Dramaturgically Speaking

New Website

2011-01-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

Visit my new website and blog at ianklein.me.

Film Viewings 2010

2011-01-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

This year marked a dramatic decrease in the number of movies I screened compared to last year. Convenience of going to the movie theatre played a major role in the amount of films I was willing and able to see on the big screen. There’s something too about going to the movies in New York that makes it more of an “event” than I often want it to be which sounds like a paradox but I find it more difficult to be spontaneous on this front than I am in Seattle. Even though I live in New York, I saw only three films in the theatres there this year.

Between an increased workload, a more regular TV schedule, more required and volunteer theatre viewings, film did take a hit. Because of this however, I think what resulted was a more fine-tuned viewing experience, forcing myself to be more selective when it came to the experience of sitting down, devoting my time to a roughly two hour visual treat that seemed to be split fairly evenly between solo and social viewings.

Finally, this year saw a rise in the critical conversations I had with films as I screened several films as research (e.g. The Merchant of Venice, Drag Me To Hell, House of the Devil), as a result of extended cultural curiosity (e.g. Heavy Metal, Little Shop of Horrors, A Nightmare on Elm Street) and through the Dialogical Film Club (DFC) which I list below.

The trend of fewer movies is likely to continue for awhile with the final semester of classes beginning in a few short weeks, work responsibilities and two big TV “events” I’ve embarked on—that is on top of other regular programming—which include a first watch-through of LOST (begun late December 2010) and the Great Buffy Rewatch hosted by Nikki Stafford and for which I will be guest-blogging several times over the course of 2011.

The list you see here and the “awards” I’ve given a select few stem only from my viewing record this year so I likely have missed many a cinematic gem.

May your 2011 be filled with many forms of pop-culture goodness.

Total Films Watched in 2010: 65

Average Per Week: 1.25

Films Seen in Theatres: 17

Most Frequent Film Companion: Kj with 12 films (7 in theatres, 5 via the DFC.) 41% of the films I saw in theatres were with Kj.

Films Watched Twice:
An Education*
Where the Wild Things Are*
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

*Re-watched not due to a fondness for the film but creative and psychological frustrations that merit re-viewings with a group of insightful minds.

Dialogical Film Club Viewings:
The Nines
Where the Wild Things Are
An Education
The Secret of NIMH*
All Dogs Go to Heaven*

*Screened as part of our DFC Summer Monday series under the title “Facing Childhood Cartoon Trauma–Double Feature”

Animated Features:*
Toy Story 3
The Secret of NIMH
All Dogs Go to Heaven
The Princess and the Frog
Heavy Metal
Ponyo
The Last Unicorn
Tangled

*I was very tempted to include Avatar in this category, because really…

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Documentaries:
Walt Disney Treasures: Disneyland USA
The September Issue
Waking Sleeping Beauty

Best Documentary: Waking Sleeping Beauty

Top Films of 2010 (New/In Order of Viewing):
A Single Man
Toy Story 3
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Tangled
Waking Sleeping Beauty (wide release in 2010)

Most Disappointing Films of 2010:
The Last Airbender
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
An Education

Viewings 2010
*denotes theatrical viewing

Avatar*
The Nines
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus*
The Hangover
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Julie & Julia
The Box
The Young Victoria
Where the Wild Things Are
A Single Man*
The Wolfman*
An Education*
Stop-Loss
Walt Disney Treasures: Disneyland USA
Little Shop of Horrors
Where the Wild Things Are
Triangle
The Runaways*
Out of Africa
Pandorum
Drag Me To Hell
House of the Devil
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Dead Alive
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Splice*
Toy Story 3*
Up in the Air
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse*
The Last Airbender*
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice*
Inception*
An Education
Shutter Island
Kick-Ass
All Dogs Go to Heaven
The Secret of NIMH
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World*
9
The Merchant of Venice
The Princess and the Frog
The September Issue
Heavy Metal
Ponyo
Legend (Theatrical Version)
The Last Unicorn
Star Trek (2009)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1*
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Tangled*
The Black Hole
Black Swan*
When in Rome
Sunshine Cleaning
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Bright Star
The Duchess
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Agora
Grumpy Old Men
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Easy A
Time Bandits
Tron: Legacy*

These Are The Posters In My Film Class

2010-12-06T19:09:00.001-08:00

The title nearly says it all.

Since the first day of class in September, I've been pondering the significance is of the only five posters gracing the walls of the classroom which plays host to my film theory class, that over the course of the semester has taken us from Plato to Alberti, Lessing, Kant, Tanizaki, Lacan. One week left of the seminar and we have not watched one frame of film. It plays more like one of my English classes of yore than a film class, which is actually fine as I suppose the goal of the course is for me to carry this theoretical, philosophical knowledge home or into the cinema as may be appropriate-although, I have to say, I see far fewer films in the theater at this time in New York than at any other time in my life; yes, I'm terrified of bedbugs (see case-in-point.In any case, the choice to place posters of these five films on the wall has perplexed me to no end.

The easy and most likely answer is that each probably involves an alumni from the university's film program. Further adding to my sense of unease is the fact that I have not seen any of these films. My mind therefore makes the logical association: I am taking a film class in this room and this is the kind of art I have to aspire too-movies that have played no part in my personal history or burdgeoning creative aesthetic. What am I doing here? What are they teaching me? What kind of artist are they trying to make me?

I shouldn't judge. These could all be incredible films of which I have gone through life completely unaware-I have heard of Punch Drunk Love but have no predispositions thereof-though still none of them would scream "Rent me!" at the video store or "Queue me!" on Netflix. So, if you've seen any of these films, grant me some guidance and clarity of mind as to why these might be showcased so.

Are they worth adding to my queue? If you've seen them all, I'll even let you rank them for me.

Educate me!

Marriage & Shakespeare

2010-11-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

The following was written as a brief hypothetical Playbill note which would frame Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice through a specific contextual lens-in this case, that of marriage.

The Present-Tense Pact: Marriage at the Time of Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice is a play of pacts. At the crux of the play rests the legally binding agreement between between Antonio and Shylock over the lending and repayment of three thousand ducats over the course of three months. In order to seal this bond, Antonio and Shylock must solicit the presence of a notary and a contract is made. A simple procedure that works similarly today, but The Merchant of Venice is also about pacts of a different kind, pacts that function in far less simplistic manners today than they did in Shakespeare’s. This “pact” I speak of is that of marriage.

Marriage features prominently at the end of many Shakespearian comedies and the courtship that precedes it is ripe for dramatic play. The romantic comedy that ensues from placing one individual in a position of affection towards another who may in turn place his or her affections elsewhere creates the automatic perception of a throughline as courtship stories inevitably ended in marriage. There is rarely another conclusion—even a non-marriage would constitute a strong outcome if not unsatisfying—the play having nurtured the audience towards marriage through the “wooing and winning” involved in the courtship narrative.

The Merchant of Venice is not strictly a comedy, of course, yet highlights the matrimony of several couples. While the play does end on a rather cheerful note celebrating these happy unions, it certainly lacks the pomp and circumstance of some of Shakespeare’s other ceremonious endings. Perhaps this is because for all of Shakespeare’s emphasis on its dramatic weight, marriage was not always so grand an event in his time. In fact, the rules regarding its instigation were not so much delineated during most of the Elizabethan Era. Matrimonial law was a hotly contested issue for both the Church and the state of England from the middle of the 16th century onward. Finally in 1597 and again in 1604, the Church created a set of standard practices in order to combat the overwhelming ambiguity surrounding marriage touching on the wedding service procedure, registration, and licenses.

Nevertheless, the customs of local communities and other accepted practices varied wildly, but the most consistent of these appears to be the spousal contract created through the mutual, verbal conset of two parties to marry. This would have to be done in present tense words, per verba de praesenti—a practice we continue today with the present tense phrase “I do.” Even in the absence of witnesses, unlike Antonio and Shylock’s monetary legal agreement, the union could still be considered both “binding and indissoluble.”

With The Merchant of Venice, written around the same time as the Church’s first canonical revisions regarding marriage vows, Shakespeare may very well have been demonstrating the boundaries and multitudinous traditions of courtship that were taking place across England. Lorenzo and Jessica—the Christian and the Jew—elope happily, while Bassanio and Portia engage in a much more formal process culminating in their marriage too. In the end, for both couples—in spite of differing manners of courtship—their marital bonds are sealed.

Three Dark British Plays

2010-11-02T10:10:00.001-07:00

These are three of the darkest plays I've ever read. They're also all by British playwrights. They're more than slightly traumatizing, but I was not been able to put any of them down. With the one I did see, Blasted, I had the strange sensation of being moved and wishing the play would end as soon as possible so that I could leave the theatre-back to a safer place. These are not comfortable plays and that's why I think I love them-I see way to much unchallenging theatre. If you have time to read at least one of these, you'll be doing your psyche a favor.

Last year I had the opportunity to see Sarah Kane's Blasted at SoHo Rep upon a pre-move visit to New York. It features one of the most stunning set transformations I have ever witnessed and two incredibly skilled performances. It remains one of the most haunting theatre experiences I've ever had and continues to be a touchstone among theatre artists for groundbreaking theatre in New York.

British teenagers. Yet their conversations are more adult than most I've ever heard. I could listen to them talk all day. Simon Stephens' Punk Rock is crude, funny, and charming until...it's not. The ending had my stomach churning with horror and sickly sweet empathy-or was it pity? I had to crawl under the covers after I finished this one.

Imagine Peter Pan meets Lord of the Flies meets Where the Wild Things Are and you'd have done a halfway decent job of describing Polly Stenham's Tusk Tusk. What if the Darlings had never come home for their children that night in Peter Pan? What if Peter had never taken the children to Neverland? This is a story of true abandonment, loss and self-preservation.

Thank You!

2010-10-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who showed up for the book release party Wednesday night for Smart Pop Books' Inside Joss' Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum. It was a great turnout and the staff at Vig 27 was so accommodating. I met a lot of new Whedon fans in the city which I was really hoping to get the chance to do! Let's not wait until the next Whedon-related title comes out to get together again!

Pictures from the event are now up on Flickr! A few are below.

If you didn't make it to the event and still want to purchase a copy of the book, click hereor on the link to the right side of the blog.

Disney Epic Mickey: Interview with Warren Spector

2010-10-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

The level of sophistication, creativity and innovation that is being demonstrated with this game prior to its release is really phenomenal. I really hope Disney puts out a "Making of..." book for this title. If there were ever a more compelling reason to get a Wii, I don't know it.

Here's an interview with renowned game designer, Warren Spector who led the Disney Epic Mickey panel at New York Comic Con this past weekend:

Wii Games - E3 2011 - Disney Epic Mickey

Tomorrow

2010-10-12T09:18:00.001-07:00

Inside Joss' Dollhouse Book Release Party

2010-09-27T13:06:00.001-07:00

In just over two weeks, I will be hosting a release party for the first book to be published on Joss Whedon's latest television series, Dollhouse, in New York City!

Inside Joss' Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum is an anthology of 18 reflective and critical essays from Smart Pop Books and edited by Jane Espenson (@JaneEspenson), who has written for all of Whedon's shows as well as for Battlestar Galactica and Caprica.

On April 1st I found out that an essay I had written about the character of Claire Saunders in Dollhouse had been accepted into the book as a chapter. Yes, it was on April Fool's Day, but the publisher assured me that it was no joke and now I have the book in hand to prove it! My chapter is called "'I Like My Scars': Claire Saunders and the Narrative of Flesh" and speaks to the way in which Claire's identity is shaped and ultimately redeemed by the physical scars she endures within the television show. It sits amongst some really insightful works including one by Susan Quilty (@SusanQuilty) that uses the concept of negative space to trace the relationship between Caroline and Echo and Tami Anderson's (@witnessaria) chapter about various roles in the Dollhouse and how they fit into a larger, real-world context.

Event Details
The event will be held at Vig 27 at 119 East 27th Street (between Park Ave S & Lexington) in New York on Wednesday, October 13th between 7-10PM. Join us for free giveaways and a chance to socialize with other pop culture and Whedon enthusiasts. A limited quantity of books will be for sale (with cash) at the event. Event entry is FREE. Tweeting about the event? Use #SmartPopDollhouse. RSVP here.

Book Description
In only two short seasons Dollhouse captured the imaginations and of audiences all over the world, rewarding viewer loyalty with mind-blowing plot twists and an extended meditation on the forces that guide our actions and make us who we are.

Inside Joss' Dollhouse covers Dollhouse from anticipated start to explosive finish-from the complexities of identity to the triumph of the human spirit.

Smart Pop Books
Smart Pop is a line of smart, fresh, funny essays on the best of pop culture tv, books, and film, with a particular focus on science fiction and fantasy television and literature.

Our writers are New York Times bestselling authors, television writers, psychologists, philosophers...anyone with a love of pop culture and something worth sharing about it.

I hope you'll join us to celebrate!

On Resident Evil

2010-09-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

Earlier this afternoon, the ladies over at Zaxy tweeted a link to their blog post which debates the authenticity of the Resident Evil films. Resident Evil: Afterlife, the fourth film in the eight year old film franchise came to screens everywhere yesterday. The first film premiered in 2002, but the game on which it is based came out almost 15 years ago. I have not played the games, but I can comprehend the feeling one might get when playing them-the mystery, the puzzles, the extensive world-building, the slow-mounting tension. In the years since I saw the first film-a couple years later when it came to DVD-I have developed a great appreciation for these films.

The films, for me are the definition of a phrase I actually hate to use but here it applies, "popcorn entertainment." They first come across as disposable, but there is a certain fondness I have found as a result of the feeling I get that the creators have really embraced their roles in creating this world. Incidentally, Afterlife is the first film after Avatar to use the exact same 3D camera as developed by James Cameron. Regardless of your thoughts on Avatar, its implementation of this new technology was pretty radical and for Paul W.S. Anderson to craft a film with this specifically in mind is admirable rather than going the easy route of post-production 3D which so many genre films have done recently-to less than stellar results.

Last year, during Afterlife's production, I began following Milla Jovovich on Twitter (@MillaJovovich) and I enjoyed experiencing her excitement with every cast announcement, completed stunt, set description and cast and crew interaction. Anyone reading her tweets and seeing her in interviews about Resident Evil, can tell that she loves doing these films. Would she invest 8+ years of her life between raising a kid if she didn't? It soon became clear to me that there is a great passion that come to work on these films possess that later comes through clearly in the films.

Certainly, in different hands, the franchise might be a little more nuanced, but three movies in, I'm all for the fun, spectacle and a little story, which is more than I can say about a lot of sci-fi/fantasy action movies these days.

I'm looking forward to the Afterlife.

So, if you've seen the movies and/or if you've played the games, head on over to Zaxy's post and tell them what you think!

You can follow Zaxy on Twitter at @Zaxydotcom and me at @eincline.

Scottsboro Boys does Injustice to Injustice

2010-04-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

The dainty brass tune that floats down from the orchestra platform at the upper left of the auditorium of the Vineyard Theatre seems particularly subdued for this highly anticipated musical from the songwriting duo John Kander and Fred Ebb. When an unnamed woman—who will remain so for the great majority of the one hour and 45 minute production, should you happen to ceaselessly wonder as I did—walks out on stage to a pile of chairs in a pool of mottled blue and yellow lights and sits at the side of a road the audience’s anticipation is not quelled. As she waits there with the sound of buzzing traffic, we anxiously wait with her. Where is the “flash”? The high kicks?

After a few long moments, the performers stream in from the aisles with a surfeit of energy. Grinning and spinning their way to the stage, the room is transformed into a carnivalesque music hall. From behind the footlights steps our requisite master of ceremonies, the only white performer, John Cullum, who is also granted the duty of playing two other administrative positions, a Judge and the Governor of Alabama. The performers swing and stack simple silver chairs to represent a courtroom while boldly proclaiming, “everyone’s a minstrel tonight.” And for this first colorful, physically demanding first number, we believe them.

