Heroes Oh No!

Usually, you can find a blog raving about "Heroes" on this very site, but not today.  "Cold Wars" was probably the worst episode of Heroes ever.  It's really a shame, because I can tell the actors have stepped it up a notch and are really pushing themselves.  And when I say, "stepped it up a notch" and "pushing themselves" I don't mean they're over acting; they are completely believable.  They are also playing people in extreme circumstances and manage to make their body react as if they were in extreme circumstances.  These are GOOD actors.

I think I'll base my critique on what they've done right in the past.  Heroes does a couple of things really well.  They focus on who the characters are, not the sci-fi abilities the characters possess.  Because of this, they broaden their fan base and create a deeper, more meaningful story-line.  In the past, "Heroes" has only given us tidbits of information.  The best part of the show was gathering around the next day and discussing the conspiracy theories or what would happen next week.  "Who's Linderman?  What's his ability?  Is Sylar going to kill Peter?  How does saving the cheerleader save the world?  Who's Claire's dad?"  This started going away the second season and is pretty much gone now.  Now the water-cooler talk is about what happened that episode, not what we think might happen in the next.  It's a big difference.

Now, none of this bothered me too bad, because I was still entertained, not last night.  "Heroes" always treated their audience as intelligent people able to figure things out without spelling it out.  Last night, they spelled it out for us nice and slow.  Matt Parkman might not have known what HRG had been up to, but we knew.  We knew because we know HRG's character.  We knew because the hints have been dropped for us for the last three weeks.  We didn't need the writers to hold our hands.  

There was so much potential for this episode.  They could have established a more involved back story to tell with more details and drama.  Alternatively, they could have made it about the struggle of will between HRG and Matt.  HRG may not have powers, but he's a highly trained individual.  They could've even done a little of both.  It was a fantastic idea poorly executed.  

Some people are upset that there's going to be another bomb, this time in DC.  I don't really have a problem with this.  I think the big picture of Heroes is FINE.  It's the individual episodes that Kring needs to go over.  Spread out the action.  For three weeks we hurried through major plot points.  Now this week, we drag our feet only to find out three things.  Mohinder is caught and given an ultimatim, Daphne is alive, Matt might blow up DC.  Compare this with "Building 26" where we learn Nathan's in trouble with the President and the problem is solved in the same episode, Claire gets a text message and saves a guy from her dad, the hunter is willing to go to extremes to continue rounding up 'specials', Sylar and Luke had some character building and bonding, and HRG and Sandra's relationship is strained when Sandra finds out he's still working.  All of that was new stuff!  It was as if this freight train hit a wall this week.

I'm sure next week will be excellent.  Too late for Heroes producers to do anything more this volume if they've made this a habit, I really hope they haven't!!

See This: Coraline

I just watched Coraline last night.  Henry Selick is a genius.  I feel like I need to see the movie a few more times just to soak it all in.  Everything about the movie is other worldly.  The soundtrack is so eerie and chilling, the stop-motion is beautiful, the 3D is almost too real, and the plot is so incredibly dark for a children's movie.  In fact, I think the 'moral of the story' might be targeted toward inattentive parents.  

You have to see this film.  More movies like this one should be made.  I could watch this one with the sound off it is so beautiful.  The terror this child lives through is unimaginable, but yet, I envied her.  My friend Mikey envied her.  He wants to live in the 3D world, I want to live in a place with such eccentric neighbors, grand adventures, and beautiful colors.  You absolutely will not be disappointed you saw this one, I can guarantee it.

The Essentials: Movies

Foreign Movie:  Ushpizin

Why I like it:  

This movie is a Hebrew movie.  It's a movie made by Jews, about Jews, and specifically about the Jewish holiday, Succoth.  Ushpizin is Hebrew for house guest and this movie is about a couple who are having their own troubles when two house guests arrive.  This is considered a blessing during Succoth, but these house guests soon turn the house upside down.  The strength shown by the characters, the trip to far away places and ideas, the raw emotion and beautiful cinematography will have you on your feet by the end of the movie.  Two songs by Adi Ran are featured in the movie, one is called "Ata Kadosh".  I LOVE this song.  Adi Ran is an Orthodox Jew, but he rocks out like he was Ozzy Osborne.  Check out the link to see the music video starring actors from the movie and Adi Ran.

