Mark Williams: Best Fictional Dad Ever

Mark Willaims: Best Fictional Dad Ever

           I would just like to take a moment to point out how awesome Mark Williams is, or at least, how awesome the characters that he plays are.  Mr. Mark Williams recently appeared on Doctor Who, playing Rory Williams' (aka The Last Centurian, also known as the most awesome person ever) father.  Harry Potter fans, however, know him as the patriarch of everyone's favorite ginger family, the Weasleys.  Playing Mr. Arthur Weasley, he was in fact the father of my number two favorite ginger, second only to my actual mother.  How can anyone not love the father of Ron Weasley?  Because Mark Williams plays the dad of two of my favorite characters, he deserves his own Best Fictional Dad Ever mug, mouse pad, and commorative key chain.  After all, he has time traveled in a TARDIS and used a magic wand.

Doctor Who and the Weepy Weeping Angels

The Ponds

             I wasn't prepared.  I thought I was, but I was so horrendously wrong.  Tonight's Doctor Who Episode, entitled The Angels Take Manhattan sent me into a full out ugly cry.  My fellow Whovian little brother and I hugged, as all Who-lovers should, mourning the bittersweet end to the story of Rory Williams and Amelia Pond.  It is the nature of Doctor Who to reinvent and regenerate.  It's what has made the show last so long.  However, it doesn't make it any easier.  On a one to David Tennant's departure, this was absolutely  a ten.  (If you get that joke, you have excellent taste in British T.V. We should be friends.)

          The episode started out in the shady 1920's, where weeping angels, ancient creatures who send people back in time and feed off of life energy have taken over Manhattan, pose as statues of babies, mothers, and even the Statue of Liberty. If you look away, if you blink, you will be sent back in time. Everyone's favorite time travel The Doctor must try to rescue all of New York and prevent his companions Rory and Amy from dying in the process.  A mysterious book written by the always fabulous River Song guides their journey through flickering rooms and dark tunnels with terrifying moving statues.  The Doctor however, refuses to look at the last page, the spoiler, the end.  He doesn't do well with endings, and so he rips it out.  Stories, at least the best ones however, need an end.

         When a horrible truth is discovered-that Rory will be taken by the angels, dying alone and away from Amy-Amy like always refuses to let that stand.  She and Rory create a time paradox, sacrificing and saving all of New York in the process.  Just when it seems as though everyone will be fine, and no true end will come, an angel takes Rory back in time. His name appears in stone, on a tombstone in the present day.   Amelia Pond, the brave and fierce woman that she is, must say goodbye to The Doctor and River to join Rory, and live out their days together in a time altered world, a world the Doctor can never visit.  The Doctor, her raggedy man who gave her promises of adventure when she was a child and made good on them when Amy grew up, is forced to say goodbye.  Amelia Pond blinks and is gone, her name appearing on a present-day tombstone.

         Amy leaves one last goodbye to her Doctor in the last page of the mysterious book written by River Melody Song.  The man who hates goodbyes and endings, the man who ripped out the last page of the book, must find the page and find a way to say goodbye, just as he always has.  He loves like a human, but he is not one.  He lives on, loved and remembered by the Ponds, just as we will love and remember them.

          Oh, what a beautiful, sad, tragic, happy ending.  I'm beyond thrilled Amy and Rory spent their lives together, and didn't have a truly devastating end like Donna Noble (who forgot everything about her adventures), but I'm having trouble like The Doctor has trouble saying goodbye to the Ponds.  Oh, weeping angels.  Why are you so terrifying and awesome?  All you do is make everyone incredibly weepy?  I'm left sad over The Doctor, River, Rory's Father, all of them losing Rory and Amy.  I know the show will move on and be wonderful in a new and fantastical way, but for now, I'm going to be sad.  After all, to quote another Weeping Angel survivor, "Sad is happy for deep people."  (If you get that reference, you are my favorite person ever.)

If You Only Watch 3 Tim Burton Movies...

