If there's anything I love more than historical satire, it's historical satire mixed with modern gossip! Obvi. Oh, how I love Perez Hamilton, the nerdelightful spoof of Perez Hilton for Federalist times. Why am I such a sucker for these mashups? Remember Jane Austen's Fight Club? Downton Abbey with zombies? It's like I have a tapeworm for this kind of stuff. Someone get me some help. Or some company. Join me in my silly amusement. Wanna watch a costume drama?
In Los Angeles Sometimes I forget about poetry. I forget that it exists even still, though I've ceased to believe in it that day-- that beauty of the mind made manifest. But still, I reason, not carnal, not incarnated; not flesh. Instead, I quest ahead to live in my flesh in Los Angeles and bask in the tangible sunlight there. Wholly in my body, my mind is finally free to flutter away at last. So then, I wonder how on Earth might I have misplaced poetry?
Let's just say that the mixture of excitement and extreme skepticism I feel about CW's Reign, the quote unquote untold story of Mary Queen of Scots rise to power, mirrors my feelings when I found out they were turning Gone with the Wind into a musical. (And I don't just mean annoyance that I'm not the one writing it!) As you know, it's tough to say which I love more: musicals or Gone with the Wind. Costume dramas or Scotland (and esp. the problematic Mary Stuart). HOWEVER. To use the comparison I used back in the day for GWTW musical, it's like introducing your childhood best friend to your best friend from college. You love them both. They're both AMAZING. And yet, you have the nagging suspicion that they are NOT going to get along. (Spoiler alert: GWTW as a musical was about as bad as it gets.) So, I mean, listen. Almost everything about this show is historically inaccurate. Like, everything. To the point that it's not even worth detailing all the many and egregious inaccuracies. And while, I'm mostly ok with that, I'm not thrilled about the casting. I like Adelaide Kane kind of, ya know, in general. But I just am not digging her as Mary (wrong coloring entirely!). I'm really not thrilled about the men. I don't mind making Francis kind of hot. But just... I dunno. Maybe they'll grow on me. And, I know it's not the history channel. It's the CW. That's fine. And OBVS, despite my misgivings, I'm still going to watch the shit out of this show. The most appealing factor, based on the below extended preview is Mary's relationship with the very historically accurate 4 Marys (Beaton, Seton, Fleming & Livingston, though in Reign, they're condensed to 3 and given insane names like Kenna and Greer) which lasted throughout her life. I like the idea of these 5 (4) women navigating the waters together. The least appealing things I can surmise from the below is 1. Please get someone else doing your copywriting for those text tags in the promos. They are ominous, but do not even make sense. 2. Why do all the French people sound just plain old British? I mean, I guess really they're all speaking French including her, because that's her first language, in which case British is just the standard, okay. It's murky territory, but it bugs me. I'll elaborate further once I see how they handle some things re: using French at all. Reign premieres Oct. 17 at 9 p.m. on the CW.
So far this year, I've felt deprived of novels I was genuinely excited to read. Missing was that giddy, luscious feeling, knowing I'm about to devour one. Luckily, this fall, there's finally some stuff to look forward to on the novel front. Here's what I can't wait to buy: Wally Lamb - We Are Water Oct. 22 He gets a bad rap as too populist, but I still think Wally Lamb is the shit. And I can't wait to be knee-deep in it again. Elizabeth Gilbert- The Signature of All Things Oct. 1 Also getting a rap even worse than Lamb is Liz Gilbert. But I still think about how much I liked her first novel, Stern Men, and I'm glad she's back to writing on another subject besides herself.
** also, I continue to feel ambivalent about posting links to amazon instead of other book sellers like Barnes & Noble. I think this is the last time I'll do it. Damn you, Franzen. But I have 3 more months on my amazon prime membership, so... ack.
I've really been feeling the glut in quality British programming these days. I have a list of all the things I know about and then I scour the internet until I find a method of watching them. I've been looking for the post-war set The Scapegoat for a while now. Based on the Daphe du Maurier novel, this flick has everything. Doppelgangers, the turn over from one monarch to the next, mistaken identities, multiple mistresses, cool old cars, and one of my favorite estates I visited on many travels through the UK, Knebworth House. I'm also quite partial to Matthew Rhys ever since he played Dylan Thomas. And last night, lo and behold, they had added it to Netflix. So I snuggled into my bed and took a trip back to foggy Britain. I woke up this morning and Los Angeles felt a bit British-- grey and drizzly. It'll be sure to burn off into sunshine by noon. But if you've got Netflix, I suggest checking out this film.
