What I've Seen: TV and Films
The Paley Center for Fall Previews were held two weeks or so ago. I can’t say there was anything that was a slam dunk for me but there are a couple I can see myself tuning in for. In between the fall previews I caught a few flicks.
Saturday
Paley Center for Media Fall Preview 2018
While it was the fourth day of the event, it was the kickoff event for me. Two panels: ABC and CW which meant that I put in a full day at the Paley Center as if I worked there.
ABC was the only event that was sold out. I waited until the last minute to get my tickets just because I'm a horrible procrastinator and two days later after purchasing them, the Paley sent out an email offering up free tickets.
The reason ABC sold out was because of "The Rookie" starring Nathan Fillion. And I knew Fillion was the reason because there were a bunch of people with Firefly tees and material of his work to get signed. Who knew the Best Joey Buchanan was a fan favorite?! I don't know why I am surpised: I remember at Comic Con waiting in line for the SV panel overnight with "Castle" fans who were doing the same thing.
The Rookie
Stars 47-year old Nathan Fillion as 40-year old John Nolan, who reeling from a divorce and needing a path forward, decides to become a police officer after being in the middle of a bank robbery.
Fresh out of the academy, he embarks on the job as low man on the totem pole with other "boots" (newbies): Lucy (Lucy Chen, "iZombie"), an ambitious upstart and Titus (Jackson West, "The Path") the son of an esteemed detective.
They are each paired with tough as nails officers Talia (Afton Williamson), who has ambitious to become lead detective; her competition for the job Angela (Alyssa Diaz, "Ray Donovan") and resident arsehole Tim (Eric Winter, "Rosewood").
As Nolan tries his best to prove his worth, it's not good enough for Sgt. Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) who views Nolan as a danger. Thankfully, he has a supporter in Capt. Zoe Anderson (Mercedes Mason, Fear the Walking Dead).
Standard procedural with a touch of humor, that humor coming at the expense Nolan's age. And Fillion has lost a lot of weight so they can't crack on that anymore like I used to.
On panel was the entire cast and the showrunner Alexi Hawley (Castle).
I had to recalibrate my thinking because all of the cast went on and on about how hard it is to be a cop (agreed) and the great things they do and I was just not feeling it because there was still the issue of a off-duty cop who shot an unarmed man in his own apartment and she hadn't been arrested and had been given days to drift in the wind without giving a follow-up statement. Add to that last month in L.A a cop responding to a hostage call at a Trader Joe's killed hostage and I just wasn't feeling the accolades. Plus two of the cast members went on about "wow, and they go out there and never know if they're going to come home." Yes, but that's the same for firefighters and actually anyone. That woman went to work not thinking a cop would kill her. Tamir Rice was at the park on a swing not knowing a cop would kill him.
But Alexi did display awareness and said that the show is aspirational. He used an example from the pilot where the officers talk down a mentally ill man with no consequence. He says we have all seen in real life where officers have killed people with mental illness and that there needs to be more training with how law enforcement interacts the citizenry, but he wants the show to reflect how it could be and how it should be.
-Alexi didn't think Nathan would want to do it after working on "Castle" for so long.
-The cast has karaoke nights, but Fillion lamented that he's so much older than the other "rookies" that neither party know what songs they're singing.
-The rookies will rotate mentors so Fillion will be able to work alongside Winter, et al.
The Kids Are Right
A mix of past and present "The Wonder Years", "The Goldbergs" with a bit of "Complete Savages" thrown in.
Set in the 70s, the series is based on show's creator Tim Doyle's (Last Man Standing, Rules of Engagement) life as the fifth son in a Catholic family with eight boys and all the hijinks that goes with being from a big brood.
Being one of eight boys, Timmy (Jack Gore, Billions) tries stand out from the pack to get attention from his harried parents Peggy and Mike (Mary McCormack,"In Plain Sight" and Michael Cudlitz, "The Walking Dead"). It's a feat that's hard to do consider all the attention his brothers get like the eldest and seminary student Lawrence (Sam Straley, "Chicago P.D."), resident snitch Frank (Sawyer Barth, "Public Morals"), Eddie (Caleb Foote, American Horror Story) who is trying to keep under the radar with varying results, rapscallion scammer Joey (Me, Myself and I), the supportive goody-two-shoes William (Andy Walken, A Christmas Story Live), Pat (Santino Barnard, Grey's Anatomy) who is kept on a short leash and an infant.