Tim Burton and his Creations

           My sister and I both had a nature/nurture twin moment where we both admitted how sweet and cute Frankenweenie,  Tim Burton's new film about a boy who brings his beloved dog back to life, looks.  When my sister admitted to not seeing  Tim Burton's classic film, I was a little horrified. I shirked by duties as a movie-suggester/convincer.  I promised to make good on my failure by listing the most important Burton films.  I'm not a rabid fan of all of his movies.  Alice and Wonderland was more strange than good to me, as was Dark Shadows.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is another just alright film.  I do like Sleepy Hollow, but I wouldn't put it in my top three.  My favorites have more heart, like Frankenweenie seems to have.  If forces to choose the three Burton films I like the best, I'd list:

Big Fish

3.  Big Fish
      Starring Ewan McGregor as a spinner of great tales and giant adventures, this film achieved the perfect balance of fantastical and real.  It's focus on the fractured relationship between a father and son made the film stick with me.  Not many people list it as one of their favorites.  Even I had forgotten about it for a while, but the more I think about it, the more I want to watch it again.

Corpse Bride

2.  Corpse Bride
        I love the music.  I love the motion capture.  I love Johnny Depp as the timid and sweet groom in this Victorian age movie about his unlikely friendship between a lovely departed bride.  A story where the dead are much more colorful than the living, the movie ultimately reveals the sacrificial nature of love.  It's visually and thematically gorgeous.  While many people are bigger fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas, I'm really not.  I'd choose Corpse Bride any day.

Edward Scissorhands

1.  Edward Scissorhands
       This movie is simply beautiful.  Equally tragic, lovely, and inevitable, the story of a strange man with scissors for hands it the ultimate outsider story.   He wants so badly to live and love and be loved in the ordinary world, but Edward is simply too extraordinary. If I listen to the theme from the movie, I get a little emotional.    Johnny Depp has played many beloved roles, but this is my favorite.  It is a Tim Burton film at its finest.

It's Elementary

Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes: Elementary

          CBS's new hour long drama Elementary has all the elements of good television.  Starring Jonny Lee Miller as a modern Sherlock Holmes who uses his genius to solve crimes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson, his sobriety partner, Elementary places the two character in present day New York.  The series premiered Thursday, with a good (not great) episode.  Miller played Holmes with an interesting mix of neurosis and charisma.  His chemistry with Lucy Liu was intriguing.  When he interrupts Watson at an Opera, refusing to be quiet until she acknowledges him, I saw a flash of the unique potential friendship/codependency.
           
              That was just it though.  I saw potential.  The actual mystery wasn't very interesting.  It never invested me in the crime or the characters like BBC's truly masterful modern spin on Sherlock's tales entitled quite simply Sherlock  and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character.  I really like Sherlock's stories, and really want to like Elementary.  If however, the crimes grow too...well, CBS procedural, I may not stick around.  The premiere did tantalize a backstory about something going terribly wrong in London, causing Sherlock to relocate and spiral into addiction.  If the show delves into that very interesting backstory and raids from the classic Sherlock mysteries and character, I will absolutely watch it, enjoying it as a different spin on a truly mysterious and wonderful man.  For now, Sherlock is still my favorite version, but I'm willing to cheat on it.  That is, if Miller gets a better scarf.  Seriously.  What do you call that pattern?  Rainbow plaid?

Epic Life Music

Music to give you chills.

         Typically, I've reserved this blog for movies and shows.  I discuss soundtracks sometimes, but beyond that haven't really divulged my passion for music.  Because this blog is at its core a geek-out over awesome entertainment, I am going to venture out a little into musical entertainment.  Music to me is all about telling a story, and makes regular life far more epic and dramatic.  With that in mind, I'm okay with sharing a playlist of songs that make my life feel a little bigger and broader-songs that tell a story.  After all, movies and shows would be way less powerful without music.  In fact, in an ideal world, I'd love to be the music supervisor for a show or even for commercials.  Here is this weeks playlist of storytelling songs.  Enjoy!

1.  Midnight City by M83 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac08rCzDUB0

          I love the shouting synths from this song.  It's been featured in a few commercials so it may sound familiar.

