OK, so this is a bit complicated and biased towards TV shows:
First of, the NY Magazine has two interviews with the female leads of "Mad Men": Christina Hendricks (Joan Holloway) and Elisabeth Moss (Peggy Olsen). The female characters of "Mad Men" and how they react differently to the social climate of the Sixties, to the opportunities and restrictions, are what draw me into the show - but I have to admit that the idea Elisabeth Moss conveys in the interview, of Peggy being the ultimate feminist because she "just wanted a chance at her job", doesn't really resonate with me. Feminism is supposed to be about more than just playing by the patriarchal rules and getting equal pay for it, right? (By the way, the one thing that makes "Mad Men" even more enjoyable are the reviews over at Slate - they are an ongoing discussion about each episode, an exchange of letters of sorts. I think this is a smart approach to tv critisizm.)
So, "Heroes". I was taken by surprise how much I enjoy the fourth season of this show. I had given up on it after the first season, still following, but never really enjoying, and now I find myself in a state where I can barely wait until the next episode comes out. Also, I need to revise the list I wrote last year: Claire can stay. In a weird twist of fate, the vague idea of having Claire hook up with a girl this season (which Hayden Panettiere came up with and has been pretty vocal about) was turned into a meaningful, slowly developing relationship by the "Heroes"-writers (kudos). Besides, the list was doomed anyway: two people I wanted to survive have been killed off (by the way: Brea Grant used to play another unlikely Dillon resident, a riot grrrl, in "Friday Night Lights", and the only moment in the history of "Heroes" in which Claire had chemistry with another character featured Elle, played by Kristen Bell of "Veronica Mars" fame).
I have also discovered that watching the pilot episode of "Californication" contributes to the enjoyment of "Heroes" - since Madeline Zima's Gretchen is like the other side of the coin to her performance as Mia Cross. I originally thought that a show about David Duchovny getting laid (that was pretty much the concept, right?) wouldn't be my cup of tea, but it turns out that "Californication" is actually really enjoyable, in a twisted, great performances and edgy storylines (like "Weeds") kinda way.
In other tv show news: "Friday Night Lights", a show I only discovered this summer, returned for a fourth season last Wednesday. This season is all about the class struggle between the two Dylan highschools, one fancy and rich, the other for the less fortunate underdogs. The Coach has just been mobbed from his old post, but his wife is still the principal of the competing highschool. The season brings back some of the people who graduated last year (Matt and Tim, who both decided not to go to College after all), but focuses on new cast members and some of those who haven't graduated yet (Landry and Julie Taylor) - and seeing other people being happy about the return of Devin (played by Stephanie Hunt) made me happy. She has such a small role, and yet lightens up every scene - apart from the fact that her presence in a small Texan town seems so very unlikely. Stephanie Hunt, by the way, has written and directed her own movie. Information and the trailer for "Love and Tambourines" can be found here.
And talking about how really small productions can sometimes get things right more than really huge, expensive ones: I stumbled upon this web series called "Anyone But Me" - there are nine episodes so far (the second season starts in December), each about ten minutes long, and they center on this girl who moves from New York to a suburb because her dad, suffering from the aftermath of 9/11, needs fresh air. The acting is incredibly good, and it is just amazing how much character development can happen in such a short period of time. If this is the future of television, I can't wait. Two interviews: with Rachael Hip Flores (who plays Vivian, the main character) and Nicole Percent (who plays her girlfriend, Aster).
And finally, just to throw in some music: The Mountain Goats aka John Darnielle have a new record out: it's called "The Life of the World to Come" and I already mentioned how much I enjoyed the awe and enthusiasm one critic over at PopMatters greeted it with. The intimate video was directed by Rian Johnson, who was also responsible for the music video for "Woke up New" and is the director of "Brick", one of my favourite movies (which apparently featured a reference to the band that escaped me).
The Mountain Goats: Ezekiel 7 and The Permanent Efficacy of Grace
In other news: new Tegan and Sara (Sainthood, favourite song so far is "Northshore"), new Shannon Wright (Honeybee Girls, with a cover of "Asleep" by The Smiths!!!). And "Blister in the Sun" should always remain the angry, disturbing song about teenage desire that it is supposed to be, not THIS (Sorry, Nouvelle Vague. The use of your songs in "Sugar Rush", Camille as a guest voice and the weird, kinda great "Too Drunk To Fuck" drew me in, but this is just wrong).