Fairly humorous, but nothing that hasn't been handled in "The Wonder Years" or even "Everybody Hates Chris". The family is constantly broke and have to improvise to keep eight kids clothed, fed and sheltered (Frank sleeps under the dining room table); the parents are controlling and of course rose colored memories of the idealistic 70s.
The key word at these events this year has been "aspirational" and showrunner Doyle wanted to show a time of upheaval in the U.S to act as a mirror to the current political landscape to show people that the U.S survived the 60s/70s and that we can survive this administration.
-Cudlitz and McCormack said they wanted the roles because they were tired of doing dramas (McCormack was on the police drama "In Plain Sight" and Cudlitz on "The Walking Dead"). While Cudlitz said killing things is great fun, he wanted something more lighthearted.
-Doyle says his plan is to keep the show in an endless summer in order to justify all of the kids being around the home. He said ABC pushed back because they wanted a Christmas episode so he said they are shooting a Christmas episode, but for all intents and purposes that episode is a flashback ep as in his mind this takes place over a summer.
-They said the kids love the retro vibe of the show and that they were amazed by rotary phones. Doyle wanted to keep it as accurate to the times as possible so he had production track down a soda can with an actual pull ring. They found it on eBay. The moderator was Jim Halterman from TV Guide and he offered up access to vintage TV Guides.
One Million Little Things
I loved this pilot, but I know myself and I don't think I will get past a season of it but it's worth a few episodes for me to gauge whether or not there is something more to it to hang onto.
The lives of three men: Rome (Romany Malco, "The 40-Year Old Virgin"), Gary (James Roday, "Psych") and Eddie (David Guitoli, "Grimm") is rocked when their friend Jon (Ron Livingston, "Search Party") commits suicide.
In the wake of his death, there are more questions than answers for the men and Jon's wife Delilah (Stephanie Szostak, Satisfaction) who grapple to find out the reason for Jon's action and to also confront the secrets they each harbor.
It manages to escape from being "thirtysomething" or something equally as pallid thanks to Roday's Gary. A man who has faced death, he views life sardonically and with gallows humor, none of which is tempered when he meets his equal in Maggie (Allison Miller, "13 Reasons Why").
It seems as if there will be a season long mystery on why Jon killed himself, but also the change in the group's dynamic after the loss of their guiding light.
Charmed
Reboot of the beloved WB series focusing on a trio of three sisters who are witches.
Sisters Mel Vera (Melonie Diaz, "Fruitvale Station"), and Maggie Vera (Sarah Jeffery,"Shades of Blue") couldn't be more different: Mel is an ardent feminist fighting the injustices at their college and all Maggie wants to do is pledge a sorority which revels in the very thing her sister protests against. The force that keeps them together is their mother Marisol (Valerie Cruz, "Life Sentence"). When Marisol dies suspiciously, the pair are fractured even moreso by their reactions to a stranger - Macy (Madeleine Mantock, "The Tomorrow People") who arrives on their doorstep claiming to be their sister.
Their lives are upended further when they are told that their mother, as well as they themselves, are witches and they must unite against a force that is coming to destroy the world. Helping them in their crash course is the warlock, Harry Greenwood (Rupert Evans, "Man in the High Castle).
It's not as quippy as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but it has the same quasi-camp tone. I'm assuming the original had that vibe as well. It works well enough and I like the balance of the sisters: Mel is more hard hitting, Macy is more even-keeled and Maggie is more free spirited.
It's not a slam dunk with me like "Grimm" was.
But glad that my dear heart from “The Tomorrow People” is working. She also has a series in the UK, “Age Before Beauty”
All American
It's like "The OC" and "One Tree Hill". I've never watched either but I'm just going to go with this comparison.
Spencer James (Daniel Ezra, "Prime Suspect 1973") is the star football player in South Central. While he is committed to the sport, he's in danger of being pulled from the team due to getting caught up in the drama going around him like drive-by shootings and getting into fights to defend his lesbian best friend, Coop (Bre-Z, "Empire").
When Billy Baker (Taye Diggs), a coach from Beverly Hills High recruits him, Spencer becomes the low man on the totem pole up against their star players which includes Baker's disapproving son Jordan (Michael Evans Behling, "Empire"), and Jordan's best friend, the arrogant teammate Asher (Cody Christian, "Teen Wolf").
