F*** the itinerary

My personal favorite colored movie cannot be boiled down to one, but rather multiple movies all directed by Wes Anderson. His signature style can be compared to one of my hometown pizza (square & thin crusted) restaurants, people either love it or hate it. With the implication that color effects emotions such as, increased blood pressure, Anderson executes that very well. For each of his films, they almost entrance you with the desire to be a part of that time and setting, just with the one of his many contributing factors like his color palette. Here are some examples of writers who elaborated on his unique style:

Emily Temple from flovorwire,

“The colors Anderson picks are remarkably true to brand across his catalog — boy, does he love those warm, saturated yellows  — but we think it’s even more impressive that we can easily recall the feeling of all of these films just by looking at five of their principal colors.”

Lauren Duca from Huffington Post,

“Wes Anderson has always had a very particular way of creating these magical, specific worlds where emotional events of colossal importance occur.”

Caitlin Dewey from Washington Post,

“Saturated, ’70s color palette? Yep. Of all the mainstream directors working today, few have such defined and recognizable aesthetics as Anderson.”

Laura Havlin from anothermag,

“The fictional worlds evoked in film by director Wes Anderson have such a precise colouration – the very particular pastel-hues that paint the skies, drench the buildings and dress the characters, render Anderson’s microcosms almost dream-like. The hazy-hued lens through which we peer into the director’s unique world has a retro quality that casts his films in a nostalgia for a time that could have been.”

American Horror Story (Haley Carroll)

American Horror story recently premiered their fourth season this past October which is based on a freak show located in Jupiter, Florida. Various reviews have been announced amongst my peers and some say this season doesn't compare to the previous three and other have trouble sleeping at night due to the image of twisty the clown imprinted in their memory. Opinions will differ depending on the viewer, but I stumbled upon an two adamant reviews that stood out from the rest, writers Ken Tucker and Mike Hale.

Found in the Hollywood Reporter Ken Tucker wrote an interesting article on this abnormal television series. Tucker used words such as "obvious" and "slow-paced" to describe freak show. Tucker also made it a point to mention that is this season cannot appeal to a viewer that was eager to watch it, such as himself, how would it lure in new and uninformed viewers? In addition he says if you look past the strange anatomy within the talent and the limited murders committed, the plot lacks an unoriginal story line. Tucker reveals that he hopes the show reveals new surprises to keep the viewers interested in the upcoming episodes. Although, aside from the plot, Ken Tucker does mention the gorgeous production value and the admirable performances given. The cast make-up is so realistic, yet so beautifully done that we forget what really lies beneath.

Mike Hale, who wrote a blog posted on "MegaCritic" from the New York Times, focus' more on the absent scare factor of the season. He notes that the style of the show has been consistent but in the newest season lacks the creepy, squeamish feel we are used to. Hale also mentions the clear imitation of the Tod Brownings "Freaks" from 1932, those familiar with "Freaks" would definitely agree. As the episodes air week by week they become less and less scary. What i found most interesting about Hale's review is he took an intense approach by stating that Freak show is a metaphor, in which the sideshow performers dream of being stars and form their own shadow version of a Hollywood studio pecking order. Hale lastly writes about how sex plays a more evident role in Freak show than the previous seasons. Between Jimmy Darlings Lobster hands and the black and white orgy projected on the screen, this season plays with the horror within sex.

As a huge fan of the American Horror story seasons, I fell in love with freak show. I disagree with some of the previous statements made but could see where both of the critics were coming from. I feel the plot runs much deeper than what is projected in front of us, but that is for the audience to decipher. Overall, I respect the reviews and was entirely intrigued with the statements being said on the new American Horror story: Freak Show.

American Horror Story: See, I told ya it was derivative!

New article from AV Club website speculates that American Horror Story may be heading down hill fast for if it doesn't start getting original soon…

Do you agree with the points raised in this article? Has the show used up too many of its own recycled ideas?

"Friday Night Lights" Review

Wow, was the series finale of “Friday Night Lights” good.  This episode was the epic conclusion of the show’s five seasons.

This episode written by Peter Berg, the series’ creator, showed just how much of a genius he is.

Berg presents all issues the show’s characters are facing and solves them in the one-hour finale.