Reality sets in when the banner announcing the play’s title falls away and a series of ominous drum beats rupture the overwhelming cheer. Those drum beats, which echo throughout the show, also serve as early evidence of the production’s difficult task of staging a musical based on the repeated trials of nine black men accused of raping two white women. History has all but proven their innocence, but it is not the kind of story one would immediately propose as the subject for a song and dance spectacle. I suspect this is why the tone and choreography of the show are so uneven responsibility for which falls on Director and Choreographer, Susan Stroman (“The Producers”).

Stroman’s challenge here lies in making injustice entertaining—and not just any injustice. The trials depicted here are based on one of the most high profile cases in the history of American racism. Unlike Kander and Ebb’s “Chicago” from which this book and production borrow heavily, “Scottsboro” portrays a justice system just as ridiculous but lacking in the theatrical humor associated with courtroom manipulation. Following the rousing minstrel chorus, when the lights come up on the modernist set, I already miss the flash and the kicks. The second number is strangely static, which is ironic, now that the chairs have been arranged as a traveling boxcar.

Even when the show makes a rare return to the kind of big-band, Fosse-inspired style of the opener, the atmosphere is never so lighthearted and hopeful, lacking in vivacity and hindered by a bleak outlook for the story’s characters. When the youngest member of the accused has a freakish nightmare about the electric chair, the accompanying tap dance is appropriately frenetic, bizarre and sinister. This sequence, by the way, has more than enough flash with incessant strobe effects and a sparking chair; “What a fabulous way to die” indeed. “Electric Chair” spends a lot of time and energy on a particularly horrific notion. The number certainly serves the narrative at this point, but goes on just long enough for the audience to question its enjoyment of it.

Still, it’s one of the few moments in the production that sticks out for its spectacle if not innovation. The story gets buried under too-slick staging, repetitive action and a whole mess of derivation. Brandon Victor Dixon’s character, Haywood Patterson has one number which might as well be “Mr. Cellophane” from “Chicago” stuck in the score as a placeholder. In a number more than reminiscent of Billy Flynn’s “Razzle Dazzle”, Forrest McClendon as Samuel Leibowitz sings “Financial Advice”. I suspect they even recycled the confetti. That “Scottsboro” is another Kander and Ebb musical does not excuse this sloppy, unoriginal writing.

What’s even sadder is that “Scottsboro” has an extremely talented cast. Dixon belts a “honeysuckle-sweet” ballad from his prison cell and the ensemble dances are clean and precise. There is a sense, though, that Stroman is doing this all by the book. Much of the problem lies in the subject matter, which does not befit a musical adaptation. While the repeated trials are part of the story, by the seventh, we’re ready for the gavel to fall for the last time. I suppose the prisoners grew tired of waiting too, but there’s not enough here to keep us interested. When the performers dressed as interlocutors come out in blackface and announce the finale, the cumulative effect is disingenuous. At least I knew it would be over soon.

Inside Joss' Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum

2010-04-03T14:20:00.001-07:00

The book I've contributed to is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

This is a Bloody Review

2010-04-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

The Public Theater’s Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson comes complete with an audience proviso—and it’s not just that the performance contains fog and strobe effects. “You have to bring some ass to get some ass,” declares Benjamin Walker (Les Liaisons Dangereuses) as President-to-be, Andrew Jackson. “I’m going to put it in you,” he continues. Whether “it” refers to a fast and flashy depiction of history, a rollicking alt-rock score or an intelligent yet ironic sense of humor is ultimately irrelevant. Whatever “it” is, we take it.

Bloody Bloody is one of the most immersive theatrical experiences I’ve had this year and it doesn’t even require audience participation—except for bringing your ass into the theatre—but that it’s hard not to want to participate in the frenzied, pop-infused storytelling. At the launch of the show, the always-appreciated nerdy-girl-in-wheelchair, glasses and thrift store knitwear serves as its narrator. That is, until Jackson shoots her in the neck. Goodbye, framed narrative. Hello, blood. Jackson states, “I think I can take it from here.”

We don’t miss the narrator—though she is played with a tremendous comic awareness by Colleen Werthmann (Gone Missing). Walker and his talented entourage manage to tell the story with color, flair and style on their own. Even while on his knees—representing his childhood—as he witnesses the deaths of his family members by way of Indians’ arrows, Walker commands the stage. Following this tragedy, Jackson becomes a kind of juice box wielding Fess Parker in a coonskin cap as he tries to navigate the wild frontier in the “era of whoop-assing.” As far as history lessons go, Bloody Bloody is incredibly detailed, surprisingly relevant and excitingly modern. As the production unfolds, Bloody Bloody proves itself to be extremely smart political satire in its portrayal of the blood-smeared rocker Jackson and his pursuit of a “brand of maverick egalitarian democracy.” Hip, radical and sexually charged, Bloody Bloody’s brand of politics isn’t just “populism”, it’s, as per the song, “popujizm”.

Adding to the appeal of Jackson’s exploration of populism and his rise to presidency is the visually riveting emo-fantasy world in which the events of his life are played out on stage. The set is an Urban Outfitters accessory whore’s dream. Hipster regalia dazzle and intrigue the eye in every direction. The hazy, rouge-tinted room is accented with chandeliers, framed portraits, plastic-wrapped animal heads, Christmas lights, chandeliers, candles, and the must-have-hipster-accessory, duct tape. With every scene change and music number comes a new discovery; the set is in a constant state of flux with surprising lighting choices and clever design. The overall effect of Bloody Bloody’s staging is eclectic and energetic. This is a rockstar’s paradise—a nexus of cultural appropriation and entrancing social defiance.

The fact that Bloody Bloody relies so much on poaching elements of popular culture is not a hindrance to the historical narrative. Instead, these pieces act as relatable signposts and shorthand for human behavior. Notably, Bloody Bloody contains perhaps the best use of the music of Cher in a dramatic narrative form. It’s a glimpse into an alt-glam pastiche world that works particularly well in its combination of stage spectacle and over-the-top melodrama. There a good number of original, well-crafted, often hilarious songs too accompanied by tight and amusing choreography—when was the last time you saw a dance number with muskets or a good ol’ fashioned bar brawl with barrels? Overall the production’s aesthetic synthesis of modern and 19th century is clear, appropriate to the story and absolutely entertaining. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson proves you can have your history and fuck it too.

The Wooster Group's Atlantic Antics

2010-03-25T21:28:00.001-07:00

Walking into the performance space at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, one feels like he is entering the cavernous belly of an aircraft carrier, the setting of The Wooster Group’s NAVY-themed musical, North Atlantic, now playing through April 25th. The multi-leveled industrial construction of the set with its catwalks, chrome ladders and giant sloped platform—like the curved inner hull of a ship—serves as the perfect backdrop for the boisterous display of wit, surprising musical numbers and provocative action.

Minutes into the show, I realized the production intended to stimulate the audience on multiple, simultaneous levels. In the beginning of the play, Captain Chizzum, played by the handsome and brawny, Ari Fliakos, speaks to the audience at a rapid pace like an auctioneer or used car salesman. At one point he tells General Benders, “not so fast with the hot sauce” as if channeling the audience’s reaction to his hurried speech. Like dealing with auctioneers and salesmen, you may not know what you’re being sold until you’ve bought. It is ironic that though the play centers on the exploits—read sexploits—of a group of word processing girls, including Frances McDormand as Sergeant Bryzynsky, the audience cannot always process the words said on stage. Chizzum’s opening performance is just the first indication as to the production’s proclivity to overwhelm the senses .

If Chizzum sounds a lot like “jizm,” it’s likely not a coincidence, which should be a clue as to the age appropriateness of this show. Several music numbers are adult takes on folk songs and other classic selections of aural Americana that tend to spring out of the performers with such spontaneity. So, don't take the kids. I suspect you don't want your child singing a sexually explicit version of "Yankee Doodle" while making suggestive hand-to-microphone gestures.

The production is scored not only by music but also by mechanical sounds, overlapping dialogue, jet engines and other blaring soundscapes creating a cacophonous chorus. The accompanying choreography also subverts typical notions of the musical. While much of it is folksy like the music, it and other movement is restrained both in physicality and through the limits imposed by the set. Though impressive in scale, the multi-angled set is not conducive to dance so much as continuous relocation along an X-Y axis particularly along the sloped back platform along which the actors stand, slide and climb throughout.

Over the course of the 90-minute performance, notions of isolation, individuality and life outside the armed forces rise above the sensory overload prompting the question: how does the NAVY disrupt one’s personal narrative? And on the contrary, how might it contribute to one’s own history? As for the show’s narrative, these existential queries may be as close as Atlantic gets to possessing a story. What Atlantic lacks in story, however, it makes up for with a talented cast, inventive staging and more than a few cleverly placed double entendres.

Even though the theatre is located on the third floor of a quiet New York City block, Atlantic takes its audience on a raucous ride with the U.S. military through the open seas on a big, burly boat. Civilians, welcome aboard.

Memory Making with "Moon"

2010-03-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

“Ages of the Moon” now playing at the Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater will inevitably be compared to the work of another modern Samuel—that of the Beckett variety—and while the play does lean precariously toward an over-awareness of Beckett’s work, particularly “Waiting for Godot”, Sam Shepard’s latest play avoids a potential miasma of derivation. If “Godot’s” primary concern is the anticipation of an entity that never actually appears, “Moon” is about waiting for an event that is a cosmic certainty. That the pending eclipse is, in fact, pending, grounds the play and its two characters Ames (Stephen Rea) and Byron (Sean McGinley) in a greater sense of reality and immediacy. As a result, “Moon” never reaches the level of Beckett’s extreme existential exchanges and the two friends are able to focus on not what might come to pass, but rather what was.

Byron has invited Ames to his porch for the purpose of drinking Woodford Bourbon Whiskey and waiting for the aforementioned lunar eclipse. It will be many hours before the celestial event is to occur—Ames arrives in the morning and according to Byron’s almanac, the eclipse will be at 5:00AM. Audiences may thank Shepard and Irish director Jimmy Fay that the eclipse arrives in a swift, but full, 75 minutes. Meanwhile, Ames and Byron synchronously swill bourbon and attempt to make conversation. Reminiscing—if not remembering—should come easy for these decades-old friends, but this proves as difficult to do as getting the porch ceiling fan to function properly with any amount of consistency.

“Why do you keep trying to insinuate yourself in my past?” Ames accuses Byron whose later line, “I remember, I remember” seems to echo major themes of the play: the insistence of memory and the prevailing need to assure one’s presence in the world and within history. “What age do you think we’re living in?” Byron asks Ames who uses the literal ages of the moon as written in the almanac to try and prove the rarity of this event and perhaps by extension, the rarity of their friendship.

As with any friendship, however, tempers do erupt. In one scene, as tension mounts, the fan speeds up, whirring violently above their heads. When their feisty natures are expressed in fists, the ensuing fight is difficult to take seriously—but maybe we are not supposed to given the vaudevillian, absurdist qualities of their characters.

After sparks fly—and they do, literally—Ames and Byron settle down for the eclipse. Their speech begins to mirror one another’s and they begin to remember their pasts as one. As they watch the eclipse they begin to build a new memory together. Seeing “Moon,” is not a bad way to make one too.

"Moon" has been extended through March 21st!

SWTX PCA/ACA: A Review

2010-02-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, my friend Kj and I, among many other popular culture enthusiasts, descended upon the Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque New Mexico for four days of academic investigations of film, television, literature, technology, music, and more. This was the annual conference of the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Association. Presenters included graduate, PhD students, professors, and authors as well as some undergraduates and independent scholars.

The conference conference more than lived up to the expectations we had coming into the event for a second time. It's hard to imagine a better way to spend a week than holing up in a hotel with one of your best friends, listening to 50 some papers, drinking lots of coffee and smoothies, attending screenings of some of the best episodes of your favorite television shows, and visiting three restaurants on rotation. In the few hours we had outside of the conference, we filled our time with mozzarella sticks, episodes of Angel and an afternoon double-feature at the local cineplex. So much joy. My heart ached when the week came to an end.

Here are the panels I attended-most of which coincided with my conference companion. Following the panel title is my choice for the standout paper of said panel.

Science Fiction & Fantasy 19: Battlestar Galactica and Narrative
Standout Paper: Your So-Called Dance: Combative Narrative in Battlestar Galactica
Paul Zinder, The American University of Rome

Myth & Fairy Tale 2
Standout Paper: Once Upon a Not so Unique Time: Reconciling Individualism and Literary Borrowing in Oscar Wilde's "The Nightingale and the Rose"
Ashley Benson, University of New Hampshire

Science Fiction & Fantasy 3: Whedon, Sexuality and Gender
Standout Paper: Anya's "Disturbing Sex Talk": Breaking the Pattern of Punished Female Sexuality in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Tamy Burnett, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Science Fiction & Fantasy 5: Sex and Violence in Twilight
Standout Paper: "Why Are You Apologizing for Bleeding?": Confronting the Evangelical Embrace of Twilight
Kj Swanson, Mars Hill Graduate School

Religion 3: Conservative Christianity and Culture
Standout Paper: Sacred and Sexular: Ann Veal in Arrested Development
Brandon Barnes, Texas A&M University

Computer Culture 7: Game Studies 7
Standout Paper: Beyond the Button: The Nintendo Wiimote Interface and its Implications for Embodiment, Performance, and Play
David O' Grady, University of California, Los Angeles

Science Fiction & Fantasy 8: The Dangers of Twilight
Standout Paper: Un-Biting the Apple and Killing the Womb: Genesis, Gender and Gynocide in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga
Colleen Orihill, Cleveland State University

Science Fiction & Fantasy 9: Whedon and Genre
Standout Paper: Firefly: Between the Noir Frontier and the Final Frontier
E. Charlotte Stevens, York University and Ryerson University

American History & Culture: Rethinking Suburban Sense of Self: Identity and Memory in the Suburbs
Standout Paper: Everything’s Bigger in Texas: Mega-Religion in Lone Star Suburbia
Charity R. Carney, Stephen F. Austin State University

Computer Culture 11: Game Studies 11
Standout Paper: Hyper-Ludicity, Contra-Ludicity and the BFG
Steven Conway, University of Bedfordshire

Science Fiction & Fantasy 12: Whedon, Technology and Ethics
Standout Paper: There's an Echo in this Horrible Dollhouse, Doctor: Memory, Identity and Neurotechnology in Riley, River, Gunn, Echo, and, of course, Spike
J. Douglas Rabb and J. Michael Richardson, Lakehead University

Horror (Literary & Cinemantic): Affective and Imaginary Machines of Horror
Standout Paper: Manufacturing Images: Allegories of the Factory in Tomb Raider
Craig Bernardini, Hostos Community College

Science Fiction & Fantasy 14: Whedon's Re-Visioning
Standout Paper: "Look Where Free Will Has Gotten You": Brave New World and Angel's Body Jasmine
Mary Ellen Iatropoulos, State University of New York, New Paltz

Computer Culture 14: Ethnography, Writing, Second Life, and Film
Standout Paper: The Sex Life in your Second Life: An Ethnological Study of Women as Sexual Objects on Second Life
Alexis Waters, Northeastern Illinois University

Science Fiction & Fantasy: Whedon & the Body
On this panel, I had the privilege of presenting my paper: “I Like My Scars”: Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse and the Narrative of Flesh
Standout Paper: Postmodern Anxiety: Androids and Cyborgs in the Whedonverse
Susan J. Wolfe and Lee Ann Roripaugh, University of South Dakota

Computer Culture 16: Theorizing Internet Forms
Standout Paper: “Wizards and Witchcraft in the Wired World”: Magical Thinking in Popular Culture
Nicholas Goodman, Northeastern State University

Collaboration 1

2010-02-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

The first public performance of my work as a dramaturg is this Monday at 2pm at the Schapiro Theatre in Morningside Heights. This will conclude the first of three rounds of collaboration groups involving a different theme and different creative team for each production. The theme for this round is "Adaptation." If you're clever you may be able to guess what "text" we are adapting with Green Eyes & Shiny Teeth. Or you can ask me, in which case I'll probably tell you and then tell you that you cannot tell anybody else.