While there are so many reasons to appreciate Amy Poehler, today, let's take a minute to revel in her creation of Amy Poehler's Smart Girls. It's a whole channel and website of content expressing appreciation for the awesomeness of ladies and living true to your authentic self.
They have several fun series, including Ask Amy, Meow Meow Music, Operation Nice (love it!) Boy's Minute (even) and Smart Girls at the Party, where they interview inspirational women. The website also features a nice rotating reminder of all the kick ass women who have changed the world. It features a good many of my favorites right up front: Dolly Parton, Bernadette Peters, Michelle Obama and Suzanne Vega.
Basically, this is one of the happiest, funnest places on the internet and one of the best ideas ever. Appreciation rules. Change the world by being yourself. Word up.
Just one more day until our Nicholas & Alexandra reading! I can't wait to see everyone and get crackin. But our Nic and Alix have worked together before so I thought you all might enjoy watching that first (and also musical) encounter between Autumn Hurlbert and Matt Lutz. Singing and dying... these guys are pros at it. I'm off to rehearse with him now! Hope you're having a lovely Sunday!
When the band CHVRCHES promises something to their fans, they don't disappoint. While Frightened Rabbit may only be teasing fans with their own cover, not so with FR's fellow Scot group. They contemplated a Chvrch-ified, Synth-ified version of the Game of Thrones theme song and response was strong. This morning, they delivered. I feel like I'm still swimming my way to the surface from the under water relaxation haze that was my birthday weekend. In the meantime, enjoy this silly little diversion for your Monday.
Christopher Guest. What can I say about perhaps the one man who truly understands what I want. Even after For Your Consideration, I still believed. And I uber uber believe in Family Tree. I mean, how can it lose? It's got everyone you love, (Fred. Willard.) plus Chris O'Dowd, who is like THE new generation Christopher Guest man. He's just screaming to be in a Guest project. And this one's about tracing your ancestry!?! This is a nerd's paradise if I ever saw one. There's even a British thing. Just... candy. God Bless Christopher Guest. And A+ HBO for handling this shnat right. (So it would seem.) Show starts in May.
Please forgive the lack of words on this blog as of late. The amount of writing and editing projects I'm committed to lately have left me with more desire to simply share, rather than do much commenting. But tonight I'm too excited to contain it-- I'm seeing Frightened Rabbit in LA at the Fonda Theatre with Kade!! All day long, my interior monologue has been in a thick brogue and I may even start speaking to strangers that way. I love how thick Scott Hutchison's brogue is even when singing. And I think Pedestrian Verse has earned its place in my heart as one of my all-time favorite albums. This video is a delight. Who doesn't love funky old janitors gettin down on the dance floor at the junior-senior prom?? Get into it. Yay, tonight!
Were you as disappointed with the 50 years of Bond "Tribute" as I was? I mean, I heard they had something better planned... with all the Bonds and more of a music montage... that fell about at the last minute thanks to some butt hurt egotism from Pierce Brosnan or something. But still.
I wish the video montage below had been in place of that sad one they clearly threw together at the last minute.
For the record, I think Skyfall is one of the best, if not the best of the modern Bonds. I'm not even just saying that because of the Scotland/Glen Etive/Glencoe connection. (About time they went back to Bond's Scottish roots! Huzzah for Scotland on Film!) Or because of Ben Whishaw as Q. (Though that definitely helps too.) I think Skyfall was robbed of Best Cinematography on Sunday night. I'm all in support of the VFX battle that's going on right now. Which is why I think it's great that Life of Pi won for VFX. But Skyfall should have taken cinematography.
And I hope that one day, Bond will get a tribute-- at the Oscars or somewhere else-- worthy of its champion status.
During my editing process for Birthday Cake, Jane Badler, original baddie in the eighties show V, became a new personal hero of mine. Like, I want to be Jane Badler when I grow up. She is nothing short of spectacular in B'Day Cake-- that special blend of bitch and comedienne. She's a singer too-- hint hint. I'm looking forward to more of her in my life coming up soon. Check out her most sinister moments from the eighties. And follow her on twitter (whispered, "at JaneBadler...")