Stunned by the complete difference from his home environment and new school environment, Spencer does find an ally in Spencer's daughter Olivia (Samantha Logan, "13 Reasons Why") and Asher's girlfriend Leila (Greta Onieogou, 'Anne with an E").
I did like this because in a small way it reminded me of my dear "90210" reboot. I like how they don't pose it as Spencer feeling out of place because while Beverly Hills is a complete change of pace than where he's from, they never portray it as if he feels he doesn't belong there. He's sure of his talent and his eyes is ever towards football because he views it as a way to provide a better life for his parents so that other drama falls away. That's real deal.
Of course it can't be a CW show without its twists and love triangles/square. In this it's the form of Olivia being attracted to Spencer while he has eyes for Asher's girlfriend Leila.
It is based on the experience of former NFL-er Spencer Paysinger who is a producer and consultant on the show.
Paysinger and series lead Daniel Ezra
-I was sitting with and in front of people either from CW or assistants/friends of the actors so at one point Cody Christian pointed out that the guy who does his football stunts was there. He was behind me with two other men so he stood up a bit when he acknowledged. As the panel went on after Cody gave Aaron the fifth fist bump/hand clasp of the night, one of the footballer’s friends whispered, “Yeah, bro. We’re total bros. Sick.” I was like, dang. No one’s safe in these streets. Getting mocked openly by people associated with the show. Sick burn, bro!
Sunday
Life Itself
If you watch NBC's "This Is Us' created by "Life Itself"s writer/director Dan Fogelman then you know you are in for some tears. "Life Itself" is "This Is Us" on HGH.
While I hate emotionally manipulative works, I felt that this wasn't tragedy porn as it felt too to the ground and realistic to feel like it was jerking your emotional chain. Life can be incredibly sad and painful and while people go to film to escape that reality, I think art exists to reflect reality so this films honor that reality that life is pain and you will have hardships but it is part of the journey and you can either avoid it or you can embrace it as a truism and learn to coexist.
"Life Itself" reveals itself through the lives of cool, artsy expectant couple Abby and Will (Olivia Wilde and Oscar Isaac),
,angsty rocker named Dylan (Olivia Cooke, "Bates Motel"),
the hardworking Javier (Sergio Peris-Mencheta, "Snowfall") and his love Isabel (Laia Costa, "Cites"),
wealthy landowner Mr. Saccione (Antonio Banderas)
and fish out of water Rodrigo (Àlex Moner, "Vivir Sin Permiso").
Starting about boldly and with a near staggering wild brilliance, the film tempers into something more even keel. Sometimes it feels to clever by half and self-referential, almost humblebrag-gy as the characters go on these Aaron Sorkin/Cameron Crowe-esque monologues about life as if they're first year college students. And those tangents would be annoying if I didn't find beautiful truths in them, if I didn't find relevance and relativity to it. Also, I love good pain - I would rather feel something than nothing so even when something so absurdly sad happens (there was one scene in particularly when, almost at the same time, me and another person across the room said, "oh, jesus!"), I can appreciate how Fogelman depicts the harsh realities of life. We are not getting off this spinning blue-green ball alive and pain is the price of admission on this ride so why not confront it.
The performances are all swell, though Isaacs as the manic-pixie-boy Will was a sight to behold and Banderas as the circumspect Mr. Saccione were my favorite turns. And high-five to Melanie Griffith who has at least one ex who didn't go to pot. My word, I would dare say older!Antonio Banderas is sexier than "Desperado" Antonio Banderas and Desperado! and Never Talk to Strangers! Antonio Banderas was better than porn to me.
Monday
Paley Center’s Fall Preview: NBC
I Feel Bad
NBC keeps trying to make comedies happen and the ones that are genuinely promising like "Champions" are axed as NBC puts all their comedic hopes and dreams on the "Will and Grace" revival and "Superstore". "I Feel Bad" won't return NBC to its glory days but it's moderately entertaining. Bonus points for an Indian-American lead.
Emet (Sarayu Blue, "No Tomorrow", "Blockers")
is trying to find a better work/life balance: mom at home to two young kids, a wife to David (Paul Adelstein, "Private Practice")
and daughter to an intrusive mother Maya (Madhur Jaffrey, "The Only Living Boy in New York" and befuddled father Sonny (Brian George, “The Expanse".
