anya, Emma Caulfield played Hansel and Gretel's hungry witch. Could the presence of these Actors by the influence of  show producer Jane Espenson, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame? Whatever the reason, hopefully Once Upon A Time will continue to give viewers an extra bonus by casting these actors in guest roles.

There was one sour note in the episode, which is hopefully just due to keeping Mary Margaret/Snow White in plot trouble. Mary Margaret is being shunned by most of the citizens of Storybrooke, and called a home-wrecker and much worse for her love for David/Prince Charming. It's more than a little sexist that David seems to get off scot-free, at least as far as scandal is concerned. At the end of "Dreamy" it seemed that this medieval attitude may have been showing signs of weakening, but with all of the strong female characters in Once Upon A Time the treatment of Mary Margaret still stuck out like a very unwelcome sore thumb.

disposable people

I hate movies like Angels and Demons, so why did I watch the interminable mess on cable the other night? I also hate movies by Ron Howard. Parenthood is the only one I can stand, and mostly because of Steve Martin's presence. The only thing that could have made this movie worse would have been the inclusion of Russel Crowe. I'm still pissed about the hideousness that was A Beautiful Mind, and will never forgive either of them for those two hours  and fifteen minutes of my life I"ll never get back.


So why did I watch this rotten flick? The kid fell asleep early and I felt like doing my nails and vegging out in front of the TV after a busy day. There wasn't much on my list of multi-channels that I wanted to see. I didn't want to see anything too heavy. I wanted to relax, but watch something entertaining and fast-paced. It failed on all counts.

I will be fair and say that more than half of the problem is with the original text of Dan Brown's thriller, which was actually the better of his two pulp blockbusters. Howard followed the book religiously (pun intended) and seemed determined to shed his last ties to Opie by lovingly depicting scenes of torture and immolation. But it still sucked.

I will give props to the casting director—quite a few of the secondary (mainly cops) roles seemed to be played by Italians. But they might as well have painted bullseyes on their heads—anyone who tried to help Tom Hanks's character or even talk to him was bound to die, dismissively.

I hate movies where everyone standing in the vicinity of the lead character is automatic gun fodder. Disposable people. What does the filmaker want us to think or feel about these people? Do they think that will invest us more in the hero and heroine? That a higher death count yields higher drama or a ballsier director? I'm sick of it. It's lazy moviemaking. Too many guns, too much death, with no consequences. Real people die every day, all around us, in floods, earthquakes, from disease, old age. They aren't disposable. So why, in a fantasy production, should disposable death be so prevalent?

I'm not a Pollyanna. Some of my favorite shows on television and favorite movies can pile up the bodies: LOST, Angel, Buffy, The Tudors, the Godfather, The Birds, Rear Window, Key Largo, I, Claudius, anything Agatha Christie—but the deaths in these shows are important, have consequences. I understand the thrill of a murder mystery or scary monster flick and the escapism involved in watching someone else's demise rather than one's own. But the sheer repetition of one horrible death after another, each one utilizing a standard movie cliche (elaborate torture set-up, assassin's bullet to the head from an impossible distance, the old neck snap [HATE], throat slash, car exploding as you turn the key in the ignition, etc., etc.), and the fact that all of the above were crammed into this crap movie and then some, and it still dragged on like it would never end—enough. Never again. No more Ron Howard movies. Ever. I don't care if he makes something again with Steve Martin. I'm done.

twilight zone

I just saw the movie Twilight on cable. It's not as bad as critics or haters of runaway successes would have you believe. It's not great, either, but it was very watchable. And almost classic, in some ways. As I watched it, I was waiting for a scene or scenes that I might want to shield my daughter from (who was already tucked into bed), but there really weren't many. There were a few scenes of menace, and she would have found the penultimate fight scene scary, but she could see it in a few years (or tomorrow, with her eyes covered until given the all-clear, as I used to watch monster movies with my dad). Mostly it was pure fairytale. I haven't read the book(s), but have notice and liked the bold cover graphics, the illustrated forbidden fruit referencing remembered childhood fairytales.