2.  Outro by M83 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v80aDPBu27U
         Oh my gosh.  This song is beautiful, and epic.  The beginning is synth, the middle is near silent, and the end is sheer crescendoing perfection.  This song is my go to right now.

3.  Blackwind by Patrick Watson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SM40_jqtKU
       I am a fan of Patrick Watson.  His songs are small and large, intimate and immediate.  This song is one of his more recent ones.  It's perfect for driving through Fall roads with dreamy thoughts.

4.  Dark Parts by Perfume Genius http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aZ_5c3vl68
        Man I am a serious fan of piano.  This song is sad, strange, lovely, and mysterious.  I dig it.

5.  Normal Song by Perfume Genius http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB65TUgFFzM
       This song is sad and sweet, with a simple guitar and quivering voice.  I LOVE it.

6.  Radioactive by Imagine Dragons http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu-xFvLaE68
      This song has swag.  It oozes cool and will force you to want to break out your craziest (and perhaps non-existent) dance moves.  I am loving all of Imagine Dragons songs.  Check out It's Time, Demons, and On Top of the World too.

7.Down in the Valley by The Head and the Heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcbRMzH27GM
       The Head and the Heart is a band you've go to check out.  Their music is folksy in the best possible way.

8.  The New Mumford and Sons CD.
      I just got it, and have listened to it a few times.  While I'm not as excited about it as with their first album, I think it will grow on me until I love it.

         Enjoy the music!  I hope it gives you stories!

Once Upon an Addiction

             The first season of Once Upon a Time came out on Netflix recently.  I had tried to watch the show last year when it debuted, but didn't fully invest.  I made a huge mistake, though I'm partly grateful for it now.  Watching the series in mini-marathon form is rewarding, mainly because all of the twists and cliff-hangers aren't as painful when the next episode is a button press away.  Like the Mad-Hatter himself, I've been sprinting through the season, getting ready for season 2 this Sunday.  If you haven't been watching it, you are missing out on old-school storytelling with a modern twist.  Even the most evil character has depth and a back story worthy of Lost itself.  In fact, in a very weird way, the fairy tale flashbacks, mythology, and mystery make me think of Lost more than any other show, which is a high compliment in my books.
           
          Characters like Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, Prince Charming, and even Jiminy Cricket  are revitalized and changed on the show, which follows the idea that the evil queen cursed all fairy tale characters, sending them to the worst place imaginable: earth!  The curse must be broken, and the characters must remember their true identity, or be trapped in a strange and frozen purgatory with no happy ending.  The actress playing the evil queen deserves props, mainly for portraying the caricature queen in fairyland and  the cool and calculating mayor in the modern world.
       
              Watch the show, become a fan.  It certainly has won me over.  I've even put off watching new Fall shows to finish off the season.  I am three episodes away from a very interesting and sure to be epic conclusion to the first chapter.  Look out for the second this Sunday at 8:00.

My Most Anticipated Film of 2012

Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables

          Les Miserables is easily one of my favorite stories of all time.  The musical is all the more profound.  When I heard that the director of The King's Speech was heading the musical movie adaptation, I grew excited.  The first trailer, featuring the battered Anne Hathaway beautifully crying and singing through "I Dreamed I Dream", I became more excited about the film than I am about The Hobbit.  The story is so epic in scope yet intimate in human heart and details.
           What I am most excited about is how Les Mes was filmed.  Apparently, instead of recording in a studio and then pantomiming singing, the actors and actresses actually sang for each shot with tiny earphones playing their music into their ears.  While the actors still got to play with voice and performance, they were able to adapt and react to the story, making it all the more authentic and like the real stage play, only more intimate.   I am really excited about the live singing, which makes it remarkably ground breaking and different than other film musicals.  Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, and a plethora of other players can cut their acting and singing chops with authenticity and truth.  I am beyond inspired and excited about the results.  Check out the behind the scene feature on live singing here.  In the clip, Eddie Redmayne (Marius) expresses  what live singing accomplishes.  It achieves fragility, forcing the listener to hear the music anew.  Anne Hathaway argues that it would have been selfish to sing a tragic song the pretty way.  I agree with them both.  All I know is, it is easily the movie I am most excited about this year.