Dream of the unattainable. -Peter

Green Eyes & Shiny Teeth is one of six original short plays that will be making their debut during an afternoon repertoire near the Columbia University campus at 115th & Broadway on Monday from 2-5pm. Our play is first on the agenda, if you are able to make it to the area, even for that first 20 minutes-not to take away from the other great talent that is being represented across the rest of the performances. Your presence would be immensely appreciated by all involved. For more details on the event and a full listing of the other plays, go here. We also are accepting well wishes from those who cannot be there.

Stay tuned for an official announcement of Collaboration 2. If you like, you can mark your calendars for March 29th, same time, same place. Rehearsals for those shows begin this week!

"A Single Man?! Are you single?"

2010-02-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

Somehow I knew that going out into downtown Albuquerque-having a full eight hours to kill before Kj arrived-something would happen. Not necessarily something bad per se, but there was a sensation brewing within me that I would have an experience. Not 30 minutes after checking into my hotel, dropping my bags, and sitting down in the local movie theatre to catch a 5:05 screening of A Single Man, I had that experience. Of course, it was a never-before-had experience in a movie theatre.

I was really looking forward to seeing A Single Man. By myself. A single man. Or at least a singular man. Is that irony? I sat down in my preferred row-the one with the railing that you can sit your feet on. I was the only one there until about ten minutes before the movie when an elderly couple sat down in the back.

Five minutes into the movie, an African American woman came in to the theatre. Now that I think of it, I think she came in multiple times-checking things out? Then the moment came when she fully entered the space and says to me me at room volume: "Don't tell me you're here all by yourself!"

"Y-yes," I said.

"A Single Man?! Single?! Are you single?"

"Heh...I'm killing time."

She rushes over to me. She sits down. RIght next to me. In an empty movie theatre. Did something I say sound like an invitation? Hardly. She was committed.

There is rustling. Intense rustling-going on as she situates herself in her seat.

"What happened? Is it good?"

Oh my lord. No. I should have taken a clue and moved right then. But, how? I whisper, "This is a day in his life. His partner just died. It's set in..."

Again, at full volume, "He's GAY?!"

She cuts me off as I say, "...in 1962."

"They were GAY then?!"

...

"Where's my candy bag?.." She pulls out a plastic bag, unwrapping what I assume is the remnants of a Hershey's bar due to the unmistakable aroma of wax and sweaty chocolate.

I am frozen. I continue to debate with myself whether I should move. Through the movie I press (read slam) my body further into the armrest opposite her, legs curling up against the other chair.

Colin Firth's character looks at a woman. Close up on her large eyes, soft lips. Cue violins.

"Is he not gay anymore?!" she asks.

"Shhh."

Firth speaks in a lecture hall (I paraphrase): "Let's leave the jews aside for a moment. There are other minorities that are perceived a threat to people-either real or imagined..."

"Black people!" she exclaims in a harsh whisper.

"Please. Please, I'm trying to watch," is my cry. In the darkness. She acknowledges this only by looking at me and placing another piece of chocolate in her mouth.

Her commentary continues. I am fleeing. But only inside. I can't bring myself to escape.

Every few minutes: "What's a puff?" "What's tonic?" "Is he bisexual?" "Is that the Mashed Potato dance?" Additionally, any time there was sexual tension-which Tom Ford handled like a seasoned film master, incidentally-or skin on the screen, she would gasp, or giggle, or cackle. Or all three in some unholy trinity of inappropriate reaction. At one point towards the third quarter of the film, it sounded like she was chewing her teeth.

I kept asking her to be quiet. This never worked. I began to believe she was incapable of not commenting during movies. Actually, I imagined she did this in everyday life. It was easier to accept that she did this all the time in conversation with people-or by herself-than to think she would somehow not be aware of the impropriety of talking to one's self or others during a film.

I can't help but wonder whether this was a fated encounter. Whose cosmic choice mattered more? Me seeing the movie or her choosing to come in five minutes late and approach me? A Single Man-which I had wanted to see-was felicitously the only movie playing at the time. At a time that I wanted to go to a movie. That was it. It was that moment; it was then she chose. And I was there. I was the chosen.

A Single Man-as a film, not the experience-was extraordinary. I was misty-eyed minutes into the movie but what gave me that immediate reaction in the beginning transformed into something deeper, more subtle, electric, and nostalgic. Yes, it was emotional and the filmmaking beautiful, but it is so purposeful, so personal. It pulls you, stretches you, and surprises you-not by shock, but by its play with sensuality and proximity if not intimacy.

Theatre Viewings 2009

2010-02-07T13:04:00.001-08:00

This list includes theatrical productions I saw between my arrival in New York City in August until the end of the year.

Time Period: August 17-December 31, 2009

Stand Out Production: Circle. Mirror. Transformation. by Annie Baker, Playwrights Horizons

Stand Out Playwright: Clay McLeod Chapman for The Pumpkin Pie Show: Commencement, Under St. Marks

Longest Play: The Brother/Sister Plays (three parts, over seven hours), The Public Theater

Best Staging of a Classic Work: Our Town, Barrow Street Theatre

Best Set: The Royal Family, Manhattan Theatre Club

Best Musical: Finian’s Rainbow

Best Comedy: The Understudy

Furthest Away: Duchess in the Dark, Flux Factory, Queens

Play That Left Me with the Most Creative Question Marks: Orpheus X

Theatre 2009
NYMF indicates production was part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival

Family
Gesamtkunstwerk 2009
Gay Bride of Frankenstein (NYMF)
Circle. Mirror. Transformation.
Whatever Man (NYMF)
The Royal Family
The Cure (NYMF)
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Memphis
Our Town
After Miss Julie
The Pumpkin Pie Show: Commencement
Duchess in the Dark
Finian's Rainbow
Antigone
The Understudy
Fela!
Quartett
The Brother/Sister Plays
Creature
Carly Jibson is Not a Bitch...Not Yet a Woman
Hamlet
The Private Life of Inga Snyder
For Artists Only
Orpheus X

Film Viewings 2009

2010-02-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

Today marks one of the first days of this year that I have felt like I can breathe. Naturally, this is a welcome sensation.

Despite this week having included literal blood, sweat and tears, I’ve come out of it feeling like I’ve been affirmed on many levels. Thankfully sweat was the only one of these I experienced—a woman’s fall in a rehearsal and a breakdown in a colleague’s creative partnership respectively fulfilled the other components of the adage. Making theatre is not always pretty. Especially when there is wounding involved—physical or otherwise.

But, this semester the feeling that this program is helping me achieve my personal and career goals has increased dramatically. Being involved in the creation of actual theatrical productions, working on “real world” artistic projects and exercises, a one-act play and giant casebook under my belt, the opportunity to speak at a conference and the support of my professors in that extra-curricular academia and my professional future have all contributed to a sense of satisfaction and peace. I’ve been given the agency and the room to make things happen and be involved in ways I felt had only been able to peripherally before.

As I gain the connections, skills, and practice to pursue my creative interests on a professional level, I am even more aware of the value in maintaining my personal interests because they truly go hand in hand—and they also keep me sane. Joss Whedon has said, “You can either watch TV or you can make TV.” I understand the spirit of this quote to be that to be an active practitioner of television you cannot be a passive consumer of television. Of course, this doesn’t mean you don’t watch TV. On the contrary, it means you must make a choice to actively engage the medium in order to think critically about the creation of the art. The same, I would say, goes for film.

It is partly for this reason that a few years ago, I began to keep a list of every film I see during the course of a year. I also was inspired to adopt it from my friend Kj, for whom the practice has been a long-standing tradition. It has become something of a personal benefit too—to record my viewing habits is to record a little bit of me. I also like lists.

Since my move to New York, I have also started to record every theatrical performance I attend. Stay tuned for that list. For now, take a look at my Film Viewings 2009. You can check out 2008’s list here.

Total Films Watched: 116

Average Per Week: 2.23

Last Film Watched in Seattle:
Girls Will Be Girls

First Film Watched in New York:
Zombieland

Films Watched Twice:
Star Trek
Watchmen
Avatar
Save Me

Dialogical Film Club Viewings:
He’s Just Not That Into You
Fireproof
Save Me
Hell House

Documentaries:
Confessions of a Superhero
For the Bible Tells Me So
Helvetica
Man on Wire
Hell House
Food, Inc.
When Boys Fly
Planet B-Boy
Autism: The Musical
This is It
Ghost of the Abyss

Biggest Wastes of Time:
Zombieland
Inkheart
Eagle Eye
Otto; or, Up with Dead People
Fame (2009)

Top 5 Films of 2009:
Moon
Star Trek
(500) Days of Summer
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Watchmen

Viewings 2009
*denotes theatrical viewing

Valkyrie*
Saturn in Opposition (Saturno Contro)
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Soldier's Girl
Querelle
The Empire Strikes Back
Boy A
Confessions of a Superhero
Superman: Doomsday
For the Bible Tells Me So
Futurama: Bender's Game
Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!
Towelhead
He Likes Guys
Eastern Promises
Helvetica
Serenity*
Were the World Mine*
Slumdog Millionaire*
Planet B-Boy
The Houseboy
Push*
City of Ember
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Coraline*
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Total Recall
Twilight
Save Me
The Secret Life of Bees
Watchmen*
Otto; or, Up with Dead People
Penelope
Shag
Let the Right One In
Watchmen*
Man on Wire
Wonder Woman
Eagle Eye
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Les triplettes de Belleville
Logan's Run
The Terminator
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Star Trek (2009)*
Rambo: First Blood
Transsiberian
The Fall
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Terminator Salvation*
Dead Snow*
Moon*
Ching Yan (The Beast Stalker)*
When Boys Fly
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Patrik Age 1.5*
(500) Days of Summer*
Up*
Cold Souls*
He's Just Not That Into You
The Reader
Doubt
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen*
Tropic Thunder
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Inkheart
Outlander
Rachel Getting Married
Fanboys
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*
Fireproof
Re-Animator
Brick
Save Me
Star Trek (2009)*
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
District 9*
Girls Will Be Girls
Zombieland*
Hercules (1997)
Coco avant Chanel*
Daredevil: The Director's Cut
Whip It*
Resident Evil: Degeneration
Synecdoche, New York
Autism: The Musical
New York, I Love You*
Bridget Jones's Diary
Legend (Theatrical Version)
8 1/2
Pieces of April
Volver
Legend (Director's Cut)
Hell House
Dangerous Liaisons
American Psycho
Valmont
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire*
Gods and Monsters
Ink
Wall Street
Death Becomes Her
Aliens (Special Edition)
Eyes Wide Shut
Food, Inc.
Titanic
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Nine*
Avatar*
The Proposal
Jennifer's Body
Fame (2009)
This Is It
New Moon
Ghosts of the Abyss

Right Now

2010-01-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

I would be doing this if I could.

Heart of Gold

2009-11-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

It's gorgeous outside. I have multiple tasks to accomplish. And yet I can't bring myself to go anywhere or concentrate on any one thing. Damn you, inexplicable anxiety.

A Portrait of My Weekend

2009-10-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Not because I am being dragged behind a chariot-though writing a paper can sometimes evoke a similar sensation-but because I've locked myself in my room to investigate the story of this man and his step-mother in my second paper of the semester: "Choice and Charm: A Comparative Analysis of Euripedes’ Hippolytus and Jean Racine’s Phaedra" for my class on models of dramatic structure.

Why does four pages sometimes feel like 40? Probably when you have to compare and contrast the political structures, moral world and character treatment all in one four page paper.

First paper of the semester successfully turned in on Thursday: "A Night with the Tsar: The Opening of the Moscow Art Theatre"

No Homo.

2009-10-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Oh, you hip-hopsters, you. Always with the lingo trend-setting.

Are you terrified that people may think you're gay? No worries, hip hop has coined a phrase to get you out of the stickiest situations. Just throw in a "no homo" and you can say pretty much anything you want!

2009-10-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

The Tonight Show Vamps

2009-09-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

With the popularity of vampires on the rise with True Blood, The Vampire Diaries and Twilight, Conan decides to get in on the brooding vampire craze with his hire of a new assistant, Cody Devereaux, b. 1589.

Caprica: Make a Choice

2009-09-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

Six new posters were released today for the quasi-prequel series to Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, set 50 years before the downfall of mankind in the former show. My favorite image from the set:

To see the rest of the promotional art click here.

I'm really looking forward to this series. I thoroughly enjoyed the pilot episode that was released earlier this year. There are many different roads this show could take-but, then again a few of those roads must lead to Battlestar. And the talented Jane Espenson is Executive Producer on the show, so I have much faith in it.

She's Back! (Just Kidding)

2009-09-27T22:08:00.001-07:00

Travel Writer, Judy Grimes returns in an SNL segment we all love-Just Kidding-I mean no, we do love it-just kidding, but it's awkward, just kidding, we like it because it's awkward, just kidding, because it's funny, just kidding. Watch it. Love it.

Coco avant Chanel

2009-09-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

Last night I saw Coco avant Chanel (Coco Before Chanel) at The Paris on W 58th St. It was my second movie in New York-the first being a preview screening of the overall disappointing Zombieland, save for a brilliant cameo midway through and a short but entertaining climax-but this was my first movie going with someone else!

Structurally Coco avant Chanel is a fairly typical biopic. I would have liked to see more direct correspondence between her maturing process, early interests and her career. I thought the transition from her life "before" her professional career began and her successful business was too abrupt. She's lingering in the sidelines, occasionally altering dresses, pushed aside by the people of higher class then all of a sudden, she's a very proud, confident women wearing pearls and making elegant hats. Then the film cuts to her making clothes and presenting them at a show at some later, unspecified time. Yes, the film is Coco before Chanel, but a greater sense of wholeness would have been appreciated.

The film lagged in some parts making myself wonder at times what the point of this all was. It's a problem when your audience becomes indifferent to your titular character, and perhaps a reason for that is I just didn't feel that Coco was a fully fleshed out character at all. The filmmakers and Audrey Tautou as Coco, have a very subdued take on Coco. She's quiet much of the film and Tautou just sits there with her half smile and dark, unblinking eyes. There were plenty of interesting characters in the film, I just kept losing interest in the main one. Adding to the film's pervasive dullness, the cinematography was rather mediocre throughout most of the film. There were a few standout shots especially those of Coco alone in her environment including some beautiful work at the end of the film with Coco sitting on a staircase surrounded by mirrors.

Despite being weak in narrative and overall impact, I would say it is worth seeing, but I'd recommend it for a mid-afternoon DVD viewing on a rainy day rather than a theatrical experience. The film actually piqued my interest enough to make me want to see the recent Shirley MacLaine made-for-tv-film, Coco Chanel. I would hope it is more uniquely structured and more able to convey Coco as a pioneering spirit...with a little more spirit.

Verdict: B-

Dollhouse 2.1 "Vows"

2009-09-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

"Vows", was everything I wanted from the first episode of Dollhouse's second season. It delved right into the mythology of the show and didn't spend any time playing catch up. Speaking of catch up, if you haven't seen the first season or need a refresher, this is a great video to watch:

The episode was rich in plot, in fact both A and B plots were given equal screen time. I ended up caring more about the inner happenings of the Dollhouse than what was going on with Echo's engagement and I attribute that to Whedon's excellent use of Amy Acker in the episode. Acker is beginning production on ABC's Happy Town and is therefore unable to appear in more than three episodes this season. She was arguably given the best dialogue of the episode and I was with her every beat. She was definitely at her "best", bringing an intensity and unsettling nuance to the character we had not yet seen. I can't wait to see what else is done with her character.

