Back on Track

It may look as if I've been slacking off, and perhaps I have been as far as postings, but actually I've been busy busy busy going to movies and theater events in spite of the fact that the change to colder weather has been trying to keep me down.

I've been checking out the new fall TV season too and posting blogs at tvguide.com for one of the most engrossing shows I've watched in a long time, HBO's Tell Me You Love Me, and filling in for Brothers & Sisters. Be sure to check them out and stop back to see where I've been.

Into the Wild

FLICK Emile Hirsch totally embodies the spirit of 20-year-old Christopher McCandless in the engrossing film Into the Wild based on the nonfiction bestseller by Jon Krakauer. Rejecting the materialistic values of his parents (Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt) McCandless searches for a peaceful existence living off the land. With elements of a road trip film, the film is more a portrait of an optimistic young man renaming himself Alexander Supertramp and exploring ways to become a better and more simplistic person.
The title suggests going somewhere savage. And literally McCandless finds himself naively in a few tough spots, being beaten while hitching a ride on a train and ending up in the middle of Alaska to live in a run down bus. But it also suggests venturing into the mind of a young man who can be seen alternately rebellious and a free spirit happily living an idealistic lifestyle. Chris is influenced by Henry David Thoreau's Walden, which helps to push him to achieve his goal and abandon not only his family's ethics, but also the family itself. (In a revealing interview with Premiere, Marcia Gay Harden considers McCandless' mother's point-of-view stating that though it was hard to accept his leaving it was crueler for him to leave them without saying goodbye.)
The entire cast is incredible, including Katherine Keener, Vince Vaughn and especially a heartfelt performance by Hal Holbrook.
While emphasizing a simplistic existence, Sean Penn's direction is ambitious going on location and showing vast landscapes from around the country and up to Alaska mirroring the beauty of Chris' intentions and the extent that he's willing to go to achieve it. The nonlinear structure of the story pits McCandless' solitude against a variety of people he meets, ultimately realizing too late that it's the connections we make that are truly valuable. My Score: 8.5 out of 10.

Jim Norton: Monster Rain

TELEVISION Popular words and phrases are easily found online in the Urban Dictionary, and the title of Jim Norton's HBO comedy special Monster Rain, airing Saturday night at 10PM, is no exception. The phrase comes from a childhood "game." Whenever it rains, someone screams "monster rain" and you run under the porch to get a blowjob. Norton said he played with at least 10 boys and girls by the fourth grade. Sound like fun? Check out the hilarious special!
His childhood encounters haven't hindered his adult experiences, and though it seems he prefers women, Norton's stories express that sex is sex no matter where it's coming from. He takes away the social standards and gets to the heart of what make most men tick. Though offensive to some, it's this all-inclusive hold-nothing-back brand of humor that makes him such a lovable little pervert.
Norton's book "Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch" was released in the summer and went as high as #4 on the New York Times bestseller list for hardcover nonfiction. In it he shares a wide variety of memories in humorous essays that range from working on the Colin Quinn show Tough Crowd, hooking up with hookers, and obsessing about meeting Alan Alda.
Previously on the HBO sitcom Lucky Louie, he's still a busy fucker as a regular on the daily XM satellite radio program The Opie and Anthony Show.
Everyone and everything is a target in Jim Norton's world, including pop culture, race and Islam. As he says in tomorrow night's special: "Don't say the F word, don't say the N word, don't say the C word. How the hell is anyone supposed to know when you're addressing them?"

