This week in culture was bad news for us cynics. By that I mean I actually struggled to find anything ridiculous or disturbing to write about. There were a few things that struck me as odd, things that made me go hmm, but nothing that made me want to pack up my things and go live in a cave. So you’ll have to forgive me for unabashedly gushing about all the things that I love. I promise I’ll throw in some snark wherever I can.
The Great:
The first TV spot for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows debuted this week. Watch it here:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2139556121/
Highlights: the pure spookiness of Voldemort’s hissing,“I have seen your heart and it is mine…” makes you want to curl up under the covers and think about puppies and rainbows! That being said, Ralph Fiennes is a genius. The only other pieces of new imagery are Dumbeldore’s ghost and Harry and Hagrid riding a motorbike. I must say, I applaud director David Yates and the rest of the HP crew for not shying away from making a dark movie based on a dark book. I grew up with Harry Potter, and as his world became increasingly complex and turbulent, so did mine. Let’s not insult the young by removing the sense of pervading fear and hopelessness that dominated the seventh book—it only made the ending that much more rewarding. The Harry Potter films have been a mixed bag, but Deathly Hallows looks to top the list (along with Alfonso Cauron’s whimisical and elegantly photographed Prisoner of Azkaban, and Mike Newell’s Goblet of Fire, a white-knuckle thriller with a shot of teen romance). +1 for the light side of the Force.
Tim Gunn on the Daily Show:
I always had a suspicion that I loved Tim Gunn. After 8 seasons of Project Runway, (as bitchy designers arrive, whine, and leave) Tim remains a constant nurturing presence, looking out from behind his librarian glasses and speaking the truth in a voice that sounds like he’s got a mouthful of marbles. What I didn’t know was that Tim Gunn is awesome. Seriously. He’s down to earth, bitchy in a gentle and charming way (yes it’s possible), and aware of the inherent absurdity of the fashion industry. It was double awesome to see him in the same room as John Stewart, my ultimate older man crush (after Anderson Cooper but sadly the silver fox doesn’t play for my team). Stewart, who equals Gunn in deflating the absurdly pompous, was particularly impressed by one anecdote from Gunn’s new book Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making it Work. The story involves Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. During Fashion Week, Gunn witnessed several assistants carry Ms. Wintour down the stairs. God forbid she…what do you call it? Oh. Walk. In her defense, says Gunn, she was wearing a pair of Manolo Blahnik stilettos and had to get to the next fashion show double quick. Gunn also admits that he probably wouldn’t have included the story in his book had Wintour’s people not caught wind of the story and demanded an apology. “The only apology I can come up with is implying that she doesn’t know how to work a Manolo.” Tim Gunn, we salute you! +1 Obi-Wan-Kenobi of fashion!
The Good:
Helen Mirren to star as “Prospera” in Julie Taymor’s Tempest with a Twist. Julie Taymor ruined the Beatles for me. Yes, I freely admit that I think Across the Universe is one the worst movie musicals ever made, and a heretical slap in the face to the music it was designed around. However, the film seems to be a slip for the arguably talented Ms. Taymor. The Lion King is the only Disney musical that actually enhanced the original story, and we know she knows her Shakespeare. Titus, her take on Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus is violent and bloody (as is the play itself) but infused with a hint of darkest humor. The Tempest, with its mix of powerful storms, magical apparitions, and exotic imagery, is one of Shakespeare’s most cinematic works. Casting Helen Mirren in the traditionally male role of Prospero could very well be a stroke of genius, adding depth to the parent-child relationship between Prospero and Miranda and creating a commentary on female power. At the least, people will go see it just to see what the heck Taymor did this time. +1 for queen turned sorceress! (Source: E! News)
The Strange:
Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal to star in Spanish Language comedy with Will Ferrell.
Casa de Mi Padre, a Spanish language comedy playing on the melodramatic telenovela style, might be the strangest thing since chocolate bacon cupcakes (I do not get why one would want meat atop a cupcake. Call me crazy). The equally gorgeous childhood friends are no strangers to mainstream American Cinema. The two actors originally displayed their talent in a little film called Y Tu Mama Tambien (spoiler alert: they make out). Bernal cemented his career portraying a young Che Guevara in Motorcycle Diaries (one of my top ten favorite films). Since then Luna has appeared in Dirty Dancing Havana Nights, which I would hate on if he weren’t so darn attractive. He also had a small role in Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal, and played Sean Penn’s tragic lover in Milk. Bernal has also had an interesting mix of roles in The Science of Sleep, Babel, and Pedro Almodóvar’s Bad Education. However, the last time the two teamed up was in a forgettable film directed by Alfonso Cuaron’s (Children of Men, Y tu Mama Tambien) younger brother. Rudo y Cursi features Luna and Bernal as brothers and rival soccer players. The two compete, drink, gamble, whine about their circumstances, and then whine some more. Meanwhile Luna’s character has a wife and kids that he refuses to support, and Bernal chases a career as pop music singer. The only word I can say about the movie is boring. Luna and Bernal are both talented actors who need a great script to work from. Matching the two with Will Ferrell’s freewheeling brand of comedy could either be genius or simply embarrassing. Granted, Ferrell always makes me laugh. Even in Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. I’ll reserve judgment on this for now. 0 points. (Source: E! News)
Put away your Myan calendars folks, the apocalypse hasn’t arrived. At least not this week.
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