I thought the episode had more in common tonally and structurally with the unaired pilot, "Echoes" (available on the Season One DVD) than the rest of the first season, which is absolutely a good thing. It is darker, more serious in nature and most importantly more intriguing. Each character interaction offered the audience more tangible reasons for following their stories. We care. The preview for next week's episode, "Instincts" seems to uphold these notions. Whedon has upped the stakes for this season and I expect great(er) things from the rest of season and series as a whole.

I appreciate the use of non-diegetic music in this episode, more so than in previous episodes. On the levels of lyrics and tone, I thought the following two songs worked particularly well. "Hazy" was played in the scene crosscutting Echo's wedding night with Jamie Bamber's character and Paul Ballard's cool and eery contemplation of Echo's actions. The latter, "The World" played as Topher sat alone on his bed pondering his creation, Sierra and Victor shared a moment and Dr. Saunders/Whiskey drove away-"running out" and having "[run] out of excuses."

"Hazy" (feat. William Fitzsimmons) by Rosi Golan on The Drifter and the Gypsy

What if I fall and hurt myself?
Would you know how to fix me
What if I went and lost myself?
Would you know where to find me
If I forgot who I am,
Would you please remind me oh?
Cause without you things go hazy

"The World" by Earlimart on Mentor Tormentor

Oh, the world is all around us,
Have you noticed me?
Yeah, the world is all around us,
Now it's plain to see
That the world has overshadowed me.

Here is the preview for Dollhouse 2.2, "Instincts":

In Theatre

2009-09-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

Beginning today, I will be maintaining a list of every theatrical event I attend here in New York in the sidebar of this blog. As the study and experience of theatre-the art and profession-comprise the primary reason for my presence in this city, it seems fitting that I should keep a record of my ventures into the world of performance. For two years now, I have kept a list of every film I attend or see via other means (DVD, streaming, etc.) and these films have continued to inform my conversations, academics and interests. I expect New York theatre to do that and more. See last year's film list here.

So, even if I find myself with little time to write extensively in this form as I navigate the challenges and demands of grad school, I will always keep these lists up to date. That way, in conjunction with my ever changing goodreads selections, the readers of this blog will be able to see, to an extent, what kinds of cultural conversations I may be having. And if you ever want to become more a part of those conversations, I would love to talk to you.

In Conversation

2009-07-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

Kj and I are so pleased at the response we've been receiving toward our paper since we first distributed it amongst friends and colleagues then at the annual meeting of the Southwest Texas American Popular Culture Association where we shared it on a panel with several other academics in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy area of the conference, "Philosophy and Religion in the Whedonverse." Our original intent was to write a paper exploring a lesser-developed character in the Firefly series, Shepherd Book, through the text of Firefly and themes of identity, faith and fundamentalism. It soon became evident that this was a conversation we didn't want to have end at the conference.

This Monday we were able to strike up a dialogue once more with the help of Kj's place of scholarship, Mars Hill Graduate School-no relation to the church of the same name in Seattle. We hosted: "Theology.Psychology.Spaceships", an event comprised of a screening of the original pilot for Firefly, a presentation of our paper, "Not Very Christian of Me: The Escapist Faith of a Lost Shepherd" and discussion. The opportunity not only allowed us share our work with our community in Seattle but continue this valuable conversation. We are both very grateful for the support for the event, our paper, and the keen interest and passion with which our audiences have responded.

It's been just about one year since I received a call for papers for the SWTX PCA/ACA conference and approached Kj for a possible collaboration for what proved to be a greatly enjoyable endeavor. From entire days spent in coffee shops pondering the ins and outs of character and narrative, to four days of papers on popular culture, to "Theology.Psychology.Spaceships", we have had an incredible time. We look forward to hearing more of your questions, comments and ideas about topics we've brought forth here and others that arise from the rich worlds of Joss Whedon and other instances of culturally significant works of entertainment. Thank you for reading, watching, listening and asking. We hope to see you at the conference next year: February 10th-13th, 2010.

You can read "Not Very Christian of Me: The Escapist Faith of a Lost Shepherd in Joss Whedon's Firefly" here.

Kj's account of the year-long journey and presentation is here plus, that and more on her blog.

We'd love to hear from you via any number of conversational outlets including the comments board on Whedonesque.

Downey as Dandy

2009-06-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Robert Downey Jr. is looking particularly attractive in this new character poster for Sherlock Holmes set to hit theatres in December.

Wishing today were a little more like...

2009-06-09T07:07:00.001-07:00

Dollhouse Season 1 on DVD

2009-05-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Dollhouse has been available for pre-order for several weeks, but yesterday, the covers for both the DVD and Blu-Ray releases of Season 1 were unveiled. Here is the cover for the DVD set:

The DVD has rapidly climbed Amazon's charts, now 5th on the site's "Movers & Shakers" jumping an incredible 139% in the past 24 hours alone. I am fine with the cover they chose-and the great tagline from TIME Magazine-but as I've been following the DVD release for Dollhouse this promotional image popped up which I wish had been more prevalent in advertising. I don't remember seeing it before now.

Dollhouse Season 1 will be released on July 28th. Click through to see how the orders will be charted and the information sent to 20th Century Fox and Fox Broadcasting Corp. Order a doll. Save the world...or...er, Dollhouse.

D9 Trailer

2009-05-06T15:14:00.000-07:00

The teaser trailer for Neill Blomkamp's, District 9, has finally been revealed. I cannot wait to see this film.

It Hurts So Good

2009-05-03T21:32:00.001-07:00

If I wasn't already looking forward to another season of True Blood, this promo for Season 2 would certainly have helped. It does a really great job of interweaving hints about upcoming plot points and themes that were just beginning to surface by the end of Season 1.

Moving Away

2009-05-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

May springs, cut kite strings
Cast my anchor far ahead.
Ship will follow suit.

Oh, that's sweet.

2009-04-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

Sentimental dust
Variations in sugar
for sweet-toothed masses.

Dollhouse: Case Files/ Testimonials

2009-04-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

If there were a Dollhouse...

Edited from Dollhouse Episode 1.6 "Man On The Street

Dru Writes Too

2009-04-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

DRUSILLA Are you lost?

BOY No. My mom's just supposed to pick me up is all.
DRUSILLA Do you want me to walk you home?
BOY No, thank you.
DRUSILLA My mummy used to sing me to sleep at night. Run and catch, run and catch, the lamb is caught in the blackberry patch...She had the sweetest voice. What will your mummy sing when they find your body?
BOY I'm not supposed to talk to people.

DRUSILLA Oh. Well, I'm not a person, see, so that's just...
ANGEL Run home.

Actress/director Juliet Landau, is co-writing Angel 24 and 25 with Brian Lynch two issues that will focus on her character, Drusilla from both Buffy and Angel fame. U.K. illustrator and Juliet's friend Sam Shearon created the above cover for issue 24, which I am quite fond of. Reminds me of some of Jo Chen's excellent artwork for Buffy Season 8. I love the way it suggests Dru's innocence on the left hand side, conveying her as someone beautiful to look at, but from a distance. On the right, her cage has been opened, and you see the inner demon. A simple image that is deliciously evocative. Via.

Speaking of Drusilla, who was given some of the most velvety, layered dialogue in the two series, I couldn't resist including these two sections of dialogue from the Season 2 episode of Buffy, "Lie to Me".

DRUSILLA You sing the sweetest little song. Won't you sing for me, hmm? Don't you love me anymore?...(to the bird) Come on. I'll pout...I'll give you a seed if you sing.
SPIKE The bird's dead, Dru. You left it in a cage, and you didn't feed it, and now it's all dead, just like the last one...Oh, I'm sorry baby. I'm a bad, rude man. I just don't like you goin' out, that's all. You are weak. Would you like a new bird? One that's not dead?

Yes, please.

2009-04-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

The second season of True Blood begins June 14th.

Batman Undercover

2009-04-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Batman gets his scruff on in an autoportrait by photographer Sylvain Norget. I really like the retro feel of the portrait and I am surprised at how much I like Batman with a beard. Okay, maybe I'm not too surprised. He does kind of fit the bill... There are a number of other interesting galleries on his website including one for which he has gained some notoriety, The Naked Rabbit series. Intrigued? Yes, you should be.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: The Series

2009-04-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

Boom! Studios has announced it will adapt Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? into a 24-issue maxi-series in graphic form. The series will bring the complete novel to comic book form and plans to present the story with panel-to-panel continuity and actual text from the novel. This adaptation will be extremely faithful to the novel representing a narrative far more complex than what was possible in the film Blade Runner.

The first issue will be released in June.

Via.

Emerald City ComiCon

2009-04-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

I woke up around 8:00AM on Saturday morning after a late night out and it was only because of the beginning of Emerald City ComiCon that I was motivated enough to get out of bed. I knew I should arrive a bit early and thankfully the Washington State Convention Center is about a 5 minute walk downhill from my apartment. I figured there'd be a line, but I had no idea I'd be standing in it for nearly half an hour. This quickly proved itself to be a benefit in disguise.

Standing in the neat, zig-zagging line, I was able to assess a great many of my counterparts. I would certainly consider myself a fan, but I am not one to layer X-Men track jacket upon Spiderman button-up upon Watchmen-smiley-face-T-shirt or dress up in Jedi robes-(that said, I do own a double-bladed lightsaber). Emerald City ComiCon was, by the way, my first explicitly "fan" convention. As I looked around at the people around me, I realized the great diversity of fandom, in age, appearance, build, behavior and manner of dress-everyone from the sprite young Batmans and Robins, to the sultry Poison Ivys, Scarlet Witches and Princess Leias in her slave outfit(some of which should not have been wearing the latter costume), to one sweet older woman in a wheelchair dressed as a Jedi Knight. Families were present too and one family dressed their daughter up as the gold-plated robot from Doctor Who, and the result was adorable.

I had arrived at about 9:45 and as the clock ticked closer to 10:00 when they would officially open the doors-though I would end up waiting another 20 minutes or so to get in-the elevators directly to my left opened. Do you ever look around in a room where you don't expect to see anyone you know and then suddenly your eyes lock on a familiar face and a rush of relief comes over you? Well, that happened to me, except that I really didn't know who I saw, but the faces were unmistakable. Aaron Douglas, Tahmoh Penikett and Michael Hogan standing a few feet away. They walked right by into the convention hall and that was when I got really excited.

When I walked into the grandiose space, I had no idea where to start. Booths stretched ahead, to the left and right for hundreds of yards. I meandered for a bit and I stopped suddenly at the booth of artist John Tyler Christopher. I eventually purchased this print that had caught my eye, one of The White Queen aka Emma Frost from X-Men. It was also the catalyst for a weekend-long creative dialogue as I ended up bringing every friend I encountered at the convention to look at Christopher's artwork. I told him how much I liked the print and how Frost lends herself so well the use of negative space and that led into a conversation about how I still wasn't convinced I felt "like I should be there" as it was so different from any conference I had been to previously. He said that, like the attendees of the ComiCon, artists too are split between those that create and show popular art because it is simply "cool" and those that are more passionate and have a vested interested in the subject matter and artistic influences of their work. Christopher, for example, is heavily influenced by Alphonse Mucha and various mythological sources. Much of his work has an Art Nouveau flair, but he also has images that are viscerally striking like his prints he did as a personal project on the seven deadly sins-grotesque, yes, but with an underlying understanding of spirituality and the human condition. When I mentioned my most recent presentation at the Southwest Texas American and Popular Culture Association, he asked if he could read the paper so I was delighted to send a copy a few days later. I look forward to hearing what he has to say.

Right next to Christopher's table was that of Georges Jeanty, artist on the Buffy Season 8 comics. He pencils and creates an alternate cover for almost every issue. Since it was still early in the day, there were not too many people around his table, so I was able to engage him on a number of points about the production of a comic book. I didn't realize, for one, that for mainstream comics, artists produce their layouts on an 11x17 scale. Georges had a sizable stack of original penciled and inked pages from the comics that were available for purchase at $100 each-a little steep for me, but they were stunning, despite not being colored. I did however, get Georges to sign a copy of an issue of Buffy and include an original head sketch on one of his sketchbooks for me. I asked for Willow. He was very nice and touched on the work that goes on between the writer and artist and it sounds like a very organic process. I brought up the fact that I mentioned in my Columbia interview how much I would love to work with Jane Espenson one day and he then talked to me extensively about his work with her, specifically regarding her upcoming 5-issue story arc surrounding the character of Oz. He exchanges emails with PDFs and JPEGs of his work and phone calls with her on a daily basis. The script he receives for the comic book is very similar to a television script and the creation of an issue is extremely collaborative with ideas being constantly exchanged. He'll draw little thumbnails in the margins of the script, map out some layouts and scan them so Jane can make comments. According to Georges, Jane is incredibly warm and unassuming. He explained how Joss is much like that too and because he surrounds himself with such talented and caring individuals, every team he creates is solid creatively and socially.

From Georges' table it was just a few steps away to Jewel "Kaylee" Staite's signing table, so I coughed up the fee and had her sign a copy of my Firefly Visual Companion: Volume 1, which I spent a great deal of time with when working on my Firefly paper. "For Ian: Stay Shiny! Jewel Staite." I admit I was a little giddy, so I kind of awkwardly scampered off after she signed my book-and I didn't want to hold up the people behind me. She was absolutely gorgeous and most friendly.

Later that day, I attended the following panels:

11:00am SKEWED AND REVIEWED MOVIE PREVIEW
A look at the movies of 2009-2012 with a special segment on the latest news on the status of many Super Hero movies. Plus a Q&A with host Gareth Von Kallenbach, syndicated film reviewer & radio personality

At this panel, I may have scored a free Watchmen t-shirt, thus clenching my rightful status as a fan at the Con.

1:00pm DARK HORSE COMICS PANEL
Director of publicity Jeremy Atkins, along with Senior Managing Editor Scott Allie, present an exclusive preview of all that Dark Horse has to offer in the coming year. With breaking news on all of your favorite Dark Horse titles, and exciting new projects to be announced, be the first to know about everything from heroes to horror.

During the Q&A, I asked Scott Allie what the future of the Buffy comics held as far as the number of issues for Season 8 as well as the potential for Season 9. He said Season 8 has been locked in at a full 40 issues-we are currently on #24 as I write this-and Season 9 is definitely a go after a hiatus when 8 wraps up. Later I got Scott Allie's autograph on the first trade paperback of Season 8, "The Long Way Home."

Upon walking into the conference hall the next day, the first people I see are Tahmoh Penikett and Michael Hogan. In the flesh, talking to 2 or 3 people beside the front door. My peripheral vision blurred for about 10 seconds as I beelined my way to shake their hands. They said hello and were on their way to their autograph tables.

Sunday afternoon's panels were fantastic:

12:00pm SPOTLIGHT ON BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
The show is over, but questions still remain. Join three of the most popular BSG cast members, Tahmoh Penikett ("Helo"), Aaron Douglas ("Chief Tyrol") and Michael Hogan ("Colonel Tigh") for this great Q&A session!

There was a massive line even a half hour before the scheduled start time, so Mecque, Randy, Blake and I were not sure we'd make it in to get a seat. We did by about 20+ people. Aaron Douglas, Tahmoh Penikett and Michael Hogan were all present. Michael said little overall, though he did give us a classic "Fraaaaakk!" on cue. Tahmoh is just as collected, admirable and strong as his two characters, Helo on BSG and Paul Ballard on Dollhouse. He carried himself very well. And who knew Aaron was such a joker? Aaron was making cracks at every turn-reminding me that this was a "fan" convention, deviating from the more serious, analytical and creative tone I wish the panel had taken. Still, it was great to see these actors and hear them discuss the merits of each other-especially Michael's acting chops in addition to praising other actors in the show, notably Edward "Eddie" James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, who sounds like one of the most beautiful, talented women on the planet.