Top Chef – Finale, Part One

TELEVISION After a one month break, the four remaining chef-testants travel to Aspen for the final leg of their trek to be named Top Chef. Approaching the helium balloon that they’ll be boarding, Brian lets out a perfect gay gasp and grabs hold of bi-Hung’s arm. It’s nice to see the excitement and camaraderie. Taking in the fresh mountain air while heading to their final destination, they had to breathe deeply to take command of cooking fresh trout in the Frying Pan River Challenge. Guest judge Eric Ripert speaks with authority when telling them “good luck, you’re going to need it.”
While rushing around, seafood expert Brian drops his fish on the ground and loses time starting over. He also makes a comment that trout is not considered seafood. I’ve not heard that before. As he’s floundering, Hung finishes seven minutes before everyone else. I first wondered if it would be too long for the dish to just sit there but as time ran out it became moot point when he realizes that he forgot to add lemon juice. He should have been a little more focused, especially during the judging when he mentions his error. He still came in second place above Brian, who served an accompanying salad unsalted and Dale, who added a dash too much cayenne pepper to the apple and fennel. Casey reeled in a winner as her trout was served with crisped skin, grapes and corn, and was told it had soul.
The Elimination Challenge takes place at a rodeo where they’ll have to prepare free-range elk for 45 cowboys and cowgirls. Brian dons his cowboy hat and tells Chef Tom that he’s adding everything but the kitchen sink to his dish. As we’ve seen before, Tom humorously just tilts his head questioningly. Padma too is wearing a cowboy hat and rings the triangle for all to come and get it. Though the judges all found Brian’s explanation of his dish to take longer to say than eat, the editors had fun putting it together and dissolving from one portion of his “Whiskey Braised Elk Shank with Horseradish Sour Cream Potato Puree with Pancetta Corn, Asparagus relish and Blackberry, Balsamic and Sage Brown Butter” to the other. It also hurt when he gave the judges a choice of Roquefort or gorgonzola cheese instead of presenting what he felt would be the better choice.
Casey served a mushroom-crusted loin of elk that she said was rare but Ripert thought it was under-cooked as to call it black and blue. But he went all out to say her accompanying smoky tomato butter was amazing. Gail agreed saying that this “one component” was good. Casey also served a puree of cauliflower that Tom didn’t like because of the bits of caramelized cauliflower she added to it.
Hung got caught in a lie. When told they would be serving elk, he said in his interview that elk is boring and he didn’t enjoy cooking it. (He also asked “what do cowboys eat besides baked beans, baked beans and baked beans?”) In front of the judges, he sang a different song saying he loved elk and had fun cooking it. I agree when they say he is technically (techniquely) good but it’s this kind of regular back pedaling and bullshitting the judges that keeps me from rooting for him.
Dale was right up front about having a backup plan when his goat cheese tart didn’t turn out because there was no cream cheese available to add to it. Anticipating disaster, he had prepared cauliflower and fingerling potatoes adding dried cherries and toasted pecans to them which completed his spiked elk loin with huckleberry-blueberry sauce plate. His honesty didn’t hurt as he told the judges that when the restaurant where he worked closed, he didn’t work for 1 ½ years before the competition but has found himself again since. Dale has the good karma thing going on too and it was in the air as he won the evening’s competition. Proving that bigger, or more, isn’t always better, Brian was sent packing for having too much happening. Part two of the finale airs next week and it looks to be anyone’s game.

HEROES – Four Months Later

TELEVISION The sun rises on a new dawn… and it was worth the wait. I liked this episode because we were caught up with most of the main characters, it set up some new stories, and left me with lots of questions and still wanting more. There were a lot of little details presented and not everything needed to be explained all at once, but I do want to know everything!

The Bennets are now on the west coast. Claire is in a new school where she is in the closet about her powers. But her new buddy, who may have sensed she was different, confirmed it after hovering outside her bedroom window. Looking like a younger Peter Petrelli, he flies off into the night. Since her real dad, Nathan, and Uncle Peter can fly, will this be a real turn-on for her? Can we assume he’s a good guy and not a bad guy?
Suresh is lecturing about a killer virus and meets Steven Tobolowsky (Memento), who can turn stainless steel into gold. There is a power I hadn’t considered wanting until I saw it. Suresh is working with HRG on a plan against his old company. Matt Parkman and Suresh have joint-custody of Molly. Since Parkman and Molly are my least favorites, I’m hoping that she will have a great storyline to draw me into them. Or I’ll continue to be disappointed that Matt didn’t die when he fell out the window last season. (Maybe she’s having too many nightmares from eating too much pizza!)
New heroes Maya and Alejandro are hoping to get across the border. Can’t wait to see how she moves when aggravated. I can understand why she would lash out at the drivers, but why the others in the back of the truck?
Over in 1671 Japan, Hiro will probably step up to the plate to become the hero he’s looking for since Kensei isn’t all he’s cracked up to be. Nice casting when David Anders, who played Sark in Alias, took off his mask and appears as Kensei.
Who is killing off the first generation and why? And who was that masked man, uh, hoodied person who went overboard with Mr. Nakamura (George Takei)? He recognized and never expected who was going to kill him. I have no clue who it would be, but the least likely person would be his son, Hiro. Perhaps he learned something in the 325 years he traveled. There are a thousand possibilities, but we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.
Nathan is drinking too much, but not too far gone to throw his mother out. It’s too bad he couldn’t continue with his political career, but he had to save his brother and world, let alone the cheerleader.
Peter’s locks are cut. (I'll miss them but he’s still cute as hell with his hair slightly buzzed.) Questions: how, when and why did he get to be where he is, and where did he pick up his lightning flash power?