What is interesting to me about this "vampire fad" is not the romantic or even sexual aspect of the stories, which, unless you were completely asleep, were always there. It's that vampires are just a device to tell the fairytale story. Twilight's lead vampire, Edward Cullen, is part handsome prince, part sleeping beauty. Bella, the heroine, awakens him from his slumber, and lets love into his life. The fact that they can't consummate their love (he might lose control and vamp out) may be frustrating for moviegoers, but completely in-sync with the chaste kiss that culminates most Cinderella, Snow White, etc. stories. Little girls love to swoon and imagine all things romantic, but are slower to actually want to let things get real. Pretty kid-appropriate, apart from the vampire angle. With a female heroine who drives the paper-thin story, no wonder girls are flocking to this tale. Much like their re-christening of Aladdin "Jasmine," Twilight is another princess story, just not by Disney.

After finding movie vampires attractive since my childhood—Francis Lederer in The Return of Dracula was exotic and sexy (I hadn't seen Bela yet), Frank Langella in my teens made becoming a vampire an option worth considering (and made me read the original novel by Bram Stoker), and Gary Oldman—well, he was creepy and Gary and sexy all at the same time—he made Coppola's over-the-top mix of genius design and embarrassing acting worth watching—a vampire romance seems pretty par for the course. Not to mention my love of all things Angel and the inimitable Spike.

Edward may be a de-fanged vampire, but his blatant channeling of James Dean, the ultimate inscrutable, frustrating, and oh-so-attractive movie male and teen icon is dead-on and absolutely appropriate for this demon without a cause. Dean died tragically young and will always represent teen angst. Edward died at seventeen and has been pent up and frustrated pretty much ever since. He may represent the ultimate teen dreamboat/horny boyfriend. Angel & Spike may have been juvenile at times, but were men for the most part, trying to find their way in the world of good or evil, depending on which show, which season, you were watching. Edward and Bella's romance is not only this generation's vamp couple, but may speak more directly to a teen sensibility. Buffy was set in high school, but was more sophisticated, adult in tone. Buffy didn't have the luxury of living a fairy tale. She was in a monster movie from the get-go. What if Angel had attended Sunnydale High? It would have been a much different story. Edward seems to want to go to school. live in the world. He's even sort of a science geek. He's that weird but attractive guy with the family problems that no one wants to talk to. You know he's trouble, but . . .

For folks who would argue that Edward's fascination with Bella is creepy, stalker-like—are you that disconnected from teen romance? Obsession is the name of the game. What about how Edward's attraction to Bella is directly linked to his thirst for her blood? Hello, pheromones. But he's a blood-drinking monster—killer of little bunnies and Bambis (he and his vamp family consider themselves vegetarians). Well, to reference Some Like it Hot, nobody's perfect. Most fairy tales are creepy. Cinderella was treated as slave labor by her family. Snow White's step-mother was constantly trying to murder her because she was jealous of her beauty. Sleeping Beauty falls in love with the first guy she kisses (even sees.) These are not role models. But they are classic stories that feature girls and women and magic and fantasy. Children need make-believe, and stories where the boy is always the hero are all too common. Some may find Bella's obsession with Edward dangerous and inexplicable. Sort of like love. Can love ever be explained rationally? Should it? Is she losing herself in him, is she making bad choices? Probably. Is it entertaining to watch? Definitely.

hulu hula

I've been very happily Lost the past few weeks. How did I miss this show? Oh right, I have a five year old and it's been on for five years...

Anyway, it's never too late to join the party, luckily, especially with hulu and my fabulous MacBook Pro screen. So these days after the kid is tucked in bed I have been tucking myself in and settling back into an episode or two on my laptop. I'm halfway through season two at the moment.

I love television, always have, and enjoy shows in many different genres, but my favorites are usually found in mystery, fantasy or British categories (Buffy, Angel, Poirot, The Avengers, Farscape, Are You Being Served?, The Night Stalker, Lovejoy—the list goes on and on). I wouldn't say that Lost is the greatest show I've ever seen, mostly because I shy away from superlatives, but it is damn good, as Sawyer might say. It manages to blend fantasy, mystery, romance, even a reality/Survivor feeling with excellent characterization. Most of the actors are top notch. Even with its intricate plotting the show, although full of quick-moving action, isn't afraid to let the characters take time to interact, both on the island and in glimpses of their past. Some might find it slow, but I love it.