Besides the anxiety of the upcoming state championship game, the Taylor’s are dealing with the dilemma of where they will live in the future. Eric (Kyle Chandler) was offered the head coaching position of the “super team” in West Dillon and Tami (Connie Britton) was offered the dean of admissions position at a college in Philadelphia.

For a couple that has always been perfect together, Berg brilliantly had their dispute be one of the show’s main storylines as it is approached its end.

After realizing how much Tami wants to go to Philadelphia, Eric ultimately decides that he will turn down the job with the Panthers.

Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) returns to Dillon from Chicago and surprises Julie Taylor (Aimee Teegarden)  at the Taylor’s home. They go to the least romantic place in town — the Alamo Freeze — where he proposes to Julie and gives her his grandmother’s ring and she said yes. Thankfully.

Becky Sproles’ (Dora Madison Burge) mother returns to Dillon, so she moves out of the Riggins’ home. Mindy (Stacey Oristano) acted like she just put up with Becky the throughout her time staying with them, but she breaks down as Becky is leaving, showing that she truly does care about her.

After Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) says that he is thinking about moving to Alaska, he ultimately decides to build a house on the land he own in Dillion. He reveals this information to Tyra (Adrianne Palicki) and says he will never do anything illegal again — as he sips a beer as a 19-year-old.   

The final six minutes of the episode was the perfect kicker to an incredible series.

It began with showing the team preparing for the state championship and Vince Howard (Michael B. Jordan) telling Coach Taylor, “You changed my life, coach.”

Then highlights of the game are shown in a montage until there’s three seconds left. These highlights are shown in an extremely dramatic and cinematic way to illustrate the pure emotion all the players, coaches and fans feel during the game.

The Lions are down five points and have the ball. They need to convert a hail mary to win the state championship. Vince Howard throws the ball and as it’s about be caught in the end zone the show cuts to eight months later to Coach Taylor’s new team practicing in Philadelphia.

Then in a montage the audience sees Vince, Buddy Garrity Jr (Jeff Rosick) and Tinker (Wayne Reid) practicing for the Dillion Panthers. Luke Cafferty (Matt Lauria) giving Becky his state championship ring before he gets on the bus to army boot camp. Tami walks on her new school’s campus in Philadelphia and Matt and Julie are shown in their apartment in Chicago.

The last moment of the show was perfect. 

Eric and Tami Taylor walked off the field in Philadelphia as the lights turned off to not only end their evening but to end the series “Friday Night Lights.”

Many people have asked me what my favorite part of the episode was, which for me is an easy answer: The fact it was never said that Lions won the state championship. Rather, they let the audience figure it out by seeing the players wearing their rings.

Moments like this are what made “Friday Night Lights” so incredible for five seasons. Berg not only entertained the audience, but he also made them think. That’s what I will miss the most. 

Critic emulated:  Virginia Heffernan

Aaron Swartz and Anonymous

After watching the documentary about Aaron Swartz, I couldn't help but think of ANONYMOUS, an international "activist" collective that voices any kind of concern about corruption. Through hacking and protesting, Anonymous has recently picked up momentum since its start in 2003. With the name Anonymous, it can never be specified who/whom is engaged and involved in this intricate web. In addition, Anonymous has been known to hold public activist protest events, where members wear creepy masks. Talk about an American Horror Story kind of style in mask choice huh? 

According to an article from The Guardian, "Anonymous said there were Million Mask Marches in 481 locations this year and has claimed it is the largest global protest. Cities where protests took place included Washington DC, Vancouver, Tel Aviv, Dublin, Paris, Chicago, Sydney and Kabul."


Recently, in another article from the Huffington Post, "Members of the hacker collective Anonymous are targeting the Ku Klux Klan after the designated hate group reportedly threatened protesters in Ferguson, Missouri. The hackers claim to have seized two KKK Twitter accounts and say that they have launched denial-of-service attacks against a number of white supremacist websites affiliated with the Klan. The group has also publicized personal information allegedly belonging to KKK members."