1:00pm SPOTLIGHT ON MIKE MIGNOLA
Join Mike Mignola as we discusses his career, his famous creation Hellboy and much more. Moderated by Hellboy editor Scott Allie.

This was actually one of the most informative panels of the weekend. One of the most interesting aspects of the discussion concerned Mike Mignola's diverse influences and research sources. I paraphrase Mike here, "I would say that about 80% of my books remained unopened, that is to say, opened past the Table of Contents. I look at that page and say, 'Oh, wow, that's like 32 Hellboy stories!'" As a dramaturg and research enthusiast, I'm fascinated by that sort of approach to intertextual storytelling. He and Scott also gave a few pointers to those individuals pursuing university programs in the creative arts. The rundown: a) you can't depend on your teachers to provide you with all the tools and guidance you need b) be specific about what you want to do creatively c) get to know people d) be dedicated and driven.

2:00pm GET YOUR GEEK ON WITH WIL WHEATON
Wil Wheaton (Author, Actor, Gamer, Geek, Blogger, Raconteur) invites you to get your geek on during this hour-long Q&A. There may or may not be punch and pie (most likely not).

Perhaps the most enjoyable hour and a half of the Con. Wil Wheaton is so much more than a figurehead for geek culture though that is a role at which he excells with humor and humility. "I don't use 'nerds' pejoratively. I use it awesomeatively." -Wil Wheaton. My friend Mecque had the opportunity to ask Wheaton the very last question of the panel-one that stemmed from a tweet wilw had sent a couple days before wherein he wished he had answered a question differently in an interview. Mecque asked that very same question again and this time Wheaton was ready. "What do you do with a twenty-sided die?" Wheaton beamed, pausing while the audience erupted in applause. "Everything."

I would say other than the two great conversations I had with John Christopher and Georges Jeanty and the encounters with celebrities, one of the best things about the whole show was the amazing artistry that was represented by all the exhibitors. The entire show room was full of talented individuals who illustrate in a wide stylistic range using an array of creative tools from digital Wacom tablets, colored pencil, collage techniques to 3 or or 4 different types of ink pens. By the end of the show on Sunday, I had acquired three striking 11x17 colored prints, each featuring-entirely by chance-a woman in some stylized representation, the first being the Emma Frost print, the second a dark sunset above a silhouette of a woman whose hair twists up into the black clouds by an artist from Vancouver, and the third, seen here, by writer and artist, Stuart Sayger, who told me that he couldn't decide between penning a horror comic or a romance. From this Shiver in the Dark was born, an evocative, sensual gothic horror with a beautiful woman at its center.

This weekend was my first and probably my last Emerald City ComiCon as I move to the other side of the country later this summer, but it will certainly not be my last ComiCon. Yesterday, I started putting a few future events of the same genre in my calendar. Boston ComiCon October 24th-25th, 2009 and New York ComiCon October 8-19, 2010 are a couple of them I hope to attend as an art enthuiast, dramaturg, writer, creative thinker, collaborator, academic and of course, a fan.

"How to Receive a Fax"

2009-04-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

The other day, we learned about misleading out-of-office replies. Today's topic is on "How To Receive a Fax." I'm used to getting calls or having people ask about how to send a fax. "Do I dial 9 to get out?" "Do I put it face down or face up?" and that sort of thing. Today someone called me about receiving a fax. On the rare occasion that I am faxed, I wait for it to be put in my box, or if I know when it's coming, I wait until it prints.

The following conversation took place between myself and a client in a business-office type setting:

Client: How will I know the fax is for me?
Me: Um...ask your party to put a cover sheet with your name on it.
Client: How do I keep it private?
Me: Well, you can have them put a cover sheet with it in addition to putting your name on it. Or wait for it to come out.
Client: What if someone takes it?
Me: Um...have them put your name on it.

Or take it first because you're standing right in front of the machine.

Also, I would also be open to offering a tutorial on "How To Leave Voicemails that A) Don't take three times to listen to in order to get all the info B) Don't take five minutes to listen to in the first place C) Don't exist-ie. email me."

In related news, the usefulness of voicemail is fading according to The New York Times. I tend to agree.

Out-of-Office Reply

2009-04-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

This is a real out-of-office reply I just received from someone whose last day with my company was earlier this week.

"I will be out of the office starting 04/02/2009 and will not return until 01/01/2014."

Okay, I guess, uh...I'll just leave a voicemail.

Locker Room Haiku

2009-04-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

Grim Reaper tattoo
Shirt tucked in tighty whities
Tell me, who are you?

Hitler on Watchmen

2009-03-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

Hitler weighs in on the changed ending of Watchmen. I really have no words to describe the brilliance of this gem.

"A Watchmen movie was a very bad idea...I should have believed Stalin."

Wonder Woman (2009)

2009-03-28T13:59:00.001-07:00

I just finished watching the direct-to-DVD Wonder Woman film released about a week ago and I was really pleased with the experience. It features the voices of Keri Russell, in her first animated role, as Wonder Woman and everyone's favorite captain, Nathan Fillion as Captain Steve Trevor and Alfred Molina as the God of War, Ares and several other notable actors and voice talent.

This is Lauren Montgomery's second time sitting in the director's chair for a superhero movie and having a female director for Wonder Woman translates quite well here. From quippy dialogue, to a gag with Diana hitting a mythological creature with a high heel, to the interwoven themes of sisterhood and womanhood, Wonder Woman is incredibly relevant while being entertaining. While on the whole, the film should be considered "lighter fare"-it should please comic book fans and the casual viewer alike-this is an animated film that does not shy away from adult material; it depicts violence when appropriate and directly confronts misogyny and what it means to be a woman in this world.

The film presents Wonder Woman as not just a warrior for justice or peace, like other traditional superheroes, but as an ambassador for the female sex, one who understands the need for balance between man and woman in the sphere of a relationship in addition to a global scale. She is the catalyst for the Amazonians realization that their isolated, hidden island in the Aegean sea is not paradise without the mixed challenges and joys of the "outside" and ignorance of the importance of a global perspective is not bliss. Eden did not last, nor can the Amazonian's mystical island of Themyscira with its populace having gained experiential knowledge of good and evil.

My Hero

2009-03-27T19:30:00.001-07:00

The Hero Factory might be one of the most fun things you do all day. Countless combinations of virtually every aspect of your hero's appearance are possible. Now if they just let you order a custom action figure of your original creation...that would be cool.

Emerald City ComiCon

2009-03-27T10:14:00.001-07:00

Emerald City ComiCon is just one week away! I've been meaning to go for a few years now, but I've almost always had to work weekends. This year, I'm fully embracing my inner geek-as if I don't do that often enough as it is-and bought a ticket to attend both days of the event, Saturday and Sunday April 4th & 5th.

The program guide was just released earlier this week with the above X-Men-in-Seattle cover by Dennis Calero.

Right now I am most looking forward to:

Seeing Jewel "Kaylee" Staite from Firefly and Serenity.

Attending the Dark Horse Comics panel with editor Scott Allie (hopefully there will be some fun Buffy comic announcements-Buffy Season 9 perhaps?!)

Going to a Battlestar Galactica panel featuring Tahmoh Penikett ("Helo"), Aaron Douglas ("Chief Tyrol") and Michael Hogan ("Colonel Tigh")

And potentially greeting newly voted Secretary for Geek Affairs, Wil Wheaton at his Q&A on Sunday afternoon.

Other exciting guests and presentations include appearances by Georges Jeanty-artist on the Buffy Season 8 comics, Mike Mignola-creator of Hellboy, and Ray Park-who played Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, Toad in X-Men and Snake Eyes in the upcoming G.I Joe film.

Show hours are: Saturday, April 4th 10:00am - 6:00pm and Sunday, April 5th 10:00am - 5:00pm. A two-day pass costs $25, a one day ticket is $15.

If you're going to Emerald City ComiCon next weekend and would like to meet up, let me know! I'd love to geek out together.

The Dark Passenger

2009-03-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying Dexter, more than I thought I would. The season one finale caught me off guard with a haunting reveal, further delving into what the definition of justice is and what drives us to seek it. The question is not "how far would you go?" but "when you go that far, where does that put you?" Who does it make you and can it change you as much as the world around you? Even with saying that, you have to ask, how much the world is changed. A few dozen corpses in your wake, dropped in the ocean outside of Miami. What does it matter?

The second season episode, "An Inconvenient Lie", contains one of the most mesmerizing conversations in the show so far featuring a direct, acute assessment of Dexter's deeply engrained motivations. It takes place between Dexter and an attendee of a Narcotics Anonymous group, Lila Tournay.

Lila

There’s no way that I could know what you’ve experienced right?

I couldn’t possibly fill that need.

Like a thousand hiding voices whispering, “this is who you are.”

And you fight the pressure. The growing need rising like a wave. Prickling and teasing and prodding to be fed. But the whispering gets louder until it’s screaming, “now!” And it’s the only voice you hear.

The only voice you want to hear.

And you belong to it.

To this shadow self.

To this...

Dexter

...dark passenger.

Lila

Yes. The dark passenger.

I immediately thought of Simon & Garfunkel's, "Sound of Silence" and its reference to the "darkness" as a proximate comfort and silence that festers within the human heart. It was probably close to my mind after seeing Watchmen again. A nice moment of intertextuality.

Hello darkness, my old friend,
Ive come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

The song closes with the words:

...whispered in the sounds of silence.

Låt den rätte komma in

2009-03-22T12:38:00.001-07:00

In the process of considering this movie for the best film I have seen so far this year, after relishing in its sublime nature over the weekend. I want to keep holding it in a little longer before letting my breath out.

The Star Wars Figure to Complete My Collection

2009-03-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of packing the past few weekends to prepare for my two upcoming moves, one next month just up the street to a friend's house in order to save some money on rent until I make the second move to New York in early to mid August. I am always surprised at how many boxes of Star Wars merchandise I have when I move-and that's only the items I have here in the states. There is a Millenium Falcon or two, a TIE-Fighter, X-Wing and even more figures with all their little accessories and figure stands-unless they're still in their original packing-at my parents house in France. Hey-I saw that look! Thank goodness for their ample attic space. I have all the major characters, except this one:
...the most important figure of all-a "force" if you will, without which Star Wars wouldn't even be possible! I'm impressed; they really nailed the likeness on this one. Via /Film.

SWTX PCA/ACA Conversation

2009-03-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Photos from our panel, Philosophy and Religion in the Whedonverse, at this year's SWTX PCA/ACA Conference in Albuquerque.

Prior to the event, Kj and I were mildly concerned that technology would somehow deny us the ability to show our audio/visual presentation, which we put many hours into, but the A/V set-up went smoothly and people really enjoyed those elements.

From left to right, Alyson Buckman, Panel Chair from California State University, Mike Richardson, author of The Existential Joss Whedon: Evil and Human Freedom in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Serenity, Katie Kohn from The European Graduate School, Kj Swanson, my friend and co-author, and myself.

Another shot of our panel. Upon entering a panel, either as a presenter or audience member, you never how well the respective papers will jive on an ideological level. Thankfully our papers worked so well together with many ideas in direct conversation with each other.

We had a really great turnout for our panel and our audience had lots of intriguing things to say. We were quite pleased with how the Q&A went at the end.

In fact, the chair of the religion section of the conference, Dr. Wes Bergen, invited us out to dinner after the following panel he was overseeing. That panel was one of the highlights of the conference placing us square at the intersection of popular/postmodern culture and theology. In addition to a Catholic perspective on Monty Python's Life of Brian, one of the presentations was on the origin narrative of religions as seen through Science-Fiction literature. Dr. Davis, who gave that talk is actually working on representations of Christianity in Sci-Fi, so later at dinner with the religion panelists, Kj asked her if she'd be willing to read our paper since it deals with that subject precisely. We sent her a copy and I'm glad to say Dr. Davis is excited about the dialogue. I look forward to hearing more of her reactions and ideas that sprung from reading our work.

Kj and I hope to continue the conversation and if you'd like to read the full, 35-page paper, let us know and we'll send you a copy. After seven months of writing and research and the conference, we're excited to expand the dialogue surrounding our work beyond that short but significant post-panel discussion. We'd also love to receive feedback as we look forward to preparing our paper for journal-submission in the coming months.

Wild Things

2009-03-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

The newly released poster for Spike Jonze's film adaptation of the classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are. The film, featuring James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara and Forest Whitaker, is set to be released on October 16th of this year after a myriad of production delays.

All of the boys and all of the girls

2009-03-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

...are begging to if you seek Amy.

Looking Forward

2009-03-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

...to potentially sitting next to James Franco in a class at Columbia University as one of his classmates did the other day...although I think he graduates this year.

Yesterday afternoon, I was accepted to the MFA in Dramaturgy program in the Theatre Division at Columbia University! So many things to do and consider in preparation and there will be some big changes, but I expect most of those to be exciting ones.

The Future of Reading

2009-03-12T10:31:00.001-07:00

Via Penny Arcade.

Jo Chen Gives Life to Vampires

2009-03-11T10:04:00.001-07:00

Jo Chen's covers for the Buffy Season 8 comics have been some of the best in the series. They are warm, rich, detailed and textured. She uses light extremely well, and it is always appropriate for every subject and subject matter. The characters she paints have weight, body, movement and life. One of my favorite paintings she has done for Buffy was the one on the third issue of the series seen here.

Her work is just shy of photo-realistic, stylized enough to be suitable for a comic book cover, but worthy of framing as art in its own right-of course, there is a plethora of fantastic comic book art out there that I would and have put on my wall. Chen's latest piece is not for Buffy Season 8 but for an upcoming Tales of the Vampire one-shot, written by Becky Cloonan and Vasilis Lolos. Five years ago, there was a 12-issue Tales of the Vampires series written by Whedon himself and several other Buffy scribes including Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard. Amber Benson wrote a story for another Buffyverse collection, Tales of the Slayers. Each series, now collected in trade paperbacks, takes a vampire or slayer from the 'verse timeline and centers a story around that given character while connecting it to a larger narrative.

Jo Chen's stunning cover for the new Tales of the Vampire story followed by a brief plot description from Dark Horse's press release:

In a small town in Massachusetts, a young man named Jacob goes about his day as usual-wakes early, eats breakfast with his mom, and heads to school. He's a hard worker and a reliable friend to Alexia, an athletic and headstrong young woman. But at night Jacob likes to cut loose at the local arcade, where he's befriended a reckless gang of vampires who enjoy drinking his blood. Jacob craves the high and the easy escape from the monotony of his life that this "bloodletting" provides. Enter the mysterious and sultry May, who can help Jacob leave those high-school days behind-that is, if Alexia doesn't stop her first.

Blood and pomegranates. Always a good combination in my book. Tales of the Vampire comes out on June 3rd.

Welcome to my Blogroll

2009-03-11T08:55:00.001-07:00

After reading his review of Watchmen, noting the presence of a C.S. Lewis quote in the sidebar and coming across a post entitled "Ewoks: A Hunter's Guide", I immediately included a link to Electronic Cerebrectomy: Notes on Pop Culture at the End of Western Civilization in my list of favorite blogs. Check it out if for nothing else other than some witty-sometimes odd-pop culture commentary and the aforementioned list chronicling the blogger's greatest Ewok slayings which include our friendly but "rather rash" Wicket below. A fair warning, some images on his blog as a whole are unfortunately not safe for work-but the links included here are clean.

Wicket Wystri Warrick (aka Buckskin Jack, aca Chupacabra)
He may look cute, but don't let the looks deceive you. Too many have. He played an integral role in the death of Cindel Towani, a little girl who lost her family in the woods and was taken in by Wicket and his family of human-eating sickos. Inspired by the Ed Gein murders, the Warrick family liked to make clothing from the skin of their victims. Wicket was the first of many ewoks I've been forced to slay in the name of safety and in conjunction with the US Parks Department.

