TV thoughts: spy games

when, exactly, did government agencies, specialty cops, and spies become so populous on TV?

okay, somewhat rhetorical question. I will always prefer Fox Mulder to Jack Bauer, but it seems to me that everywhere I look there's another one. Whether it's philosophy and forensics or just friday night fodder, there's always a badge and a gun onscreen.

Comic Corner: Age of X miniseries

There's something about alternate-universe comic books.

Whether it's simply a sense of "through the looking glass" or some deep desire to savor the twisted perversions of what classic comic book characters can become, i will always read through, and have now often found myself dropping money on, the intricate and unique beauty of a Parallel Reality.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. whether we're talking more classic examples of "Star Trek" or simply a bold, brave new step in storytelling, the writers who dare to dream differently have always gotten a little more respect from me for trying something new.

Movie Musing Sucker Punch

Of all the Zach Snyder films I’ve seen to date, I think Sucker Punch ranks in the top slot.
One must assume going in, however, that the plot will be thin or convoluted, the beauties be scantily clad, the visuals stunning, and the ending scene bordering on unbearably preachy; And as always these things hold true to some degree. “Watchmen” did it with about 85 % faithful respect to the original text, and “300” was a very pretty animating of Frank Miller’s bloody take on the greek history. But those films, to me, were lessened in quality by Snyder’s attempts to put his own stamp on someone else’s story.

TV Thoughts: In Treatment

hey folks! been awhile, I know. but I've got another fine show to recommend, one that not enough people I know are familiar with.

today's installment, we'll cover In Treatment.

HBO has a fine quality to their dramas, they manage to lure you in and keep you hooked with the more average-life qualities and somehow creating some compelling dramas with them. I'm thinking primarily of Six Feet Under, here. Not everyone can find a show about a family running a funeral home 'exciting' but yet it's utterly entrancing, to this writer.

"In Treatment" is another fine example. Gabriel Byrne (probably best known for Usual Suspects) stars as a therapist, Paul Weston, and the weekly installments have a fun little twist; each episode is only about twenty minutes to half-an-hour long. they cover the various patients he has on a weekly basis, and his interactions with them. So, while you've got forty episodes on your hands, in reality you're only watching about eight weeks of therapy, intensely personal, with five different clients.

TV Thoughts: Sherlock

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

tell that to the Great Detective.

the new BBC series, "Sherlock", balks that old axiom in a manner both brassy and gleeful; Taken from actual Holmes texts and repositioned in a modern context, this is a Sherlock Holmes for the 21st Century.

In a manner of speaking, this "series" is quite interesting; They've recreated an origins approach to the classic pairing of one eccentric detective and one old soldier with a slant for medicine --excellently executed by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman -- and gives us a faithful interpretation of our adventurers.

the series is currently set to premiere in the US later this month, but avid fans can find the UK's airdates from earlier this summer. Rather than a longer, drawn-out season, the writers have opted to have three 90-minute episodes, a format which has only whetted this viewer's appetite for more such runs.

TV Thoughts: Rubicon

everybody watches one show that, no matter what, they seem to be utterly entranced by it, week after week.

right now, that show's Rubicon for me.

REWIND: Plunkett & Macleane

Every once in awhile, I'll stumble across a movie that catches my eye simply by the plot or the actor combination; this one managed to do both, and so I'll kick off a new branch of reviews called "Rewind", namely movies that are over a decade old that I want to recommend because most likely you've never heard of 'em.

Plunkett and Macleane is a film that tries to be a handful of things. I'll call its category, "neoclassical-punk", as it has undertones of a modern action film while also being a period piece. Other films that have a feel such as this might include the recent "Sherlock Holmes" film, the "Marie Antoinette" awhile back, or Baz Luhrman's "Romeo&Juliet". Basically, the category is any sort of classical-era film that seems to have late-20th-century action style and music underscoring that still keeps the feel of the piece but brings it to a vibrant, loud-rock life with its energy and soundtrack.

The story, in essence, is about two Englishmen, a brilliant thief and a penniless gentleman, who manage to escape their condemed fates, build a new and wealthy and solid reputation for themselves, and use it as a cover to steal from the rich.

First off, let's look at the casting. Johnny Lee Miller (Trainspotting, Eli Stone) is very charming as the wannabe-Gentleman, one Jamie Macleane, and it's clear to see that his prettyboy looks are the perfect tool for their activities. then there's Plunkett, played wonderfully by Robert Carlyle, a growing favorite in my book. He's got the plan and the chip on his shoulder and the streetsmart experience to continue a life of crime, and I like the energy these two leads have with each other. There's a hint of a Rosencrantz/Guildenstern in their banter, and certainly a few chuckles along the way. Liv Tyler's stereotypical breathy ingenue is played to the proper levels as a girl-with-a-taste-for-bad-boys. And you've got Alan Cumming, Ken Stott, and Michael Gambon rounding out the rest of the important characters. All in all, a treat to watch.

The film's flaws are really in the clash between action and Period, something all of these "neo-classic-punk" genre films struggle with, is that the modern-rock music sometimes completely pulls you out of the action, even if its tone fits the moment in which it's happening. In some moments, the action is a little too flashy for the period, and you quietly wonder if it would even be possible for things to go down like they do (I'm looking at you, fireworks heist) but you let it slide as the pacing is quite strong and you're thankful nothing is too dragged-out or awkward.

At other moments, the monotony of the elaborate dressing and the complicated group dances and the simplicity of travel and weaponry are perfectly executed, with a touch of grim humor as you feel for Plunkett's feeling out-of-place in this world of sneers and lordships. The heists themselves are sloppy and quick, which is entirely believable.

Regardless, the good moments and the bad moments are fairly well-balanced and overall I liked this movie. I don't feel that it's brilliant but it certainly stands in a tiny category with its brass balls swinging, unafraid and bold as the heroes it boasts of within.

Three and a Half out of Four nooses.