Talking 3 of My Favourite Television Programs (Part 1)

It's that time again for me to divulge more information on some of the best on screen forms of entertainment.  I'm doing it a little different this time though, as I feel like some love should be thrown in the direction of TV.  No longer is it considered an inferior form of screen presence, as some of the best performances I have ever seen reside on the television programs that I'm about to list.  So without any further ado...

Spoilers follow...

1) Mad Men (AMC)

With the newest season right around the corner, Mad Men is about a group of advertising executives and their turbulent lives in the 1960's.  As an advertising student it is my dream to one day live the life of Don Draper, however I do understand that I would be fired instantly if I pulled even some of his most tame antics.  Thankfully, that doesn't make watching him pull off those antics any less fun.  I watched the first four seasons on Netflix a couple of years ago in the span of a month.  This show is unique for me in the sense that it took me about the entire first season before I really started getting into it.   Many people may find the show to be dry or boring, but it's the characters that you invest in that make it worthwhile.  A lot of it has to do with the development of these characters.  In the pilot episode none of the characters were particularly good people, with the exception of one (Peggy, I'm looking at you).  No, not every character needs to be good but I think they need to be redeemable.  Every episode reveals a little bit more about each character that I can hardly wait to see where they go next in their journeys.  Not to mention, the time period is the glamourous 60's and the evolution of that time.  I have loved seeing the stylistic changes in hair, clothing, and music that that era provided the world.  Mad Men is one of the most consistent shows on television with great writing and acting.  It'll be a sad day when this one ends.

2) Shameless (Showtime) (U.S.)

I put this U.S. in brackets because Shameless is an American remake of a popular British television program of the same name.  This show allows us to enter the homes of the aptly shameless Gallagher family.  The Gallagher's put the fun in dysfunctional. Whenever I try to describe this show to people I always say it's like the movie Cheaper by the Dozen, but with an alcoholic father and a house on the other side of the tracks.  Gallagher patriarch, Frank is shameless in every sense of the word.  He leaves five of his children to be primarily looked after by his eldest daughter (only in her early twenties).  He has had sex with his girlfriend's daughter. He has given a baby Vicodin to fall asleep.  I could keep going, but it would ruin your experience if you were to ever watch it.  His children are no saints either, but what they do is mainly out of necessity for survival than pure selfishness.  You might be wondering why I find this show so good, because what I've described sounds all kinds of screwed up.  This is true, but this is also a comedy...sometimes dramady.  This is one show that balances dramatic and comedic elements perfectly.  There is almost never a dull moment, and my jaw is typically dropped by the end of every episode.  This is the kind of family that you peek in on and suddenly feel a lot better about how yours is.

3)  Boardwalk Empire (HBO)

If you love gangster movies, then I would imagine you would love Boardwalk Empire.  Starring Steve Buscemi as the fictional Enoch Thompson, this program is about bootlegging alcohol in 1920's Atlantic City.  Like Mad Men this is another period piece that is so well acted and presented.  In addition to seeing Enoch's descent into becoming a full fledged gangster, we are also witness to the rise of real life gangsters such as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano.  Again, some people may find this program to be "boring".  There is a lot of talking in this show, there's no doubt about that, but it's absolutely necessary to set up the very intricate story lines.  Don't be alarmed though, because there are also some very entertaining shootouts.  They don't happen every episode, but when they do you'll wince in the realism and decadence of the scene.  Like many of the shows I watch, this wont be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like the crime genre and aren't afraid of the gratuitous sex and violence that all HBO programming offers, then you should really give Boardwalk Empire a shot.

Part 2 will consist of three more television favourites of mine.




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netflix.ca

Talking 3 Comic Book Films that Aren't Batman Related

Snowballing off of my last post about three of my favourite films that one might not have expected, I've decided to write about three of my favourite comic book films.  Now, because my three favourite comic book films reside within Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and I've already somewhat touched base on that in previous blog posts I'll be covering three different comic book films that hold a special place in my heart.

1) Watchmen (2009)

Watchmen is a film that comic book purists will either love or hate.  For the longest time the graphic novel was deemed un-filmable and eccentric author Alan Moore decided to disown the film property after a failed experience with trying to successfully produce a screen adaptation of one of his works.  Eventually the film reigns were handed off to director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead, 300) and screenwriter David Hayter (X-Men).  Together they produced what I believe to be one of the best screen adaptations of a graphic novel.  I believe they at least did the best they could have on a literary specimen such as Watchmen.  Yes, there were some changes in the story told on screen as apposed to the source material, but I also understand that sometimes certain changes need to be made in order to make a comic book film generally well received to the average movie going audience.  Certain elements of a comic book just don't always translate well to a screen adaptation.

Even so, Watchmen is about a group of retired superheroes in an alternate reality in 1985 where Richard Nixon is still president and the Cold War is at it's height.  These retired heroes are brought back into action when one of their own is found murdered and the investigation reaches a startling discovery.  This film and source material touch base on a superhero noire mystery set against the backdrop of the unease during the Cold War.  It's brilliantly executed and the visuals are astounding.  Zack Snyder has a very keen eye for both action and set design that truly gives his films a unique tone.  I highly recommend checking this film out and even reading the graphic novel if you ever get a chance because it really makes you think about the ethics of politics and war.    

2) Iron Man (2008)

While Watchmen presents a more intellectual look at the comic book film genre, Iron Man is just pure fun for multiple reasons.  Firstly, it brought back the career of one of my favourite actors Robert Downey Jr.  Secondly, this film single handedly turned a significantly lesser known comic book hero into a household name.  Thirdly, it set in motion what would ultimately become the epic on-screen ensemble known as The Avengers.  Honestly, when I first saw the bonus after credits sequence I was excited, but didn't get my hopes up that someday the super team of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, & The Incredible Hulk would ever be on the same screen together.  Excluding The Avengers, I found Iron Man to be the best executed film in phase one of Marvel Studios' Avengers saga.  It set the ground work for an exciting franchise filled with great and loveable characters and performances.  It provided us with an awesome and bald Jeff Bridges as the film's villain Obadiah Stane (Iron Monger).  I actually cared about the on-screen love interest Pepper Potts played by Gwyneth Paltrow.   While the sequel would be fairly disappointing, I have high hopes that Iron Man 3 will take us back to the incredibly well balanced story and action of the original movie.

3) Blade (1998)

You may be thinking to yourself "That was a comic book movie?", to which I say it can be argued (and I would) that Blade set the trend for the foray of comic book films to come over the next fifteen years.  Before X-Men, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Batman Begins, IronMan, etc..., Blade kicked the crap out of vampires and provided movie going audiences with some of the best fight scenes and action on film.   Maybe that's a stretch, but I just really love this movie.  Blade ultimately proved to Hollywood that a comic book adaptation can be successful. While it has noticeably aged since it's release, Blade is the sort of balls-to-the-wall action movie that made the 90's so great.  In an age where vampire movies are all lovey-dovey, this movie gives us vampires that hide in the shadows amongst the humans and harvest their blood for ultimate survival.  No, the performances aren't Oscar worthy, but Wesley Snipes plays such a badass character throughout that all you really care about is watching Blade wield his sword, cutting some vampires to ash.  If for anything else, watch Blade for the sheer adrenaline rush that it provides.  If you aren't a pansy, you'll enjoy the movie.


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