This is ATilla...

2009-03-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

...someone's new family pet. See more here.

Of Dexter

2009-03-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

When I came back from New Mexico and my short but remarkable trip to New York City, I had the first disc of the first season of Dexter waiting for me in my mail-(I am caught up on Weeds on DVD which has been fantastic and exactly what I wanted it to be).

I had read some time prior that Dexter is considered a sympathetic serial killer, but I don't think I've gotten to that emotional crux on my part. A few episodes in, I feel more numb than anything else and that could be exactly what the show is trying to do at the beginning, numb you, then slowly prick you until you start to regain feeling-albeit in a different manner. If there is one character I am most sympathetic for at this point, it is Julie Benz as Dexter's girlfriend-if you can call her that-of whom, in the pilot episode, Dexter says is

"the right woman for me. Deb saved her life on a domestic dispute call, introduced us and we've been dating for six months now. It's perfect because Rita, is, in her own way, as damaged as me."

Synder's Golden Rules

2009-03-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

In honor of the premiere of Watchmen, today (or last night depending if you went to a midnight screening)-I have my tickets for 8:00PM this evening!-I thought I'd post Director Zack Snyder's "Golden Rules" of filmmaking that he recently gave in an online article earlier this week.

1. There are No Rules.
Every job, every story, every shot is different. And each time you do it, it’s like doing it for the first time

2. The Will to Suffer.
This is a phrase I got from my friend Marc Twight. He used it in reference to mountain climbing, saying that the person who can endure the most pain will be the one who succeeds in the end. That applies to moviemaking as well.

3. Your Point of View.
It’s the thing that is not right, not wrong. It’s the thing that can’t be put into a technical box. It’s the tone and texture of a story. It’s the individual way of looking at things that makes us different. It’s why we go to the movies.

4. Storyboard.
Storyboards are not for everyone. As a matter of fact, I think some movies would be seriously damaged by the storyboarding process. But for me, it is how I make a movie; it is how I structure a scene. It’s not a shot list, it is an edited sequence. And although it can all change later, it is a good place to start.

5. Movies are Pictures.
For me, visual style has the same importance as story, as character and as the environment. In the end, a movie is a series of pictures and I try to be aware of that at all times.

6. Respect.
Respect the material, respect the process, respect the audience and, most of all, respect the countless incredible people who work their asses off helping you to bring your vision to the screen. Everyone has immeasurable value when it comes to making a movie, so never take it for granted.

7. Throw things.
Not at people, just for fun. On the set this means: Football, tennis ball, rock, ball of tape—basically any object, it doesn’t matter. Then throw: To a person, at an orange cone, into a distant trash can… again, doesn’t matter. At least for me, any version of throwing shit makes even the shortest break relaxing.

8. I Still Shoot Film.
I always shoot film, then move into the digital pipeline. I’ll be the first to admit that the future of moviemaking will be led by advances in digital technology. But the reality is there is just something about film that digital cameras still can’t replicate. Call me a purist, but it’s just how I feel.

9. Passion.
It is almost impossible to duplicate your original passion for a project late in the process. But if you can recall the feeling of that original spark of excitement, you’ll be able to keep your creative ferocity throughout the long haul.

10. Shoot Every Shot.
It goes back to what I was saying about point of view. This is not to say that a second unit director wouldn’t shoot it better, but doing it yourself keeps the tone consistent.

Via MovieMaker.

And if you missed it, check out my previous post on Writing with Whedon 101.

Go see Watchmen this weekend, then pick up the book, then watch it again next week and then watch the 3 hour 20 minute Director's Cut in July!

Redesigns

2009-03-05T08:48:00.001-08:00

I am always interested in the repurposing and reimagining of cultural artifacts, so I was thrilled to see the following graphic designs for the covers of all seven Harry Potter novels done in the style of Penguin Classics. I like the way these pieces and those after the link from another artist remain literal, yet are somehow more evocative and poignant than the original drawings and designs made for each artistic work. These images generate a greater sense of intrigue about the material contained in the media they represent.

The rest of M.S. Corley's redesigns for the Harry Potter books, those for His Dark Materials trilogy, The Spiderwick Chronicles and yes, Pac-Man, can be found on his blog.

Also, check out another retro-infused project that I came across a few months ago by Olly Moss,Eight Films in Black and Red. I am quite fond of the mock poster for The Last Crusade and The Dark Knight, which recalls the excellent animated series during the 90s.

SWTX PCA/ACA Panels

2009-03-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

4 days from Wednesday through Saturday, 100s of people, a handful of concurrent panel sessions from 8:00am-7:00pm every day, new ideas, countless conversations and good company. A bunch of scholars, teachers, professors and general academics sharing their work and investment in popular culture, gathered together under one roof in the middle of the desert. It was an amazing experience-one that is a little hard to believe actually happened!

Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Culture I
Across the Harry Potter Universe

Science Fiction and Fantasy III
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and the Whedonverse

Science Fiction and Fantasy IV
“Feel Good Imperialism:” Gender, Race, and Colonialism in Star Trek

Experimental Writing and Aesthetics I
Extratextual: The Alchemy of Interdisciplinary Writings

Science Fiction and Fantasy V*
Philosophy and Religion in the Whedonverse

*This panel included our own presentation entitled: “Not Very Christian of Me”: The Escapist Faith of a Lost Shepherd in Joss Whedon’s Firefly

Religion I
Crossing Boundaries
Evangelicals and the Mass Media, The Genesis of Religion in Speculative Fiction, Jack Miles and Futurama, The Gospel According to Monty Python

Chick Lit. I
Chick Lit. I
Rowling vs. Meyer: Taking a Bite (or Two) Out of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Series
Gender and Consumerism in Indian Chick Lit

Science Fiction and Fantasy IX
Metaphorical Mythology in the Whedonverse

Film Adaptation V
A Novelist’s Perspective on Literature-to-Film Adaptations

Science Fiction and Fantasy X
Film
Christian Metaphors and Superman, Terminators and Time Machines, Passing Anxieties in 1950s Science Fiction

Myth and Fairy Tale VII
Subversions of Juvenile Narrative, Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth in Alice and Coraline, Neo-Metaphysics, Role Reversal in Greek and Christian Mythology

Science Fiction and Fantasy
Double Feature: Once More with Feeling and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Graphic Novels, Comics and Popular Culture VI
Power of Names in Superhero Comics, A Taxonomy of Graphic Sex, Grand Narrative and Narratives in Watchmen

Myth and Fairy Tale VIII
Intergenic Translation in Disney’s Animated Classics, Rebel Traditions in Pan’s Labyrinth, Sexual (R)evolution of “Little Red Riding Hood” in Film

Science Fiction and Fantasy XIII
Maturity and Sexuality in the Whedonverse

SWTX PCA/ACA Conference

2009-02-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

I am off to Albuquerque, NM to present a paper on fundamentalism and the loss of self in Firefly focusing on the character of Shepherd Book. Kj and I would be more than happy to share the paper with anybody who would like to read it, in fact we would appreciate any feedback. There's always the thought that we will go to a journal to try and get it published. We're really proud of it and looking forward to present on Thursday.

From Albuquerque, I will be flying to New York for an interview at Columbia University for the MFA in Dramaturgy program within the Theatre division. So, there is much to be excited about this week!

With all the preparation I've been doing for the trip, I haven't had time to sit down and post my thoughts on the second episode of Dollhouse "The Target", but I will be sure to do so as soon as I can. I want to watch it again to pick up things I may not have caught the first time. In short, I liked it even though it followed the structure of "The Most Dangerous Game" to a predictable degree. While I liked the back story depicted in this episode, I wanted to linger for a little while longer in the mystery of it all. I can't say I wasn't on the edge of my seat though and again, the episode made me anxious for more.

Come to Iceland

2009-02-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

This video brought great warmth to my week.

Kristen Wigg-many props to you.

Big Wins for Slumdog and Milk, Lisa Rinna not so much

2009-02-23T16:42:00.000-08:00

Lisa Rinna looks like an owl exploded on her head after clawing her lips until they were all swollen and disfigured.

I think if I had seen this on the red carpet last night, I would have felt the need to have several more glasses of champagne to wipe away that image. Aren't you glad I've passed it on for your viewing pleasure?

Thankfully, I was mingling at a big Oscar party at SoDo Park in south Seattle right up until Hugh Jackman did his opening number. I thought his first performance last night set the perfect tone for the night. I appreciated the different creative decisions that were made this year in regards to presentation and entertainment. Presenting the nominees for best song as a medley was nice and I think the old way of doing it-individually-just spread out the evening unnecessarily so. I also liked the actors and actresses presenting the nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively. It added another personal touch to the evening. Did anyone else think of Battlestar Galactica's reveal of the Final Five at the temple in Season 3 when the five actors stood up against the "pillars" in the background? I could have done without Beyonce's act later in the show, but I enjoyed the choreography at that point. Overall, a definite improvement of the awards show from years past.

As far as results go, I'm happy Slumdog Millionaire did as well as it did. It deserves every one of those awards. While I was rooting for Milk to win best picture, I had a feeling Slumdog would take that one in the end. The acceptance of Heath Ledger's posthumous award for Best Supporting Actor by his family was somber but well-deserved, not just for The Dark Knight, but his career. I suppose there's always a chance he will be recognized for his talent again when Terry Gilliam's, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus comes out-which will officially be Ledger's last film role.

I could not have been happier about Dustin Lance Black's win for his screenplay for Milk and Sean Penn's award for Best Actor. Two great wins that mean a lot for so many people in this country and around the world.

Yeah, That's Right...

2009-02-18T09:44:00.000-08:00

Dollhouse, my friends, is the number one television download on iTunes.

The Trilogy Meter

2009-02-18T07:05:00.001-08:00

Dan Meth has created a table representing his feelings about movie trilogies. According to him, it is based "purely on [his] enjoyment level...and nothing else." For the most part, I'm inclined to agree with his "ratings." I love that The Lord of the Rings trilogy received consistent marks-a result of being filmed back to back, maybe, or because they were born from a wildly creative and talented team of people. Star Wars was really one of the first trilogies that was self-contained-it has the highest overall marks. Prequels-I'm not counting you.

There are a few series that I am less qualified to rate as I haven't seen them all or even in part-Rambo, Mad Max, Rocky, Die Hard or The Godfather (I know, I'm terrible). Still, it is interesting to see how many sequels are considered better than their predecessors. Third film in a trilogy? Not so much.

Dollhouse "Ghost" 1.1

2009-02-16T14:53:00.000-08:00

If you have nothing else to say about it, you can’t say Dollhouse isn’t intriguing. Thankfully, throwing my hat into the ring of reviews, I have more than plenty to say about my first introduction to the Dollverse. It was even better than I espected. I found it to be immensely compelling-if not weighed down in brief moments by too much exposition. I have in mind the opening sequence in which we are introduced to Caroline-a bit early to see that moment for my liking-and chief of security Laurence line to Boyd about “ex-cop heroics.” The pilot, “Ghost” which replaces the previously filmed first episode, “Echoes” is well framed, beautifully shot and a delectable tease of what is to come.

In general, the episode brought up more questions for me than at any time in the long months of anticipation. What are the parameters of the actives’ programming? What kind of “treatment” do the personalities think they are getting at the end of their client’s contract? What makes them seek it out? How many actives are there? In my book, I relish in all these queries and whatever “loose ends” there appear to be for audiences now do not bother me in the least, but, like the character of Paul Ballard, drive me to keep watching for answers. Not to mention, the potential for this set-up and these characters are endless.

I was very anxious to see the opening credits and by "anxious" I mean giddy. The sequence is quite a bit more subdued than any of Joss Whedon’s previous series and it does away with the convention of portraits and subtitles of all the primary actors. Eliza Dushku is really the star of the credits and plays to her role as “doll” while pulling up her lace tights. The music is certainly more subtle as well which seems to fit the direction Whedon intends the show to go-this will not be a no-holds-barred action fest. The bells at the end of the credits as the glass panels cover up the actives as they go to sleep also reinforcing the idea of viewing these people as dolls-which is a morally difficult one to subscribe to. At the end of the night, these men and women go back in their toy box.

One of the issues I had with journalistic criticisms of the show was the question of how people could become invested in the show if they had no central character to “root for” since Echo essentially had no personality. This, to me, says they haven’t watched the show, because what we’re rooting for, is for Echo to regain her personality! If that’s not a prime motivation to watch the show through this first season, I don’t know what is.

As a sidenote, I watched the episode with captions as we had a gentleman with a hearing impairment with us, and it was interesting to note that even when Echo was programmed as the carefree-girl-with-the-short-skirt in the beginning of the episode or Eleanor-not-Ellie-Penn, the captions still referenced her as “Echo”. Although I doubt that was an intentional commentary, it made me think about how Echo might still be in there, no matter what persona fills her body and mind.

"...all those terrible memories these men put in your head. Why would they do that?"

-Gabriel Cristejo

Other than the aforementioned moments of blatant exposition-most likely a product of the re-tooled pilot and studio demands, I thought the dialogue was extremely well-crafted. “Ghost” is replete with double-edged dialogue like the line above and Ms. Penn's "I don't have any hobbies." There is a depth to the writing however simplistic of conversation it covers that reinforces my faith in how this season will continue to develop in fascinating ways. Whedon is well-known for having Shakspeare readings with the casts of his shows in his home and he has said that he is aware that he writes lines that quote Shakespeare maybe too often. It did not surprise me, then that Fran Kanz’s character, Topher quotes two lines of Shakespeare if I’m not mistaken, almost back to back. On that note, of all the characters, I found Topher to be the least convincing; his dialogue seemed forced, though sometimes out of necessity when he speaks to Echo as a child without so much compassion. As it is early in the season, there could very well be a reason for this.

Another instance of intertextuality came when Davina’s father, Gabriel Cristejo, mentions Edward James Olmos as a fatherly figure. Not only does Tahmoh Peniket have a role on Battlestar Galactica which airs the same night as Dollhouse-at least until the end of its run in five weeks-Whedon is a self-proclaimed Battlestar fanboy. I thanked Whedon out loud for that surprise reference!

As much as I knew about the show and the pilot specifically before going in to Friday’s premiere, I was surprised about how much had not been revealed in interviews and reviews of “Ghost.” I was aware that the writers on Dollhouse would play with the notion of human trafficking, but what I was not expecting was the explicit references to that issue. I had no idea Paul Ballard would be working on a Russian trafficking case. Perhaps this plot point is introduced early on in order to underscore the parallels to the Dollhouse as a veritable human trafficking estate? Paul encounters Enver Gjokaj’s character whom promotional images and the show’s opening credits have pinned as an active. In this first episode, is he playing a member of the Borodin family? Could he be helping the efforts that possibly put him into this existence? And could Paul be a former active himself, driven by memories from his time in the Dollhouse?

Other points of intrigue for me involved firstly the care that those running the Dollhouse have for their actives-not as people but tools. Adelle DeWitt has a line about the protection of the actives being of the utmost importance-not the situation. She says “the actives are not robots,” but how different do they treat them? Second, Paul’s line about the imprinting process being akin to murdering a person is striking. Seeing Sierra victimized at the Dollhouse early on and then turned into a killing machine in the climax of the episode was a chilling contrast.

I’m so glad Whedon cast Amy Acker in the show and in such a promising role. There is something very mysterious about the way her character, Dr. Claire Saunders, moves about the Dollhouse, half-hidden behind the door in one scene. Her reaction when Echo asks, “who takes care of you?” is haunting. I already feel empathy for character. I so desire to know the reason for her pain physical and otherwise. I expect Dr. Saunders and Echo to share much more meaningful time together as the series unfolds.