The First Annual Ferguson Burns Night Supper USA turned out not too shabby. I had my doubts leading up to the event with its ever-changing roster of guests. But as the food prep began, I started to feel better because everything was tasting pretty good. There’s something sort of counterintuitive about the idea of vegetarian haggis. But as I started to add in all the ingredients, I consoled myself that, at least in this situation, taste was more important than authenticity. (After all, real haggis is illegal in the USA.) Not that I was comfortable with authenticity being sacrificed. At one point, I almost cried when everyone seemed reluctant to participate in reading and keeping with the traditional order of events. (They were warned!) But then again, it is nerve-wracking. I’ll admit that I was nervous doing Address to the Haggis. Whisky fixed that. I practiced a couple of times because even though no one else would know if I was pronouncing the Scots wrong, I would know. There’s great slang in Scots. Sonsie, Scunner, Skinking. I think I’d like to try to find a way to incorporate more of it into American daily life. And more of these recipes. I substituted half red lentils and half quinoa in this recipe for vegetarian haggis, and ricotta + whipping cream for double cream on the cranachan. In addition to Talisker (Isle of Skye-- holla!) for toasting, I had ingredients for refreshing, jazzed with candied ginger Presbyterians.
Man, it made me miss Scotland. But thanks to my friends for helping to celebrate the cultural richness of the place I love most.
Frightened Rabbit will always remind me of the North Sea. And those first, best, months in Scotland. It still feels like I've just left, when actually, I'm rounding the corner of a half a year gone. So just in time, Frightened Rabbit comes along with a new album, Pedestrian Verse. The single "Dead Now" seems like an interesting departure for them. But I also heard, "Late March, Death March" on NPR the other day and loved it. They're offering a little preview of Pedestrian Verse on their website for anyone who's already purchased one of their albums. My hand has lingered on pulling the pre-order trigger because I can't decide if I want it on vinyl. Decisions!! Other fans here in LA can catch them March 13 at the Music Box. I'm pretty set on going. Anyone wanna go with me? Lofgren? West Coast trip? Here are the songs I mentioned and a cool tour video from their trek through the Highlands.
As cynical as I have sometimes been in my recapping of the show, both here and in the more official capacity over at BroadwaySpotted.com, I want to reemphasize that I've never actually been one of the SMASH cynics. My deep hope persists that SMASH can still be a great show and occasionally shows flashes of it. When I heard about the shake up at the helm and on the decks, I was pleased. Mostly that we'd be losing that yucky assistant, who, strangely, my mind has already repressed. I cannot remember his name. Hold on, I'm going to go look it up... Ellis! Anyhow. I was less pleased to eventually lose Brian D'arcy James and Raza Jaffrey, but, alas. What we were gaining in return was worth the price. Jennifer Hudson (sorta), Andy Mientus, Krysta Rodriguez and most especially Jeremy Jordan as series regulars with Sean Hayes and LIZA MINELLI as special guest stars?? Okay, then. Sign me up and let's get to watching. I still find that there's something quite vacant about Katharine McPhee as a performer. She never feels present in any scene or any song. And I still don't get Marilyn even when she's playing her. Also, I feel like she's a little too bitchy anymore to Ivy. I dunno... maybe because to me, it was months and months and a whole country ago-- 5,440 miles ago-- I think, dude, let it go. No need to get anyone fired. Plus! You breaking up with your Dev (was that his name? Another one I've almost completely erased from my memory) meant that now you live with Krysta Rodriguez and I'd way rather watch her. Most of the plot elements you guys can guess because, well, they pretty much give them all away in the promo. And I don't have much to say about them. I'm good with it. I don't mind some soapy elements. I lived on the Broadway campus long enough to know that the soap factor is actually one of the more accurate (and often satisfying!) elements of SMASH. I'll say this though. I really do think they're going in the right direction. Yep. Bombshell should be thwarted. Because that shit's real. And because even without seeing the entirety of Bombshell, I can tell you right now I know for a FACT Julia's book for the thing was bad. Most shows get thwarted in some way, even when the writers have clout. And thank god for whoever's idea it was (I'm guessing new showrunner Gossip Girl's Josh Safran) to bring in plot lines (and REAL MUSIC!) from young and emerging writers! YAY! It feels like being single for a really long time and then finally getting asked out on a date. And I'm not even