 Sorry but I really love this picture of Aaron Swartz styling a "SCIENCE: it works, bitches" T-shirt

In comparison to Anonymous, Aaron Swartz did not hide behind a mask or attempt to conceal his identity. He openly and freely voiced his opinions and provided lectures to the public about his ideas, beliefs and plans for the future. For these reasons, I find Aaron Swartz's efforts to be inspiring and commendable. If only we could truly and thoroughly access/understand all of his motives, potential schemes and intentions! I admire the fact that he as an individual was not afraid to question the workings of the world, have curiosity for knowledge and not possess the fear to challenge unjust laws such as SOPA (The Stop Online Piracy Act), which was unconstitutional.

However, it is unfortunate that the law seemed to work against him at one point by labeling him as a "felon" due to his "unknown motives" for downloading files from JSTOR. Felons and their crimes are on a spectrum, but I really would like to believe that Swartz's motives were to honestly benefit the majority of the public instead of solely himself or some other selfish cause. From my impression of Swartz he was a human rights activist, progressive, intellect and creative. His punishment (of 50 years) was more severe than felons guilty of: manslaughter, bank robbery, selling child pornography, knowingly spreading AIDS, selling slaves and even THREATENING THE PRESIDENT! To me, this is crazy.

Moreover, I completely agree with Swartz that, "books are cultural legacy", and to not have access to them (and having to pay with a credit card to access them with funds going to big corporations) is unjust. I think that the attempt to, "make an example out of Swartz" just goes to show that KNOWLEDGE REALLY IS POWER. I think that we as human beings should have the right to share public knowledge and not necessarily "own" historic archives. We have many freedoms, but do we really need to put that "we have a freedom to obtaining and sharing knowledge through online means"?

Lastly I would just like to bring up a key point in this documentary about Swartz's character being portrayed in a positive light. Several people mention that Swartz was not looking to utilize the knowledge and power he had to be greedy financially. This is directly portrayed when he quit his job, despite being paid a pretty decent salary. This also is supported since Swartz did not steal or sell the documents downloaded onto his computer. The kid preferred to wear plain t-shirts and jeans! He was by no means materialistic or extremely superficial. He slept in a room that was practically the size of a closet and was content! It can definitely be argued that the hacking Swartz did was to obtain more knowledge and share his intellect with the public for free. Where is the harm in that? I mean, it's not like he was hacking people's personal accounts with credit card information! On the other hand, there is to some degree an unfair advantage to having access to all of these files, especially ones that may be have been private.

The Bright Sunny Life of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia

                                The Bright Sunny Life of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia
 

            A dysfunctional tv show is something that in prior years would make a viewer uncomfortable and anxious but as the years have passed so has society’s outlook on dysfunction.  One thing has remained constant and that’s the gang. In my opinion, “the gang” is a simplistic representation of societal problems on modern America.  In prior seasons, the show would take on relevant problems in our society and simply try and solve or adapt to the problem in their own hilariously, menacingly, narcissistic, and downright atrocious ways.

            Its Always Sunny’s unique style is an attribute that is usually unseen in comedies of this particular genre.  The character development in the past 8 seasons has been seen as irrelevant, the characters are constant in their behaviors from season one through season eight. In season nine all of the abuse and animosity is taking its toll on the character’s temperaments. For example in the season premier “The Gang Broke Dee” you finally see the result of a lifetime of verbal abuse on Deeandra Reynolds. She finally snaps and slumps into a depression, in her state of self-loathing she finds herself finally able to perform on stage for the first time.  Little does Dee know it was all an elaborate joke to mess with her head and deteriorate her self esteem as an actress, comedian, or on stage performer. The punch line of the episode remains constant with the show’s cruelty. Deeandra’s progression as a person and character is seen in a very tangible way. Another clear example of character progression is in the episode “Flowers for Charlie”. We find the show’s wildcard in an experiment where Charlie is given medication to increase his capacity for knowledge and increase his I.Q. Now if you don’t know the show Charlie is the bars foolhardy, idiotic, illiterate, childish janitor who secretly contains a heart of gold. Charlie thinks his I.Q. rising at a rather alarming rate to where after a day, believes himself to be a genius that is far more intelligent than his cohorts. His arrogance begins to surge to the point to where he is almost terminating any and all of his former relationships so that he may follow “his new and more substantial interests with my new friends who are better suited for those interests, so as you can see, Frank (his roommate/father/best friend) is feeling a little bit marginalized”.  Later in the episode he is finally presented to a board of doctors where Charlie rambles on about his great invention that will “change everything”, little do we know that his invention is complete tomfoolery, his invention was the ability for a cat to talk to a “spyder”.  Charlie is then informed that the pill he was given was actually just a sugar pill and his intelligence was just a placebo effect and as a result of his fake intelligence his arrogance skyrocketed. 