The episode ends with what could be this season’s Big Bad, a figure whose face we do not see in a room with several bodies watching a video tape of Caroline. A rogue active? Is this Alpha?

Through in through, “Ghost” is a worthy first episode that draws the audience into a world similar enough to our own world, that it creates a gripping morality play where we the viewers are not always on the side of good. While we eagerly watch every episode play out and hope that Echo successfully completes every engagement as an active, we too, are the perpetrators of her imprisonment. Her success means another day trapped in the Dollhouse.

This Friday, Echo gets involved in another engagement gone awry-but this time not as a result of her programming in episode two, "The Target." For future and repeat viewing, you can watch Dollhouse on Hulu.

Tonight, the dolls come out to play.

2009-02-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Then

The Slayer

March 10, 1997

The Vampire

October 5, 1999

The Independent

September 20, 2002

The Doctor

July 15, 2008

Now

The Doll

February 13, 2009

9:00pm

Why, how snapdragon of you.

2009-02-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

Illustrator Jason Logan gives his take on modern floriography-the practice of attaching meaning to particular specimens of flowers in a simple painting series at the New York Times.

Eight more illustrated definitions from the collection in "The Sweet Smell of Semantics".

If you're interested in the full list of flowers and their meanings-something I've always found interesting, but like horoscopes, only think about them occasionally when they strike a chord-you can peruse an extensive selection here.

So, you may want to think twice before getting me that bouquet of orange blossoms and Queen Anne's lace for Valentine's Day this year. I would take it to mean that you want my babies. Or, okay, maybe you might want that. I don't know.

Hosting

2009-02-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

Summer Glau and Eliza Dushku will be hosting this Friday's duet of premieres from the set of CEO Catherine Weaver's ZeiraCorp office in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. T:SCC returns this Friday with new episodes along with Dollhouse. The action starts at 8PM on FOX.

"Is that it? Am I done?"

2009-02-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Before a pre-production meeting at Taproot the other day, I went to Dreamstrand comic book store in Greenwood and picked up a copy of Angel Spotlight: Doyle. The comic chronicles the few days before Doyle's initial encounter with Angel in "City Of." The writing is actually pretty good and next time I'm there I will likely get the one-shot of Illyria. It made me realize how much I miss Doyle and really how much of a tragedy it was to lose not only his character but the actor who portrayed Allen Francis Doyle, Glenn Quinn. I would have really liked to see where he-they-went.

On using his Irish accent in Angel, Quinn said, "It was like putting on an old pair of shoes. It's bringing my soul back to life." He, like myself, also collected Star Wars memorabilia.

I've been toying with the idea of doing some work on the character in the future.

Said: Joss Whedon

2009-02-08T16:36:00.001-08:00

“I believe the best way to examine anything is to go to a dark place. You can't be a storyteller and a speechwriter at the same time.”

Joss Whedon

More beautiful shots of the Dollhouse set, filming and crew at the LA Times.

CW Bites Again

2009-02-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Almost five years ago to the day-February 14th 2004-the WB television network decided to cancel Angel. David Fury, the head writer of the show has said that if Joss and the crew had not been so adamant with the Head of Entertainment about getting an early renewal for the show that the show would have definitely been picked up for a sixth season. He also stated "The WB has since recognized…I believe Garth Ancier at The WB said that it was a big mistake to cancel Angel."

Any way it happened, it makes the news that the CW has just picked up a pilot for a new series entitled, "Vampire Diaries" all the more bitter to taste. "Vampire Diaries" is based on L.J. Smith's four-book series of the same name originally published in 1993 which as the Variety article states, the CW made clear was before Stephanie Meyer's publication of her Twilight books. But with all the vampyric media these days, it is no surprise that HarperCollins ordered three more books with the first new novel-with the unnecessary multiple-part title: The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall-coming out on Tuesday.

"Vampire Diaries" revolves around a young woman whose torn between two vampire brothers. The The brothers - one good, one evil - are battling for her soul, and the souls of her pals, family and the small town where they live.

What makes the news even more difficult to bear is the fact that this show will be birthed by writers and producers from such quality work as "Gossip Girl," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Dawson's Creek" and "Privileged."

Someone should point out that some vampires just suck.

Rainbows & Unicorns

2009-02-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

Press this button to make all your fantasies about rainbows and unicorns come true:

Keep clicking and you'll thank me and its inventors.

Beautiful. Brilliant. Bedazzling.

Dr. Horrible on my Doorstep

2009-02-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

I finally scrounged for $10.50 and ordered the DVD of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Amazon. I came home yesterday to find that it had arrived on my doorstep!

More than re-watching the film, I look forward to viewing it with Commentary the Musical featured on the DVD. I've heard good things about it and if you don't yet have the DVD, much of the Commentary is available on YouTube. Whedon has said that it actually took twice as long to make it than the 45 minute piece itself!

Williams Talks Dolls

2009-02-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

This interview with British actress Olivia Williams, who plays Adelle Dewitt the "madame" of the Dollhouse in the upcoming show of the same name, has made me more excited about the show than any trailer, review, or picture that has been released til this point. Her dedication to and intellectual investment in the role are made quite obvious here. Williams is so eloquent and particular in her responses and she completely opens up the mythology, intrigue and potential of the show in a way that no promotional material or interview has done for me. Excerpts below.

About her character, Williams says:

[The challenge in playing Adelle] is the combination of playing someone who’s trying to grasp on to moral explanations for her behavior while dealing with abject loneliness. She’s lonely and has great empathy with people who are prepared to pay a vast amount of money for a date. Which means she’s completely morally corrupt ultimately. It’s just such a great double-edged part and you know we actors love the subtext, darling. Joss got me with the subtext.

And in response to the question about what she would tell potential viewers of the show, Williams assures the reader:

It will pay off. It will pay off if you stick with it. The first episodes have got the action and the glamour and set up the premise: What if you could buy whatever you wanted? But then you find yourself in a moral haze. “OK, is getting what I want good for me? Is it going to make me happy? Where does it lead morally and what are the implications of creating a fake personality? Do we have souls? If our brains were being wiped, is there anything in the soul that could survive?”

I think the people who are there to see [Eliza Dushku] in a bikini –- which is a great thing-are going to find themselves with a moral dilemma that they might not expect.

Dollhouse premieres one week from tomorrow at 9PM on FOX. Also, TV Addict reports that the second episode, "The Target", is even better than the premiere.

Said: Clive Barker

2009-02-05T07:54:00.000-08:00

The extraordinary thing is this: that the moment you make a story or create an image that finds favour with an audience, you’ve effectively lost it. It toddles off, the little bastard; it becomes the property of the fans. It’s they who create around it their own mythologies; who make sequels and prequels in their imagination; who point out the inconsistencies in your plotting. I can envisage no greater compliment. What more could a writer or a film maker ever ask, than that their fiction be embraced and become part of the dream-lives of people who it’s likely he’ll never even meet?

Hellraiser, Book 1 Introduction by Clive Barker, December 1989

February Features Part II: Were the World Mine

2009-02-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Timothy is a gay student at an all boys private school. As would be expected with such a premise, he is taunted regularly, but one boy, Jonathon begins to take on a protective role. When the exuberant drama and literature professor hands Timothy a flyer for the upcoming Senior student production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, he takes it reluctantly but soon finds he has talent if not in the world of sports like his peers. Timothy’s interest in the play takes another turn when it becomes clear that since the production is being stage at an all boys school, some will have to take the parts of females as they have done historically. While the majority of the rugby team is far from enthused, Timothy smiles at the prospect of getting a chance to be closer to Jonathon. Cast as Puck, Timothy’s musical daydreams and investment in the role intertwine with reality with comedic and heartfelt results as Timothy pursues the rugby-jock amidst Renaissance pop/rock and chaos. The film is a remake of director Tom Gustafson’s own award-winning short film, Fairies from 2003. Otherwise relatively new to the director’s chair, Gustafson, is a veteran in the film industry having been involved in casting for several Hollywood productions.

Were the World Mine starts off slowly and in fact, stumbles a bit in its exposition. Characters at the onset are too broadly drawn and there is not even a clear sense of who the main character is beyond being a gay high school student at a private school, notably those on the Rugby team. His relationship with his mother, at times referenced as an important one, should feel more essential than it is portrayed on screen. It is a situation that would not necessarily be resolved my more screen time, but screen time of a higher quality. The scene in which the mother is introduced is awkward at best, clearly intended to possess important subtext, but one not tactfully integrated therein. This would seem to be a result of casting choice stemming not from the inability of the actors as individuals but their chemistry together. A few other relationships suffer from the same problem. The film meanders for about a third of its running time, which is unfortunate, but not catastrophic as the groundwork is laid well enough and there is a smattering of character exchanges that will be necessary later on. As an audience member, my perception of the film’s first act could be skewed by the fact that I was anticipating more music and at that, music sooner in the film. There are teases to that end in the beginning but nothing so fleshed out as a musical number until almost halfway through.

When that musical number does materialize one realizes how much of the story that had come before is so woven into the narrative on the grander scale. I would also add that this scene is arguably the best in the entire movie. It’s too bad that other songs in the film rarely achieve the same quality and ambiance of this one-a beautifully shot, artistic, imaginative encounter between Timothy and Jonathon. As in Shakespeare’s play, all things begin to change when Timothy reaches the part in the book about “Cupid’s love juice”-wordplay not lost on the mostly gay audience members. His prop, as Puck, is a long-stemmed purple flower and with it he wields the same power to sway the hearts of men and women alike begging the question uttered in the film, “if you could make someone love you, would you?” and whether he will use that power to ensnare the boy of his own dreams. Once the music starts, the boys and girls start dancing-but especially the boys-and the town becomes swept up in Puck’s spell, the laughs come more quickly and there is a joy and anticipation in all of it that make the trip to the film’s warm conclusion all the more worthwhile.

If there were one criticism I would make of the film, it would be toward the its lack of consistent, if not faster, pacing. This ties in to my notion that despite the film having a sound structure, it was that the structure was too visible. Given the subject matter and lighthearted tone of the film, there are bound to be contrivances, but the film could have been more fleshed out and tighter in its execution. More music for example, would have been appropriate, especially as the film has been marketed as such. There is a lot of room here for further display of choreographing and musical artistry interlaced within the narrative. Finally, the film would have benefited from character interactions and dialogue that evoked a higher level of emotional significance. While the character stakes could have been amplified, I can certainly understand the desire to keep it on the playful side. Still, we have seen musical and textual poaching at play with great emotional depth across a well-constructed narrative in musical films like Moulin Rouge where it works together fantastically. I would have liked to see the director take his work more in that direction.

On the whole, Were the World Mine is a welcome addition to the plethora of remakes and interpretations of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As such it brings the worlds of literature, gay cinema and the Broadway musical together in a new and innovative fashion. Even if not perfect, Were the World Mine, in the same vein as Hedwig and the Angry Inch, is a film that rises above typical portrayals of gay and lesbian characters and expresses the lasting potential of Shakespeare’s work especially in its use of different media. These aspects are promising to the world of gay cinema, but also to that of alternative and independent film.

Adieu, Oscar Wilde

2009-02-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

On March 29, 2009, our nation's oldest gay bookstore will close its doors due to the ailing economy. The news article and a statement from current owner Kim Brinster comes via The New York Times City Room blog.

This past October, I made a special effort to visit The Oscar Wilde Bookshop in Greenwich Village where I bought an out-of-print art book. I had searched everywhere online before coming here and even once when I placed an order-the retailer later refunded me when they realized it was out of stock. I kicked myself for not buying it when I first came across it in the Castro District in San Francisco over a year ago. The owner and her partner both help in the operations of Oscar Wilde and it probably was Kim who sold me my prize after my long quest to re-find the art collection.

I've said it before, but it's incredible to think about all the history that has gone on in just a few blocks in New York-something one might say about any neighborhood in New York. Just down the street from Oscar Wilde is The Stonewall Inn, the location of the Stonewall riots that took place in 1969-which The Oscar Wilde predates by two years-when police raided the establishment, a sobering reminder of where we were then vs. today and how far the gay community has yet to go. This winter, Milk, too gave us a glimpse of the tumultous journey individuals and communities have embarked upon for the benefit of simple human rights, never able to fully grasp the long-lasting implications of their struggles.

Even if I was there for just one afternoon, I'm glad to have experienced the legacy, landmark and refuge that is The Oscar Wilde Bookshop. And I'll always have the book I had to go all the way across the country to get on my shelf.

Kim's full letter appears here on the bookstore's website with the quote:

"There is no truth comparable to Sorrow.
There are times when Sorrow seems to me to be the only truth."
-Oscar Wilde

"Why hello, birthday!"

2009-02-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

Our favorite fashionista icon, Brenda Dickson, turned the big 6-0 today. Remember her?

I was just thinking that it had been a while since I had last visited the home of our ostrich-feathered,red-leathered 80s soap diva. And I really couldn't let this opportunity pass by without posting this once more:

Deven Green has created a few more "Welcome To My Home" parodies since the first one that had over 2 million hits, but the original above still takes the cake. The most recent video came out a couple months ago and you can view it along with the rest, including another goodie, "Welcome To My Face Off", at Green's YouTube channel.

Nikki and Ryan, am I right in my recollection that about 75 percent of our conversations at Slayage had something to do with either Buffy or Brenda?

I'll take partial credit for introducing the latter to the great city of Toronto. :)

"Why hello, amorous, congruous stick! You know what's good in my mouth? This carrot. Never met a carrot I didn't like. Except for this one!..."

Super Sunday

2009-02-03T15:07:00.000-08:00

This is what my Super Bowl Sunday looked like: (Times are approximate)

9:50 Wake-up. Text Keith, "brunch?" Keith: "Yes." Me: "Grocery store. 15 minutes."

10:45 Coffee. A big plate of biscuits & gravy, eggs.

11:00 Angel Season 1, Episode 1, "City Of"

12:00 Keith: "Want to go to the gym." Me: "No." Me: "Actually, yes."

12:30 Gym. Elliptical. Weights. Balancing thingy. More weights. Abs. Shower.

2:00 Keith: "Mecquet wants to watch the Super Bowl." Me: "Oh. Okay." Mecquet: "Well maybe we don't actually have to watch it." Me: "Well, we can have it on while we do other things like filling out my FAFSA and doing Taxes." Mecquet: "I win." Keith & Mecquet: "Let's get beer and chips." Me: "Okay."

2:15 Grocery store. Walk to Keith's.

3:00 Super Bowl

3:05 Open computer. Start taxes.

3:15 Ooh, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra teaser trailer. Looks like it could be mindless summer fun. Directed by Stephen Sommers-who did The Mummy flicks.

3:16 More taxes.

3:30 Me: "Mecquet, what's a 'turnover'?" Tom: "It's like a baked crisp, apple desser-" Mecquet: "It's just when the other team gets the ball." Me: "Oh. Okay. Cool."

3:55 Ooh, new Star Trek trailer. Definitely awesome with tons of new footage.

4:00 Finish taxes.

4:05 Eat chips.

4:10 Finish beer.

4:11 At this point, I'm feeling very American-all with the taxes, beer and Super Bowl.

4:12 Start FAFSA. Not too hard now that I'm no longer an undergraduate and my taxes are done.

4:30 Ooh, Land of the Lost trailer with Will Ferrell. Does not look very good. At all.

4:50 Finish FAFSA.

4:52 Open a new beer. Surf online and come across Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Super Bowl teaser trailer-which at this point has not even aired during the Super Bowl. I have no idea how that happens. The internet is magic. Me: "Mecquet, I found the Transformers trailer online that you've been waiting all afternoon to see." Mecquet: "I hate you. Then this whole afternoon of watching the Super Bowl has been pointless. I'm waiting."

5:15 Mecquet: "Okay if the Transformers trailer hasn't come on during this commercial break we're watching it online."