Classic Movie:  Suddenly, Last Summer

Why I like it:

Tennessee Williams is one of my favorite playwrights and "Suddenly, Last Summer" is one of his best.  A thrilling mystery of sorts, a psychologist (Montgomery Clift) filters through the details to find out what happened last summer to make a young girl (Elizabeth Taylor) go crazy.  Her aunt (Katherine Hepburn) is determined to have her lobotomized and he must do everything he can to save the girl before the surgery is performed.  Of course as all Tennessee Williams' plays are, the dialog is rich, the plot is scandalous, and the drama is gripping.  The ending with the final reveal will leave your heart pumping.  If you don't get the implication, you can find the meaning of the end here.  The Catholics protested until the movie was edited to be more decent.  

Contemporary Movie:  Bella

Why I like it:

This movie has won so many awards, features the incredibly handsome Eduardo Verastegui, and is so incredibly moving that it is a must see film.  Latinos are rarely showcased in film or television other than in a stereotypical and offensive way.  This movie dives into the Latino American family as a true representation of their way of life and values.  I loved this movie for the theme of restoration and healing and the fact that this is a good family film.  It's about connections, life changing events, and love.  However, it's not a romance.  It's about a deeper love: a life-giving, deep, familiar love.  This movie will leave you glued to your seat, overcome.  You have to see this one, it is pure art.

Video Killed the Radio Star (Now It's Happening to TV)

So, you’ve been to Circuit City, bought that new HD ready TV, and shelled out for the surround sound (after all, it’s all on sale, they’re going out of business). You have satellite radio in your car, an IPod, and a smart phone. If you don’t, you soon will. Broadcast Radio and TV is going away. The entire industry is changing. Hulu, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, and Google are taking over mass media. If the huge corporations that run the TV and Radio business today are going to keep up, they’re going to have to invest in ‘social media’ and become more interactive. People don’t want to wait for Monday at 8 PM anymore. They want to watch on their time and they want to talk to others online about what they’re watching.

This is a problem for broadcasters. All of our money comes from advertisers. Now, because of DVRs, TIVOs, and internet streaming sites, advertisers can’t be guaranteed that their commercial will reach people in a set timeframe. For instance, Target’s Dollar Days have all coke products on sale for this week only, if you TIVO the program and see the commercial next week, Target’s ad lost its effectiveness. Also, why are you watching the ad? You TIVO’d it! You’re fast forwarding through the ads. Advertisers see this happening and they’re pulling their dollars.

TV ratings mean nothing anymore. Because so many programs are being watched online and TIVO’d, the ratings aren’t catching a true number. TV ratings are what broadcasters use to set ad prices, so the advertisers that are sticking with TV are paying less.

Broadcasters are going out of business. The question is, will the TV get better or worse?

Abel Raises Cain

I just finished an amazing documentary. It has the most charming narration and little funny bits here and there. Probably could never be considered a TRUE documentary as the topic is on the greatest prankster of all time and the whole thing was done by his daughter, but it is great to hear about all the things this guy has pulled in his life and his motivation for them.

I was thrilled to see how he managed to get national media to come cover his hi jinks and never check to see that this was all just a hoax. I think he could really have a heyday now with 24 hour news channels, increased competition for ratings, newspapers going bankrupt and layoffs in the television industry. With enough copycats, maybe we could get the ethics back in the news industry again. Nah.

http://www.abelraisescain.com/

Or to watch it on HULU.com

http://www.hulu.com/watch/56337/abel-raises-cain

How The Old Folks Are At Home

We have visitors in from Montana this week.  They have come to visit my grandmother on my dad's side.  She's from Montana and is the aunt to the three girls who've come to visit.  This picture is of Mill Iron where they all came from.  As you can see, it's still a land of dirt roads, prairie, and cattle ranches.  

They asked me to record my grammie for them telling the stories she remembers of different family members and places they'd like more information on.  My Grammie is the last of a large family.  All her brothers and sisters have died off and so if they want to know anything about that era, they have to find out from her.