Tell Me You Love Me

TELEVISION If you like mature dramas that focus on the nitty gritty in the lives of the characters, try checking out the new HBO drama Tell Me You Love Me. The show centers on three couples with relationship troubles plus their therapist, played by Jane Alexander.

Though less intense, I’m tempted to say that it reminds me of Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage. But the focus is on a larger group of characters, so in this case, bigger is better. The show presents many contemporary issues, from obsessive love to infertility to a sexless marriage. Oh, and did I mention there is nudity and sex? Not to be confused with Skin-e-max, TMYLM focuses on the why and when the couples are having sex instead of placing them on exhibit for a voyeur’s delight.

Episode three premiered last night. If you’re looking to catch up, check out my blog at TV Guide.

Across the Universe

FLICK With a reputation for creating spectacular eye candy, director Julie Taymor continues to deliver the sweet stuff with Across the Universe, a psychedelic love story during the changing 1960’s propelled by the music of The Beatles. Though also song-driven but nothing like the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band featuring Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees, Taymor’s version shows how dancing at proms gives way to radical protesting. And as the story tackles more serious times, our sentiments grow stronger for the central characters.

Familiarity with The Beatles and their music will add to the fun of recognizing name references. Jim Sturgess is Jude, a dockworker from Liverpool who travels to Princeton in search of his father. While there he meets Max and Lucy, played by Joe Anderson and Evan Rachel Wood. Not only is the talented cast adept with interpreting the music, it is diverse.
Prudence (T.V. Carpio) is an Asian-American lesbian cheerleader who makes an entrance into the house through the bathroom window. People and events of the era are referenced too. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix, Jo-Jo (Martin Luther McCoy) is a guitarist, and aspiring sexy rock singer Sadie (Dana Fuchs) echoes Janis Joplin. And there is a moment that recreates when the Fab Four jammed at lunchtime atop their Apple Studios. (The studio here is called Strawberry Jams.)
In the midst of the Vietnam War, Lucy is protesting while Jude, an artist, sketches what the Beatles used for a logo, a green apple. Taymor is inspired by the song "Strawberry Fields Forever" as Jude sticks strawberries on a white canvas. The fruit look like small hearts that bleed down the white background emphasizing the killing abroad and the bashing during rioting at home.
The film takes several detours to give us the mind-altering splendor we expect. Eddie Izzard is the circus MC Mr. Kite accompanied by what resembles paper mache Blue Meanies, and Bono portrays an author whose book is titled “I Am the Walrus”.
The actors creatively interpret the songs with slight shifts in perspective from their original versions. When the army drafts Max, a poster of Uncle Sam comes to life, pointing his finger and singing “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” while video game-looking recruitment officers step in time, gather inductees’ physical statistics and eventually carry off the Statue of Liberty.
Offering more than just whirling dervishes of color and love, love, love, Across the Universe is a total entertainment package that is out of this world. My Score: 8.5 out of 10.
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite












Across the Universe Trailer 2 (I've Just Seen A Face)

Assassins

THEATER Kicking off its 20th season with a bang, Philadelphia’s Arden Theater Company presents Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical Assassins. With movies like Shoot ‘Em Up and The Brave One recently opening, the show, with a book by John Weidman, is a perfect fit in a fall season where murder is in the air. Though the body count is much less the victims, and their killers, have a much higher profile.