5:17 Me: "No Transformers." Hook computer up to big TV. Watch Transformers trailer on the internet. Apparently the scenes in the trailer are just from the first 20 minutes of the movie. It should make for a thrilling theatrical experience.

5:45 Transformers 2 trailer finally airs on the television. High definition one is better than the YouTube version, obviously.

6:00 Randy calls. Randy: "Car got broken into. Nothing stolen just a smashed window. Do you want to drive to the movie?" Mecquet: "I'll drive."

6:05 Pick up Randy and Lacey.

6:20 Eat at Chipotle. Delicious. Since I stopped living in the University District, going to Chipotle is always such a treat. This week I was spoiled. I went twice.

7:10 Walk to The Varsity theatre on the Ave.

7:15 Sit down in the theatre. See Were the World Mine. Trailer here. Review to come.

9:05 Leave theatre. Drive home.

9:30 Eat Trader Joes Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich. Oh my gosh. So good.

10:00 Bedtime.

Gym Poem

2009-02-03T08:31:00.001-08:00

I recently started going back to the gym and it feels totally good. Speaking of which, I need to stock up on some protein for my shakes...

More witty comics by these guys over at Left-Handed Toons.

February Features Part I: Serenity

2009-02-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

For the first time in several months, I went to see a movie in the theatre two nights in a row. Now that I have weekends free-though offset by severely early mornings the rest of the week-they have recently tended to be filled with gut-wrenchingly hilarious game nights, satisfying writing sessions and movie screenings. Lately, I seem to have been watching a fair amount of depressing films or those filled with a high level of discomfort inducing content-see particularly, Towelhead, or don’t see it if you’re like me and thought that you couldn’t be so disturbed but quickly bowed to the effects of a narrative primarily concerned with pedophilia and childhood sexuality. Thus, I have been shifting my choices a bit to more light-hearted fare to get me out of that rut. There is, of course, a place for darker films, but I occasionally prefer my movies to be of a relaxing nature.

Which brings me to this weekend. I was thrilled to see that featured on this week’s midnight movies at The Egyptian a few blocks from my apartment was Serenity. The fact that I sat down to watch it on Saturday night in January and came out of the theatre in February a few weeks away from the conference where I would be presenting on it was exciting. That and I had been writing about it all day. A great opportunity at an opportune time. I love this movie.

I had never seen it on the big screen before and while I knew it would be a dramatically different experience, I really wasn’t prepared for it to be so deeply affecting again even after so many repeat viewings, including those with commentary. I cried at parts I had never cried at before-specifically when Simon is cleaning the blood off of River’s face after her "activation" on Maidenhead. River is crying and says "It isn’t mine. The memory. I didn’t bring it and I shouldn’t have to carry it, it isn’t mine." To Simon, she nearly begs, "don’t make me sleep again." When watching this scene, I realized the significance of River’s innocence and the burden she bears. The image of a young woman who has been taken advantage of is a powerful one. The comparison that I thought of while watching-and it likely reaches farther than analogy-is that River has been raped. Her body, but of more consequence, her mind, has been invaded against her will and the Alliance has placed things there that are foreign to her. In the wake of those events, River is reeling from the psychological damage that has been inflicted upon her and the desperation to recover. To see that tragedy play out on screen is utterly heartbreaking.

As other characters were torn, slashed, and shot during the film and I discussed it later with a friend who saw it then for the first time, a simple thought came to me. I think one of Whedon’s core principles which makes his work so successful is that he hurts people-his characters anyway. I would say that Whedon isn’t afraid to hurt people, if not for the fact that I believe he is afraid to hurt his characters-as would anyone who cares for someone-but sees it as necessary for their growth and the impact of the story unveiled on screen.

I left the theatre with an enormous satisfaction about my experience with Serenity in the theatre. Rather than watched it, I feel like I experienced it which should be the case with any movie you see in the theatre vs. DVD, but when you watch Serenity on that scale, enclosed in the dark, it’s special. To me, the screening opened up my eyes to the emotional scope of the film and how different Serenity is than so many other movies of that genre, but also how different Serenity is from anything because it transcends genre as a text wrought with meaning. Have I mentioned that I love this film? The phrase "character-driven" is overused, but with Serenity, it rings true. These characters could be placed in any number of situations and the beauty would not be in the set pieces, effects, or the burning afterglow of a Firefly engine, but the manner in which these characters interact and most of the time, love each other.

And the Browncoats gained another member as my friend-who stayed up late to see it-with no previous Firefly experience loved the movie and looks forward to his introduction to the show and sometime soon, another "different" tome, Buffy.

No More Masks

2009-02-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

A nifty concept poster for Watchmen.

And because you haven't seen enough Watchmen awesomeness yet, a newly released still from the film featuring Dr. Manhattan in a bar brawl of the supernatural kind:

I am so excited for this movie.

Judy in January

2009-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

January 2009 was a good month for the blog-with the most posts of any month so far and the most visits! Thanks for spreading the love. I think this year is off to a good start.

On this last day of January, I am pleased to give you Travel Correspondent, Judy Grimes, once again.

I want to be able to do that.

Knowing: With Good Intent

2009-01-29T13:07:00.001-08:00

Mediocre, high profile studio flicks with actors that I really don't care for become a whole lot more interesting when you see and read all the behind-the-scenes stuff. There are actually "ideas," "inspiration", "art" and "thought" that go behind making even the most generic looking disaster-of-the-week movies. Who knew? Such is the case for Alex Proyas' newest film-a project originally attached to Donnie Darko director, Richard Kelly-Knowing...with Nicolas Cage.

The National Treasure movies were fairly bland at best-although I enjoyed the second slightly more than the first. Ghost Rider was one of the more painful viewing experiences I have had to endure in recent years-and in the theatre to boot. (I can't believe the studio just greenlit a second installment). Is Moonstruck really the only good film Nicolas Cage has done in...ever? Proyas has stated that Knowing is the "polar opposite of National Treasure" so maybe there is a reason to be looking forward to the movie on some level.

In any case, I found this article on io9 to be an eye-opening look into the production of Knowing and it admittedly pushed me slightly forward in the direction of wanting to see it-if only to get a sense of the artistic intent and a different look at apocalypse narratives-and even then, perhaps only on DVD.

Knowing comes out on March 20, 2009.

Teddies of the Vampyre Variety

2009-01-29T09:32:00.001-08:00

Issue 22 of Buffy Season 8 goes on sale next Wednesday. Kennedy is sent to evaluate Satsu's performance on the field and Buffy is pursued by adorable-scratch that-ferocious little fuzzballs. Steven S. DeKnight-writer of such Whedon-dom as Buffy's "Blood Ties" and Angel's "The Girl in Question" plus Dollhouse-is penning this issue.

Great cover. They're all like miniature, Dracula-themed Build-a-Bears, but evil.

Final Watchmen Poster

2009-01-28T13:49:00.001-08:00

Here is the final poster for Watchmen, which is being released on March 6th of this year. I'm happy the legal battles between Fox and Warner Brothers is over and there is likely to be no tangible aftermath for the fans-Warner Brothers, on the other hand, will have to fork out a heavy amount of cash as Fox technically still held the rights to the film-for 20 some odd years.

Below is a mock-up of a photograph taken of Dr. Manhattan as he aids in the American forces in Vietnam on the first day of Operation Wrath of God (June 15 1970) during the alternate history depicted in Watchmen.

I was able to read Watchmen over the holidays between long plane rides and hours of waiting at airports. It really is a phenomenal piece of literature. The characters are full of enormous depth and there text itself transcends both the typical novel and graphic novel forms with a novel within a novel and historical documents and articles from the period that do wonders to add to the "authenticity" of the work. It reads very much like exploits from a thrilling part of our own history-even one that didn't actually happen-because the writing, timeline and cultural references are so poignant. On my part, I found it immensely fascinating that the main events of Watchmen, take place over the week of my birth in an alternate 1985-I had no idea before I picked it up. Alan Moore also writes his superheros with souls-something that has been tried so many times since the book was written in 1985 in comics and films, but rarely achieved. The "Watchmen"-though they are never pinned with that name in the book-are grounded in their own personalities, motivations and environments. There's a reason this book is on TIME magazine's list of the top 100 novels.

I would do my best to find a copy of it before you see the film. I expect to refer to Watchmen again and again in my personal reading and writing in addition to future academic efforts.

Read it. Love it. And come see it with me on March 6th!

A Different House

2009-01-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

Dollhouse, unsurprisingly, isn't the only project in the works from Whedon. You've got to figure that a mind like that is practically drowning in brilliance.

Having built a dollhouse-a rather large one-on one side of town, he's building something else in the form of a feature film project called The Cabin in the Woods. It will be co-written and produced by Joss while other writing and directorial duties will go to Drew Goddard, already a name known to fans of Buffy and Angel, but also one tied to Cloverfield, Alias and Lost. All we really know-besides the recent casting of Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing)-is that it is a horror movie and according to Whedon, "it's the horror movie to end all horror movies...literally." Thanks, Joss. Perhaps a little genre-deconstruction for good measure? When I think of a cabin in the woods, my mind immediately goes to the house in the Evil Dead movies and I would suspect the title is meant to evoke that being a horror movie. Oh, and there are teenagers in the film too. That, we do know.

A few days ago, a blog compiled the information and misinformation that has been revealed thus far from various sources in article format, although the results far from conclusive-which, to be honest is a little exciting. I like thinking that of all people, Whedon can keep a good secret, especially after reading the smirk-inducing quote of his below about The Cabin in the Woods.

In order to protect the story from spoilerization, we've been sending out our OWN misinformation, including fake sides for the actors, fake summaries, different names... So there's gonna be a lot of 'information' leaked that will lead to excited speculation about things you will not see. Sorry. But here's some stuff you CAN look forward to, my word on it: 1) A person will have an emotion. 2) Two people speaking, or "dialogue", may occur. 3) A bunch of different people will play the part of Bob Dylan. Hope that clears everything up. More updates soon!

Clever, clever.

The movie has a release of February 5th, 2010, although in just over a year, anything can change. But then again it's only a year away!

Whedon Makes Headlines

2009-01-27T08:08:00.000-08:00

A well deserved nomination for Buffy Season 8 has been announced for the 20th Annual GLAAD-Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation-Media Awards. The event will be held on May 9, 2009 in San Francisco.

The nominations for Outstanding Comic Book alongside Buffy are:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Drew Goddard, Jeph Loeb and Joss Whedon (Dark Horse Comics)
The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames (Vertigo/DC Comics)
Final Crisis: Revelations by Greg Rucka (DC Comics)
Secret Six by Gail Simone (DC Comics)
Young Avengers Presents by Ed Brubaker, Brian Reed, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Paul Cornell, Kevin Grevioux and Matt Fraction (Marvel Comics)

Of course, the nomination is undoubtedly for the portrayal of Buffy's "experimenting" in issue 12 of Buffy Season 8-the plot-point-that-must-not-be-discussed (at least it was in June during Slayage). When it came out, the New York Times even wrote about the "episode" and interviewed Whedon regarding the encounter and other issues of cultural resonance. That article here.

If Buffy didn't always get the broad recognition it deserved while it was on television, audiences and critics seem to be warming to its influence and cultural significance, even if some of them are approximately half a decade late. Thankfully, Buffy's back in the comics and in the media in general as Dollhouse marketing does its thing, always accompanied in promos with the inter-title "From Joss Whedon, Creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer."

The question that many people are asking is "will Dollhouse be good?" when really they should ask themselves, "when has Whedon not been good?" I would say the positives far outweigh the negatives-including the so-bad-it's-good, "I Robot...You, Jane." A Toronto Correspondent for A'n'E Vibe suggests that "Perhaps Whedon’s problem is that he’s too ahead of the cultural time," and that "His ideas are too vast, too wide-reaching, and too complex for the normal hour-long slots allotted to him." Are general audiences that resistant to the kind of content he provides or is it just an example of not enough good programming and people settling for "simpler" content?

When I was picking up the latest issue of Angel: After The Fall at the comic book shop the other day, the storekeeper asked me if I was excited about Dollhouse. I paused at first because no one had really asked me that just yet and my experience with Buffy, Angel and Firefly have almost exclusively been post-airing. I said, "yes" followed by "I hope it is good!" Then she asked, "Well, when has he ever let us down?" and I completely agree.

There's so much riding on the intitial reactions for Dollhouse and it's a lot to live up to. It's like the anticipation leading up to the Obama administration-ushering in a "New Era" for the United States of America. There is an expectation that this is the new "Whedon Era" while audiences and studios seem to possess shorter attention spans than ever before. Pressure, much? Whedon and FOX assure their viewers that putting Dollhouse in a Friday night time slot paired with Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles-of which Whedon says he is a devoted fan-allows Dollhouse the appropriate environment in which to germinate. I absolutely want Dollhouse to be great. And it is certainly not my faith in Whedon that is shaken, but my faith in how the modern entertainment landscape is one filled with those quick to judge and eager for the "next great thing." Whedon can take all the time he needs with my shows and really, when has that actually taken so long anyway?

My friend Kj made a great point about the evolution of Buffy saying:

i just re-watched the first two buffy episodes on Hulu while spell checking and am surprised to see how it actually feels like the same show. in my mind the first two seasons were so different from what it eventually became.

How true-we liked Buffy in the beginning and we liked Buffy at the end-but it was no doubt different to some extent. Whedon's shows always build and expound upon themselves, if given the time and freedom, and the joy in watching them is how plot and ideas are revealed, not to mention the masterful character arcs. Whedon has a way of fine-tuning all the elements of a "good" television show and making them work well and together.

Whedon's in control of Dollhouse-and he is perhaps more in control in this show than in any previous television series he has been involved with. The exception to that may be Dr. Horrible, but that's somewhat of a different ball game. It's not hard to trust Whedon after the multitude of relevant narratives he has helped create, whether they have been recognized on a large scale like the Emmys, GLAAD Awards or not.

Come February 13th and every Friday after that, I will be watching what I expect to be an example of fantastic television artistry, Dollhouse.

Pretty Picture of Dolls

2009-01-26T14:50:00.000-08:00

There are some cool pictures floating out there from the first episode of Dollhouse, "Ghost." Some of them show more of Amy Acker's character, Dr. Claire Saunders, and her appearance which has been the subject of much speculation.

Check out more at SpoilerTV.

Music in the 'house

2009-01-25T16:45:00.001-08:00

Some of the music that has been chosen for Dollhouse thus far. These may change before airing, but there are some interesting choices.

I wasn't watching Buffy when it was on television, so I don't know fully to what extent the music choices-such as the artists and songs played at The Bronze-were informed by contemporary music. Thoughts?

"Ghost"
February 13th

Lady Gaga - "Just Dance"

"Gray Hour"
February 20th

Sia - "I Go To Sleep"

"The Target"
February 27th

Light FM - "The High"

Via Dollverse.

It was also recently announced that Rob Simonsen would be composing the music for Dollhouse. He has worked on the scores for Capote, Little Miss Sunshine, Fracture and Surf's Up among many other projects.

Taproot's Tuesdays

2009-01-25T13:58:00.000-08:00

Clocking in at 34 pages and about 16,000 words, my production packet for Taproot Theatre's production of Tuesdays with Morrie is locked and sent off with loads of information to be devoured by actors and artistic staff.

The play is based on the autobiographical book by Mitch Albom and chronicles the relationship with Albom and his professor Morrie Shwartz who is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease and the lessons about life that both learn in the process.

Rehearsals begin soon and the play, directed by Karen Lund, is set to go live for audiences March 27-April 25 with previews on March 25 & 26. Look for my display in the lobby!

With Feeling

2009-01-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I never actually owned this album before now. Maybe it's because whenever I got the craving for it, I went and watched the episode. Now I can listen to it anytime, anywhere courtesy of a sale on Amazon where I bought it for a cool $5.00.