The Homefront is restored after a relaxing trip to the Smokey Mountains. There, much pop culture was consumed, and since we've been back, I've been gorging myself. I wanted to take a moment to comment briefly on a lot of what's been consumed. This post concerns all the non-TV things I've been considering.
--We saw both Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvania in the Mountains. Both were very strong visually. Frankenweenie had some fascinating minor characters; I liked that Victor was not the oddball in his class. I was taken aback by the new plot that started in the third act; not that I didn't enjoy it, I was just surprised. Late summer entry ParaNorman had the same structural quirk, as did another film I'll talk about in a second; I'm sensing a disturbing pattern. Hotel Transylvania was a fairly predictable and common story, but it had so many delicious details littered throughout. I'd recommend both.
--Muse's new album The 2nd Law breaks little new ground for the rock synth band, but is not a bad listen. I doubt that I will remember it when it comes time to do my end of year wrap up, though.
--Diana Krall's new album Glad Rag Doll however, is super fine and a lot of fun: quite a lot of honkytonk thrown into the bluegrass. The Beloved and I both really dug it.
--The Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill was tucked away in the laptop bag for a few years ago, and I finally read it. It was a great page turner that made me care for fairly despicable characters. Haunting in the right parts and utterly disturbing in others, I couldn't put it down. even though I knew exactly how it was going to end, I didn't care.
--Argo is a fantastic film. I was involved in this story I knew nothing about almost every minute. Ben Affleck is a fine director and he manipulated the tension perfectly. Even when I could see the gears grinding away I didn't care because I was so taken by the realistically, spartan approach to it all. That however highlighted my only real beef with the film: I couldn't have cared less about anything having to do with Tony Mendez's family. Affleck plays Mendez as a brow-beaten, reluctant hero. One that gets impassioned by doing what is right, but generally walks through life with a perpetual dour expression. That's fine--great even. Him alone in a hotel room, talking with an unseen son on a phone would speak volumes about the character's station personally. Having me fill in my own personal details about why he is where he is is utterly engaging. Instead we are given three different concrete examples of his family life that did nothing other than pull me out of the moment and the movie. The final one was enough to almost sour me on the movie for good.
--Looper is a wonderfully bizarre homage to the great sci-fi of the past (especially movies of the 80's and 90's) while still providing a new and very unique story of its own. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the film, but it does share a trait with Frankenweenie and ParaNorman. Late in the game a whole new plot is introduced and the ending of the film hangs on the new plot. It is a very odd choice, and you can see to a lesser degree on display in super hero movies. It's taking the successful serialized nature of television storytelling and compressing it into a movie format. I don't know how effective it is. In the two animated movies, I found that third act switch to be the best part. In Looper, I much preferred the world building section of the first act. I liked the second part (that dealt with Emily Blunt's character) quite a bit too, but it very much felt like a second movie, or a great episode of a really good television series.
This is my second catch up post after a nice Smokey Mountain vacation. This one is all about the TV....
This is an interesting pickle not only does the show have to balance comedy in the face of a natural disaster but they have Louis C.K. hosting. This is not to say that I think C.K. will be awful. On the contrary, I'm a big fan pf not only his standup but especially his show, Louie. Louie is a thoughtful, provocative series that treats the laughs as important as the dramatic beats. Louie is almost as far removed from SNL as thematically and artistically possible. I'm interested in the dramatic conflict between these two comedy viewpoints seeming at this point to be in opposition. In C.K.'s defense, he was a Conan head writer back when Conan was starting out. Also, the "Sad Mouse" sketch in the Bruno Mars episode played like a Louie vignette.
Sing like nobody’s listening, dance like nobody’s watching, and act like nobody’s business. (Elise Garrett's favorite quote and personal philosophy)
How terrible that entire generations are now coming along who only are exposed to a very specific type of entertainment rather than a wide spectrum. I posted the comment as it was relayed to me on Facebook to see what kind of response I would get.
They are rewriting other people’s material whether they are from a book or a movie that has been written or produced previously. They are trying to connect in that way. Elise would love to see new material written straight for new actors from new writers.
Elise also started to find out about Andrews’ Broadway career which subsequently led into her discovery of Broadway. It has opened all sorts of doors for her. Elise also feels much more accepted when she is with theater kids. She associates much of her happiness with her love of theater. 
Elise has been taking vocal lesson since she was eight. She has also sung in a choir. This interview was conducted at three PM on Saturday afternoon. I asked her what work she had done that day on her craft.
The Laramie Project was the first time that Elise had done any work outside of musical theater. It proved to her that she could do what she desires to do.
Elise is willing to work hard to make her dream a reality.
The role that Elise would LOVE to play right now is Winifred in Once Upon A Mattress. It made a star of Carol Burnett. Perhaps it would do the same for Elise.
Michele Lee starred as Dolly Levi in a three-city tour of Hello Dolly in 2005 opposite Walter Charles as Horace Vandergelder and under the direction of Lee Roy Reams.
Dolly, also, on her relationship with her father. At the time, Farentino, was a living, breathing friend of Michele’s. Michele’s father always believed life was more important than suffering. As Dolly finds with her love of her deceased husband, which she can’t quite let go of, Michele responded to totally. That connection she had with him and the knowledge, ultimately, that she had to let go was really the part of Dolly that Michele responded to most.
Michele also starts to see the whole of the piece as the author wished her to see it as the audience.
She initially fell in love with her when she saw her on stage. When you play her, that arc that Michele is talking about, is so wonderfully freeing. Also, Michele loves her zany ability to be able to move things around. She identifies with that, as well. There is that part of her that is holding on and won’t quite let go until she can move in a new direction, which she certainly does. It is so special at the end of the show when she is dancing with Horace when she allows her past just to be a part of her heart.
memorization process.
She didn’t particularly like the connection between Matthau and Streisand in the movie. She has never seen a Dolly that missed the mark. The role is too good.
T