The show maintains a carnival atmosphere profiling men and women who have attempted to assassinate US Presidents. Director Terrence Nolan makes good use of the entire theater space to expand the area where these living ghosts can suddenly appear. As with history, they’ve made their mark and will never go away. Nolan has perfectly put together a solid cast that really knocks ‘em dead.

The opening song lures us in with a jolt as the character of the Proprietor (Jay Pierce) says if you’re feeling blue to "c'mon and shoot a president" to cheer yourself up. And as the song goes on, everyone is eventually, lovingly singing, “Everybody’s Got the Right” to their dreams, as if they were in A Little Night Music.

We initially meet “the father of presidential assassins” John Wilkes Booth (Jeffrey Coon) who is serenaded by the Balladeer, musically asking, “Why did you do it, Johnny?” The Balladeer is also the character of Lee Harvey Oswald (Ben Dibble) who is pushed by Booth to avoid suicide and make a name for himself. Strong portrayals of these two pistol-packing powerhouses bookend the show filled with profiles by performers that all also hit a bulls-eye.

The conversation between Lynette `Squeaky’ Fromme (Erin Brueggemann) and Sara Jane Moore (Mary Martello) who both made attempts on the life of Gerald Ford displays a lot of humor while contrasting the imbalance of one woman who was obsessively devoted to her man, Charlie Manson, and another who had paranoid tendencies and married five times. Unrequited love is the reason John Hinckley (Timothy Hill) attempted to kill Ronald Reagan, looking to gain the attention of actress Jodie Foster.

Scott Greer has a few intensely manic moments as the Santa suit-wearing Samuel Byck who attempted to off Richard Nixon, but a real scene-stealer is James Sugg as the man who killed President Garfield, Charles Guiteau. He is incredibly delighted at his success, climbing the stairs to be hanged and gleefully singing “I am going to the Lordy.”

We live in a time when the themes of this show can be disturbing. Suicide bombers regularly pick their mark, reasoning that they are making the world better. The selected assassins may have been delusional but had similarly varied reasons – love, anger, or egotism – for what they did. But it’s the outstanding performers who recite the cleverly constructed words and make us look beyond the famous events presented here that make this a killer show.

Top Chef – Manhattan Project

It was no circus when the five remaining contestants showed up at the renowned Le Cirque restaurant in New York City to dine with owner Sirio Maccioni and Padma. As they were served a Paupiette of Sea Bass wrapped in a sheet of potatoes over braised leeks, it was mentioned that this was an entrée served only to VIPs. Close attention had to be paid as this became the dish to recreate for the Quickfire Challenge. With only 25 minutes for preparation, it this difficult and quick-thinking challenge that elevates Top Chef above other competition shows.
Hung was first in the kitchen. When he finished and joined the others, Dale asked him whether he used the oven or the stove top. Hung chose not to say, which prompted Dale to comment that though Hung has technical skills, he has no heart. On one side of the ladle, the chef-testants have been unusually close for the most part this season, and much more so than on any other competition program I’ve seen. So, helping one another do his or her best adds to honest gamesmanship and in effect raising the bar for themselves. On the other hand, it is a competition and if you want to leave the others on the chopping block, it should be expected. But as I mentioned last week, karma has reared its head here and there and may do so again when it comes to the finale.
It helps to have knowledge of the tools and techniques required to be successful. Dale not only under-seasoned his dish but got hung up using the mandoline, which is commonly used in most upscale restaurants, not to mention many homes as it’s readily available in many cooking supply stores. But it’s necessary to get the desired effect for these particular potatoes. They have to be thin and pliable to completely wrap around the fish while allowing it to cook. Sara did not allow herself enough time and therefore served her sea bass undercooked. Brian was told his dish tasted well, Casey’s was better than most, but Hung won this round.
Moving to the French Culinary Institute, the Elimination Challenge was to produce greatness by simply using a chicken, russet potatoes and an onion. The taste testers this time included not only the regular judges but dean Andre Soltner and a half dozen other distinguished members of the institute.
Hung did one better than the rest again, winning by preparing his chicken sous-vide, which is throwing all of the ingredients in a plastic bag and slowly cook by submerging it in hot water.
Casey keeps her good karma going by recreating the Coq au Vin her grandmother used to make. The problem she ran into was its name. The panel of classically-trained French chefs demands that the dish should be slow-cooked and made with a rooster and not a chicken. But in the end it was full of flavor and won her second place.
Brian’s Peasant Pie was a little green from using the leafy onion-like ramps but it too was flavorful and kept him in the running.
Dale was sited for having a flawed concept, preparing two petit dishes using a truffle sauce and a rosemary-honey sauce. Clearly feeling the stress, he forgot to plate the second sauce. For the second time in a row, Sara served food that was pink and undercooked. Questioning whether failing with concept or execution was worse, the judges decided that Sara should pack her knives and go, leaving us with four who will be featured in the two-part finale in Aspen.