She's also a quasi-parent to her staff of computer animators the cheeky Chewy (James Buckley, "The In Betweeners"), the sweet Norman (Zach Cherry, "You") and the incel in training Griff (Superstore).
Manifest
It's like a mix of "Lost" and "Sense8" but awful. So in that sense, I guess it's more like "Sense8".
2013: A plane takes off from Montego Bay to Massachusetts.
2018: That plane lands.
Ben Stone (Josh Dallas, "Once Upon a Time") and his family: wife Grace (Athena Karkanis), young children Olive and Cal (Jack Messina), Ben's sister Grace (Melissa Roxburgh, Valor) and their parents are returning from a vacation. When the flight is overbook, Ben, Grace and Cal opt to take another flight.
Other than extreme turbulence the flight is uneventful. It is only until they land do they realize how wrong they were. It is now five years later and the lives of those they left behind has gone on without them.
As the Stones and the other passengers try to wrap their heads around their mysterious disappearance, they realize that the five year gap isn't the only strange things surrounding them.
It's a Syfy show, but also a police procedural because Grace is an officer so there is that element mixed in. It also seems to have elements of a faith based series so that's odd.
New Amsterdam
A lot like CBS's failed 2017 series "Pure Genius" about a billionaire who opens an experimental hostipal which was much better.
The series follows the doctors and patients of the public hospital in the Manhattan district, New Amsterdam.
Newbie medical director of New Amsterdam Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold, "The Blacklist") is an idealist and his hope is to reform the care that is given to the patients and eradicate the predatory billing practices of the doctors and push for a more humanistic approach. He blows into the hospital making enemies by performing a culling and paring down the staff to those who will follow his vision like Dr. Anil Kapoor (Anupam Kher, "The Indian Detective"), psychologist Dr. Iggy Frome (Tyler Labine, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency"), and Dr. Laura Bloom (Janet Montgomery, "Salem"). And there are those whose resolve he has to break like doctor turned hospital spokesperson Dr. Hana Sharpe (Freema Agyeman, "Sense8").
I went from despising Eggold on "90210" and "The Blacklist" to really admiring him as an actor in "BlackKKlansman" and now this. He takes an almost Robin Williams in "The Dead Poets Society" take as Max; a man who believes in connectedness and striving to help the downtrodden despite his love and focus on the hospital has caused a rift in his marriage.
Tuesday
A Simple Favor
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It's great fun despite the sometimes unncessary divergent paths it takes.
Stephanie (Anna Kendricks) is a single mom whose focus is her young son, his school activities and her Mommy Vlog.
But some spice is added to Stephanie's life by a friendship with the mother of her son's classmate; Emily (Blake Lively). Emily is everything Stephanie isn't: rich with a successful career, gorgeous husband and as effortlessy caustic as she is stylish.
When Emily goes missing after asking Stephanie to watch her son, Stephanie embarks on a mission to find her "best friend". But the more Stephanie digs the more she realizes that she, nor Emily's husband Sean (Henry Golding, "Crazy Rich Asians") really knows Emily.
The movie is promoted as being darker than it really is; as if it's the second coming of "Girl on the Train" or "Gone Girl" and it's not. It's more in the vein of "Heathers" or "Serial Mom". It's extremely easy to envision Lively's Emiy as one of the Heathers now a stylish, boozy, ballbreaker.
The sugar and spice combo of Kendricks and Lively works perfectly as Stephanie gamely tries to keep her nerd at bay as she stands in awe and sometime astounded disbelief at Emily's in -your-face attitude.
The film deviates greatly from the novel of the same name (written by Darcy Bell; the screenplay by Jessica Sharzer) so if one didn't like the novel, I feel the book is a great antidote for that.
Kendricks does her usual awkward, but firm tough gal but gets to explore a more adult side than usual. However, I loved Lively as Emily. Yes, Emily is cruel and so despicable but Lively makes her looks fun! Like she's a black widow and you would easily and willingly fly into her web just to get closer to her. And although this just seems like an older, grittier version of her "Gossip Girl" character Serena thanks to the amazing wardrobe she gets to wear (Ralph Lauren suit porn!!!)