Lost manages to tap into our deepest fantasies and fears. Who hasn't had a deserted island fantasy? What if you could start fresh, where nobody knew your baggage—is that even possible, or does it follow you to paradise? What could be scarier than a plane crash? Or your child being kidnapped? Or not being sure you can trust those around you? Or will you will be able to survive in a very unpredictable wilderness? What does it take to bring out your very worst or your very best? How interconnected are we all really, if we bothered to find out? But you get the idea. So excuse me. I've got some more episodes to catch up with . . .

livingsocial

LivingSocial is a facebook app that has taken me (and many of my friends) by storm. The LivingSocial website describes itself as a place where a person can catalog his or her "collections" and share these likes and dislikes with others. On facebook it's seems like an image database, run not very differently than many other facebook quizzes. A question is posed: name five films that twisted your mind? What are your five favorite kid shows? What five albums shaped you? You rack your brain, type the answer, and hopefully up pops the appropriate album, movie or cartoon thumbnail. This game is of course frustrating, as we are all fascinating creatures who certainly have more faves than the magic number of five (five thumbnails fits ever-so-conveniently on a computer screen, however.) It's so frustrating that we want to play it again. And again. And again.

The power of facebook is that you're not just waxing nostalgic in a vacuum. Once I proclaim that my five greatest television shows were Angel, Buffy, I Love Lucy, The Odd Couple and The Tudors all my friends can see it and my fellow Buffy fans are revealed. Who knew? And they post their faves in the same and other categories until there is a pop culture back-and-forth frenzy of posting.

Movies that warped my mind
A Clockwork Orange, Blue Velvet, Brazil, After Hours, Orphee [1950].

What makes this particular app more appealing than the countless other memes and quizzes that populate facebook is the power of the visual. Most of the movies, books, etc. have an appropriate icon. You get to see a visual capsule of a person's tastes. It is also quite enjoyable to dredge up one's personal mythos, albeit via pop culture as diverse as Clockwork Orange and The Flintstones.

Most importantly, this app understands the basic premise of facebook - put yourself out there and see who will respond. Use your past and present to define who you are. We live in a random, high-speed society and social randomness is where it's at. The only thing I can't figure out is why they haven't made all the books, shows and movies we're citing clickable to Amazon...

remembering buffy

All the buzz a new vampire flick is getting made me think about Buffy and how she is truly missed. I didn't start watching the show regularly until the famous, mostly silent, "Hush" episode, and came in through the back door, sort of - I watched Angel first.

The Buffyverse, as the fictional world created by Joss Whedon is called, was full of great characters, lots of Brit-inspired wit, pop culture references and good old teenage angst, which most of the time made for great TV and has led to comic books, endless fanfic and hopes for a reappearance of one (or any) of the characters in some form.

What really took the show above and beyond the average fantasy (or any genre) television show was the gradual reveal of the show's mythology, which deepened (much like the hellmouth) and grew over the course of the series. Also taking a pithy, simple metaphor like "high school is hell" and literally and creatively bringing it to undead life. But especially great was the dialogue:

Buffy: "Cordelia, your mouth is open, sound is coming from it. This is never good."

Buffy: "I haven't processed everything yet. My brain isn't really functioning on the higher levels. It's pretty much fire bad; tree pretty"

Spike: "If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock"

Spike: "We like to talk big... vampires do. "I'm going to destroy the world." That's just tough-guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is, I _like_ this world. You've got...dog racing, Manchester united. And you've got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision. With a real... passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Good-bye, Picadilly. Farewell, Leicester-bloody-Square."

Xander: "You are one crazy troll! I'm not choosing between my girlfriend and my best friend. That's insane troll logic."

Giles: Demons after money? Whatever happened to the still beating heart of a virgin. No one has any standards any more"

Angel; "She made me feel like a human being. That's not the kind of thing you just forgive"

Cordelia: Oh please. I don't mean to interrupt your downward mobility, but I just wanted to tell you that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with the chest hair, because gym was cancelled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker."

Willow: "Well, I like you. You're nice, and you're funny, and you don't smoke. Yeah, okay, werewolf, but...that's not all the time. I mean, three days out of the month, I'm not much fun to be around either"

I was standing on line at the grocery store the other day and one of the grab and go items was a "Spike" dvd, a compilation of some of the best Buffy episodes to feature that zany vamp. I'm not sure whether I would just prefer to revisit the show via dvd, or to actually see some of these characters again in new adventures. I do know that in Buffy, it was mostly a whitebread world. Angel tried to remedy that a little with the character of Gunn. If Whedon were ever to resurrect Buffy he would need to reflect the Obamaverse.