TOP CHEF – Snacks on a Plane

TELEVISION As dawn breaks in Miami, the usually reserved Padma Lakshmi becomes extremely cheerful and blurts out the words “rise and shine” directing the command not to baked muffins but to the six remaining sleeping chefs for a Quickfire Challenge. Using Breville blenders (my recent blender of choice) and selected ingredients before them, breakfast was to be prepared within 20 minutes. Besides limited time and space, the chef-testants zip around the room with a few other obstacles in their way. Known for going right into hyper-speed, Hung doesn’t disappoint as he immediately knocks a bottle of truffle oil off the table, creating a slippery mess with oil and broken glass all over the floor. Not only does he deny doing this but, repeating what he did in a QFC from early on, drops food from the refrigerator and leaves it on the floor. This speediness doesn’t contribute to efficiency or having focus but rather shows a narrow vision and being unaware of your surroundings, not to mention causing a hazard and earning the right to be called a spazz.
As the only judge, Padma tastes all six offerings and seems to dislike only Brian’s berry shake for not having the seeds strained. Her two favorites were Sara’s French toast with an egg in a hole and Hung’s steak and eggs served with a papaya and banana smoothie spiked with Grand Marnier, which ultimately won the challenge. His prize was a copy of Padma’s new book “Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet” plus picking out the protein used in his next challenge. Padma asks the group if they had fun and CJ responds with “except when Hung broke the oil.” While watching Hung swirl around faster than his breakfast shake and listening to CJ point out another’s mistakes (which he seems to do in every episode – remember pointing out Brian sweating?) it becomes apparent that karma is what will make or topple a chef.
For the Elimination Challenge, everyone packed their bags and got ready to go to New York. What they didn’t plan for was the layover at the Newark International Airport where they would have to prepare restaurant quality airline food to be served to a dozen or so flight attendants. Not only were the chefs working in an unfamiliar kitchen, but the challenge also required them to prepare meals in individual containers that were approximately two inches high and could be heated within 10-15 minutes.
One thing I notice week after week is the camaraderie and respect some chefs have for others. Even though this is a win-or-lose competition, some like Dale are ready to help, but Casey is always shown pitching in to assist with serving or plating a dish for someone else when she can. When Dale says that Hung is not a team player, we see Hung cleaning up his station but not offering a hand to anyone. (And who cleaned the oil off the floor?) Think karma, Chameleon.
I get a little excited when Chef Anthony Bourdain shows up to assist in the judging. His comments are biting, spot-on and not to mention humorous. He even caused Chef Tom Colicchio to burst into laughter, particularly when calling CJ’s seared halibut with overcooked broccolini something they found cleaning the closet at Bob Marley’s house. Broccolini was not the only item bashed. Brian got called out for serving rubbery lobster and poorly executed purple Peruvian potato hash (say that phrase 10 times real fast.)
Dale’s steak au poivre was a crowd-pleaser but having forgotten one serving only 17 of the 18 diners had their palettes tickled. Hung’s sea bass held its moistness but that karma thing bit him and kept him from winning. That honor went to the creative and daring Casey, who generated not only good will among everyone, but successful veal medallions with crimini and apple brandy. Having won two weeks in a row, she is a definite contender for the title of Top Chef.
And CJ was asked to pack his knives and go for putting out that filthy broccolini that was too limp and overcooked. But I think pointing out other’s flubs was the karma breaker.