Which Blake carried over to Fashion Week
, there is still a relatability to her. Throughout the film she's knocking back martinis, but you can easily see her knocking back Bud Lights. It's a great contradiction.
-*Attended a meeting with Disney head Bob Iger as speaker. Someone asked if Disney would turn to darker fare to keep up with their FOX acquisition and Iger said that not only would Disney not go darker and never should, he regretted that they made "The Lone Ranger" not only because it was too dark (he did say a couple of the Pirates of the Caribbean films toed that line) but also because it cost them 100s of millions in losses.
I tried to not take offense because while the movie is called "The Lone Ranger" and Armie Hammer was the titular character, it's a Johnny Depp film so all the blame should rest on his shoulders. Also, according to Armie people come up to him all the time to say that they like it and don't understand why it didn't do well. So...there.
Also again, Iger is a very handsome and charming man of a certain age and I hope he's not a creepy sex pest like his peers.
Wednesday
CBS Fall Preview Night
The Neighborhood
I completely missed the pilot and the majority of the panel. I came in as Sheaun McKinney and Marcel Spears were talking about how they both auditioned for the role and Sheaun was sure he didn't get it because he saw Marcel and other younger actors there and figured the role would skew younger. He ended up getting a call about another role they added at the last minute.
The premise: "The nicest guy in the Midwest (Greenfield) who moves his family into a tough neighborhood in L.A. where not everyone appreciates his extreme neighborliness. That includes their new next-door neighbor Calvin (Cedric).
The panelists: Beth Behrs (Two Broke Girls), Max Greenfield (The New Girl), Cedric the Entertainer, Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris)
The Paley's security guard's phone went off and that led to Ced riffing on how that was a business call and the guard looked like the type who sells tube socks (that is a thing in L.A. People sell packages of socks and batteries that they've bought wholesale on the streets and on the trains).
I got there so late that I really thought it was the last screening and panel of the night. Tichina was the last one to leave the stage because she was catching up with friends who came to support her and she apologized to the crowd for holding up the next panel. I assumed she was wrong, but sure enough as soon as she left the stage, the lights were dimmed and "Happy Together" started.
Happy Together
Loosely based on a span of time when One Direction singer Harry Styles lived with director/producer Ben Winson (The Late Show with James Corden) and his wife.
Jake (Damon Wayans Jr.) is the accountant of dim but sweet Aussie pop sensation Cooper James (Felix Mallard, "Neighbors").
When Felix and his pop princess girlfriend break up, he asks Jake if he could lay low with he and his wife Claire (Amber Stevens West, "The Carmichael Show").
Felix's presence makes the solid Jake and Claire aim to add fun back into their lives, but also sparks their parental instincts as they see that despite Felix being an international star, he needs a safe harbor as a buffer between his overzealous manager Wayne (Chris Parnell, "Suburgatory") and fans such as Claire's mother Bonnie (Stephanie Weir, "MadTV").
A pretty by rote sitcom but it's Wayans and his chemistry with Stevens that make it better than what it is. He provides some laugh out loud moments solely on his mannerisms. The lead weight is Mallard. Ben Winston, the show's creator, said he was really after Mallard for the series because Mallard had another offer so he was "stalking" him in order to get him to agree to the show and I just don't get why. He's pretty bad. Like Disney Channel sitcom bad.
The show also stars Victor Williams of the former CBS series "King of Queens" as Gerald, Claire's father. It was mentioned during the Q&A that originally Tim Meadows had the role but they never said why he left the project or was dropped. It's a shame because sketch comedy alums Meadows (SNL), Parnell (SNL) and Weir (Mad TV) would have been great together.
- Winston told of how Styles came to live with him and his wife. Winston directed a few One Direction videos and when Harry was working on his solo work he asked Winston if he could stay with him for a few days. He ended up living in his attic on and off for 18 months.
Winston said he mentioned it to a producer friend of his who told him it would make a great series. He says the reality is very boring - it was just 18 months of them sitting on the couch in their pants watching TV, so other than the base premise, the show goes on another tangent so it gives him license to explore wild scenarios.
-Mallard said Harry called him before he got the role. He said he had been expecting a call from Winston so when an unknown number came through he assumed it was Winston, but it was Styles. He said Styles is surprisingly well versed about "Neighbors" ("He’s an avid Neighbours watcher. He’s all up on Australian daytime television.") They talked so long that Harry ran out of things to say. ("That's a fun thing actually. It got to the point where he was like, "So..All right. How’s it going?)