First of, the NY Magazine has two interviews with the female leads of "Mad Men": Christina Hendricks (Joan Holloway) and Elisabeth Moss (Peggy Olsen). The female characters of "Mad Men" and how they react differently to the social climate of the Sixties, to the opportunities and restrictions, are what draw me into the show - but I have to admit that the idea Elisabeth Moss conveys in the interview, of Peggy being the ultimate feminist because she "just wanted a chance at her job", doesn't really resonate with me. Feminism is supposed to be about more than just playing by the patriarchal rules and getting equal pay for it, right? (By the way, the one thing that makes "Mad Men" even more enjoyable are the reviews over at Slate - they are an ongoing discussion about each episode, an exchange of letters of sorts. I think this is a smart approach to tv critisizm.)
So, "Heroes". I was taken by surprise how much I enjoy the fourth season of this show. I had given up on it after the first season, still following, but never really enjoying, and now I find myself in a state where I can barely wait until the next episode comes out. Also, I need to revise the list I wrote last year: Claire can stay. In a weird twist of fate, the vague idea of having Claire hook up with a girl this season (which Hayden Panettiere came up with and has been pretty vocal about) was turned into a meaningful, slowly developing relationship by the "Heroes"-writers (kudos). Besides, the list was doomed anyway: two people I wanted to survive have been killed off (by the way: Brea Grant used to play another unlikely Dillon resident, a riot grrrl, in "Friday Night Lights", and the only moment in the history of "Heroes" in which Claire had chemistry with another character featured Elle, played by Kristen Bell of "Veronica Mars" fame).
I have also discovered that watching the pilot episode of "Californication" contributes to the enjoyment of "Heroes" - since Madeline Zima's Gretchen is like the other side of the coin to her performance as Mia Cross. I originally thought that a show about David Duchovny getting laid (that was pretty much the concept, right?) wouldn't be my cup of tea, but it turns out that "Californication" is actually really enjoyable, in a twisted, great performances and edgy storylines (like "Weeds") kinda way.
In other tv show news: "Friday Night Lights", a show I only discovered this summer, returned for a fourth season last Wednesday. This season is all about the class struggle between the two Dylan highschools, one fancy and rich, the other for the less fortunate underdogs. The Coach has just been mobbed from his old post, but his wife is still the principal of the competing highschool. The season brings back some of the people who graduated last year (Matt and Tim, who both decided not to go to College after all), but focuses on new cast members and some of those who haven't graduated yet (Landry and Julie Taylor) - and seeing other people being happy about the return of Devin (played by Stephanie Hunt) made me happy. She has such a small role, and yet lightens up every scene - apart from the fact that her presence in a small Texan town seems so very unlikely. Stephanie Hunt, by the way, has written and directed her own movie. Information and the trailer for "Love and Tambourines" can be found here.
And talking about how really small productions can sometimes get things right more than really huge, expensive ones: I stumbled upon this web series called "Anyone But Me" - there are nine episodes so far (the second season starts in December), each about ten minutes long, and they center on this girl who moves from New York to a suburb because her dad, suffering from the aftermath of 9/11, needs fresh air. The acting is incredibly good, and it is just amazing how much character development can happen in such a short period of time. If this is the future of television, I can't wait. Two interviews: with Rachael Hip Flores (who plays Vivian, the main character) and Nicole Percent (who plays her girlfriend, Aster).
And finally, just to throw in some music: The Mountain Goats aka John Darnielle have a new record out: it's called "The Life of the World to Come" and I already mentioned how much I enjoyed the awe and enthusiasm one critic over at PopMatters greeted it with. The intimate video was directed by Rian Johnson, who was also responsible for the music video for "Woke up New" and is the director of "Brick", one of my favourite movies (which apparently featured a reference to the band that escaped me).
The Mountain Goats: Ezekiel 7 and The Permanent Efficacy of Grace
In other news: new Tegan and Sara (Sainthood, favourite song so far is "Northshore"), new Shannon Wright (Honeybee Girls, with a cover of "Asleep" by The Smiths!!!). And "Blister in the Sun" should always remain the angry, disturbing song about teenage desire that it is supposed to be, not THIS (Sorry, Nouvelle Vague. The use of your songs in "Sugar Rush", Camille as a guest voice and the weird, kinda great "Too Drunk To Fuck" drew me in, but this is just wrong).
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