            

These episodes all have a similar characteristic that is “inevitable change, something that is shown in the simple long awaited changes in the characters.  For instance Mac is finally acknowledged as a homosexual as seen in the episode “Mac Day.” My favorite of all the closure focused episodes was the episode “The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award” which, while was all about the bar winning the best bar award, was obviously directed at certain award organizations such as The Peoples Choice Awards, The Golden Globes or The Emmys. It’s Always Sunny has never had any lines or restriction and made comedy at other’s expense, so due to that the show has not really gotten a great deal of attention. This episode was a nice subtle yet obvious way to show that they get it and that it would have meant a lot to win an award.  In my opinion, this show is more than deserving to receive an award, and as a fan will be quite despaired at the terminus of this tremendously absurdly comically amusing show. It had a tremendous run, nine seasons is a lot for any show, especially one that didn’t think they would get past the first. This crude, vulgar and obscene show grasped the heart of thousands and will be sorely missed as they go on in my personal echoes of comedy greatness. It’s been a long sunny ride and you shall be missed.



Critic Replicated: http://www.slantmagazine.com/tv/review/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia-season-nine

Gilmore Girls Say I Love You

The season one finale of Gilmore Girls opens with the pound of a hammer and Lorelai jumping out of bed. 

“Good God Almighty and Mr. Mirckle.”

Cut to Lorelai bursting into Rory’s bedroom.

“Hey.”

“What?” Rory asks sleepily.

The pounding continues.

“You are not sleeping through this.”

“Through what?”

“The frickin’ Blue Man Group is outside our house!”

“I was sleeping through it.”

“It had to have woken you up.”

“No, my insane mother, Margot Kidder Gilmore, woke me up!”

Rory rolls back in bed.

The pounding continues. It’s six-thirty in the morning and the Gilmore girls still have their wit and badinage loaded up. Good thing the pounding noise is only coming from their pal and coffee supplier, Luke, just fixing up their porch rail. Because this is Stars Hollow where everyone knows everything about everyone and trespassing someone’s home to touch-up the place with a fresh coat of paint or to fix a railing? That’s just a good neighbor!

But Luke’s gone and the scene is over and we move on to the next speedy exchange. The next exchange, includes the meaning of ennui, coffee’s remedy, hypochondria, the confirmation that women do not have prostates, and a phone call filled with sexual innuendos of the previous night’s events—all wrapped up in about a minutes worth of shot sequence. And that is usually how a scene of Gilmore Girls plays out.

Gilmore Girls premiered in 2000 and ended in 2007. The show revolves around the cool thirty year-old mom, Lorelai and her kind and ambitious sixteen year-old daughter, Rory. But don’t think you’re too late to miss the quirky, sharp, and culturally literate mother-daughter duo. In October 2014, Netflix added the entire series with every heartbreak, Kafka esque convos, and cup (upon cups) of coffee.

Although, some have a hard time getting into the show. The trouble is, you have to have a good ear to pick up each speedily acted line and must be culturally knowledgeable to understand where the humor in the line derives from. In some ways, Amy Sherman-Palladin (the show’s creator and writer) expects a lot from her viewers.

In some aspects, the characters and the town of Stars Hollow seem like a utopia. Everyone looks out for each other and has their own little quirks. And sometimes, while binge watching episodes, you find yourself thinking, who even talks like this? Because the reason the show dips into an odd utopia of sorts is because the characters (especially the women) HAVE something to say.

Isn’t nice to have something to say at every and any second of the day? Yet, like what this episode addresses, there is one thing the Gilmore girls have trouble saying, to the men in their lives, “I love you.” This issue is at the heart of the show. Many TV shows depict women that coat on mascara to bat an eyelash for a man. How many show women that are so independent and ambitious and cooperative with other women that the thought to “love” a man can come as a threat to all of these things? But when the Gilmore girls do finally say it, they say it fast.

Style emulated: Virginia Heffernan