writing for the show! But that's how satisfying it feels. I'm also going to make a note that this episode features two of the most honest moments ever featured on the show to date. One of them, however, was immediately followed with eye-rolling pretense. When Jennifer Hudson tells Kat McPhee to 'protect the work,' I nodded my head for like a full 30 seconds. But then, she said, "This will be you in six months," and walked out of her dressing room to a stage door that felt like a red carpet premiere. And just like that, the moment was shattered on the dirty theater district pavement. The other moment--- oh, the other moment-- there was just nothing Hollywood could do to ruin it. Not Kat McPhee holding up her iphone for Derek to hear it, nor the plot contrivance of her forgetting the phone on the bar forcing her to come back and hear it. Nothing could ruin Jeremy Jordan singing Joe Iconis's 'Broadway Here I Come.' I'd personally like to thank my friends Joe and Jeremy for this moment of the show. I re-watched the last four minutes of the episode about seven or eight times last night and once again this morning. It's so much better in the full version than what they show in the promo. I'm not a fan of the way they edited the song for that promo. It doesn't show off the best parts of the song IMO. But you'll watch the full thing and you'll see. You can also hear the lovely Molly Hager sing it here. And of course, Krysta, sing it here. Off to a good start, SMASH. Please, please, I beg of you, keep it up. Josh Safran promised me and you "more music, less scarves." I'm going to choose to trust him to keep that promise. And I'll keep watching. But who am I kidding. Like all the people who love Broadway, I'm a glutton for punishment. I'd watch it no matter what. You can watch part one of the Season 2 premiere on Hulu here. The full two hour premiere airs on NBC February 5
Fly Aways- - What's going on with Jennifer Hudson's teeth during her performance? It's like she lost the weight and became a lollypop head and her teeth just seem HUGE now. - I was surprised to find Theresa Rebeck listed as an executive producer. My understanding is that she was relinquishing all affiliation with the show from now on, save Created By. Guess not. - I feel a little dirty for saying it, but can we petition for more Riedel in this season. I'd take him in every episode really. There's something more palatable about him as semi-fictional soap villain on TV. AMIRIGHT???
When I was growing up and my grandmother would drive me all over the deep south in search of all Gone with the Wind related historical sites of interest, I was always deeply and adolescently moved by abandoned buildings. Perhaps it was just the feeling of connection to a physical manifestation of all my abandonment issues. (!) I'm still drawn by that mood. How many posts have I done on abandoned buildings like theatres?Or this in Scotland? But when I was an angst-y adolescent, it was too big to be contained. I wanted to do a book of photographs with that feeling. Too bad I didn't know at age 10 that Sally Mann was already doing it way better than I ever could have. But, listen, Nevada holds its own on the ghost town front. From derelict boom towns to discarded neon graveyards, Nevada knows how to love 'em and leave 'em better any pretty much anybody. Buzzfeed did this nice (if a little bright) photo aggregate and I just keep going back to this haunting pic (above) my friend and fellow Nevada writer turned New York writer Foster Kamer posted on a recent trip back home. I like to look and just get the sad out.
Christmas seemed like an appropriate time to revisit Twin Peaks. In fact, ever since I've moved to LA, I've been revisiting the works of David Lynch. No one understands the deep creepiness of something like Christmas in Hollywood as much as David Lynch. Not to mention, the odd presence of Sherilyn Fenn has entered my life and I couldn't resist going back to check it out. I'll elaborate. One of the projects I'm editing at one time had her in a starring role. Without saying too much (I'll let her do it) she's no longer associated with the project. But at least we have her blog to keep company. Please do yourself a favor and read this. Then go watch Twin Peaks. (Rewatching it, I was struck by how much Sherilyn Fenn resembles serious-face Ginnifer Goodwin. Also, how much more she resembles Liz Taylor than Lindsay Lohan.) Or if you're bored, come over to my house and I'll make you some boozey cider and do a dramatic reading of the piece.
Today's meditation is on displaced natural elements. Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde brings the outdoors indoors with these cloud art/experiments. Using an artist's imagination and a scientist's methods, Smilde created Nimbus clouds in abandoned gallery spaces and churches across Amsterdam. The result has a lot of people talking, and me having a daydream riff on the thought of.... For more, click here and here.