I found the stories interesting, not because I knew many of the people she spoke about, because really, I don't know many people from this side of the family - they lived so far away.  It was because she talked about a way of life that's foreign to me and even to them even though life where they live is almost just as foreign to me.  Riding horses to get to school, one room schools with all the grades in one class, and just living on a ranch milking goats and hunting and all that stuff.  It's just so different than my life in the city.

I'm finding the older I get the more I enjoy hearing about these times from so long ago.  One thing I heard the other day at work was the phrase, "Come back when you ain't borrowing fire", which apparently is a phrase many people back in the woods still say.  It comes from a time when people used coal to heat their house and their wasn't matches, so they'd go next door to borrow fire when they let their fire go out at home.  So, they had to hurry home before the coals went out of course and couldn't stay long to talk.

I suggest everyone go talk to an old person this week.  Do it!

Unforgettable Sounds

Mahalia Jackson is a force of sound and emotion.  She could crumble walls and move hardened men to tears.  It's not just her voice, it's her heart that rips through you.  It's hard to find a recording that does her justice, but you can tell even in the scratchy old audio, this girl is in the angels' choir.  She often marched with MLK, Jr.  You've gotta check out her Christmas stuff too, she's incredible.

One more today, Billie Holiday is a LEGEND.  Her voice- it's so hurt, strong, ripped, deliberate- she could sing you to sleep, slap you to your feet, or kick you to your knees.  "Solitude", "Summertime", "Taint Nobody's Business If I Do", "Lover Man" and "Strange Fruit" are some of my favorite pieces by her.  She could do no wrong.  Her life was hard and she died young, leaving just a few old records.  I wish I coulda seen this girl in person.  Amazing.  I love her expressions in this video.  She's so appreciative of the other musicians and you can tell she loves singing. 

Heroes: A Clear and Present Danger

If you're not watching "Heroes", I suggest you go to HULU right now and watch the latest episode.  It's the start of Volume 4 (rather than seasons, Heroes reads like a good book, in volumes!) and you don't have to know the show to get into it, but you need to start now.  After you watch it, come back and read the rest of my blog.

One of the biggest reasons I love "Heroes" is every week the theme is good verses evil.  The evil is always something different, but it's always a moral challenge.  Volume one was all about power and how you use it.  Will you abuse your power, will you use it for personal gain, or will you use it for the greater good?  Volume two, which was cut short thanks to the writer's strike, was trust and betrayal and the demons of the past.  Volume three was my favorite so far and it was about the evil within.  What makes a person an angel or a demon.  Volume 4 looks very promising.  All about dealing with the potential for evil, the hardest thing of all to deal with really.  Of course, Nathan has gone straight to the wrong way.  

Obviously, this is commentary on our own fears and the US Dept. of Homeland Security.  Profiling and the racism that followed 9/11, hysteria after 9/11 when people noticed middle eastern people on their flights, and the up in arms attitudes we all had when we felt threatened.  Looking back, our fears weren't absolutely necessary.  Who knows how many disasters were diverted by the drastic actions, but there were also scores of people mistreated.  

Back to the "Heroes" episode from last night, I thought it was excellent.  Milo was in top form, his best acting job this season.  Hayden too, for the first time I wasn't annoyed by the overly dramatic cheerleader and saw a young lady who can avoid cheesy lines and crying about being different.  I also loved seeing Sylar has grown from his experiences in Volume three.  I loved seeing him show restraint because he wanted to show restraint.  I also loved seeing he is STRONGER than ever!  Amazing.  I only hope that Peter will also come back just as strong.  Nothing better than a good showdown between these two except seeing them work together.   The only other thing I have to say about last night aside from the great ending, is I'm glad they FINALLY added a little dimension to Tracy's character.  She was a sidekick to Nathan the last volume and hardly had any substance at all and became a throw away character.  Last night they gave her a brain and some gumption and wrote to Ali's strengths.  I hope they continue to improve the character, Ali was so good in the first two seasons.  Oh and I heart Matt, Daphne, Hiro, and Ando, they just didn't have much going on besides Matt's new power, but I'm sure we'll learn more about that later.  I like this idea of a prophet.  Interesting.