-Weir was already employed on another series as a writer, but dropped it for "Happy Together". She has now spent time in their writing room. The moderator asked Wayans if he was in the writers' room but he said he's not, but they are allowed to improvise and do that a lot. (Writer Austen Stowell, "I hate it! 'I spent a lot of time on those words!')
-Stevens-West was the last one hired. She was waiting on word if "The Carmichael Show" would be renewed or not so she wasn't pushing hard for shows, they reached out to her and she gave it a shot just in case. The wrap party for "The Carmichael Show" was on a Friday night and Saturday night she auditioned with Wayans and Mallard ("I had already worked with Damon so it was like reuniting with a friend." "I forgot how tall you were. I had to stand up straighter.")
-This is Wayans' first time doing a series in front of a live audience. He says the learning curve is letting the audience laugh because they'll start laughing at the set-up and he's waiting to deliver the punchline but has to time it so it could be heard. ("You don't know what will make the audience laugh. They're laughing at things that's not even funny - just the set up.") (dawnybee: Poor Damon. Does he not know they have signs above the audience's head telling them when to clap and laugh or the warm up person who urges audiences to laugh hard and loudly even when it's not funny?)
-Winston tells of his first real Hollywood moment and it was a few days ago at the start of Rosh Hashanah and he and his parents were walking to temple and right next to it was a huge billboard for "Happy Together".
-The mod asked what type of hosts they are. Stevens-West says she's a great host but will never let people know that she wants them to leave. Wayans said he's a terrible host and it's obvious when he wants people to leave. ::slapping his hands on his legs:: "Welllp. Where are you all heading next? What are you guys going to do now?"
Stevens-West : "He comes out brushing his teeth" (affecting like he's going to bed).
Wayans: "That's how I do my mother."
-Mallard said he has already received hate tweets from Harry Styles' fans. "It's a small group (sending him hate) but they're *loud*. It's really a detriment to his brand. It's really disturbing." “What I think is bizarre is the judgement passed before. One photo came out…one photo came out and some people were like, (crossly and folds his arms) “No. I don’t wanna watch *that*.” But the majority of the people have been really excited.
Wayans: I didn't know these jeans had holes (pointing to the stupid jeans that didn't go with his jackets). I saw them folded up (in the store) and I bought them and put them on and my feet comes out through the holes. That’s what I want people to take away from the show. Just buy it. Just buy it and tell your friends to watch.
Magnum P.I.
Reboot of the 80's detective drama starring Tom Selleck (who is still at home on CBS with the long-running family cop drama "Blue Bloods").
The series, set in Hawaii (natch), follows the (mis)adventures of former soldier, turned private investigator Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez, "Bad Moms" and "Bad Moms Christmas") who gets free run of the palatial estate of mysterious writer Robin Higgins who uses the military exploits of Magnum and his fellow soldier/friends TC (Stephen Hill, "Maniac") and Rick (Zachary Knighton, "LA to Vegas") as inspiration for his novels. The estate is run by Juliette Higgins (Perdita Weeks, "Penny Dreadful") who has an antagonistic relationship with Magnum.
Another non-fan of Magnum is Detective Gordon Katsumoto (Sung Kang, "Power") who hates the fact that Magnum interferes in police investigations.
There is nothing extraordinary about this series. Maybe it will take a few more episodes to properly judge it but on sight the cast lacks the chemistry that the "Hawaii 5.0" cast has and it is not as compelling as "Criminal Minds". And unlike "Elementary" where they genderbent Watson but didn't make her a love interest to Holmes, it's obvious that the Magnum/Higgins relationship is a "will they or won't they" scenario. Good thing is that Higgins gets to be more involved and she's as much as a brawler as the men in the series.
Thursday
The Sisters Brothers
Adapted from the Patrick deWitt novel of the same name, “The Sisters Brothers” is an amiable film that is a bit disarming in its subtlety. For all of its gritty, wham-bam violence, it is a quiet film that is more about personal reflection. Categorized by some critics as “zany”, it’s not and I think the title and John C. Reilly and that descriptor led people to think it’s a comedy which is why I think 8 people walked out of it when I saw it.
It’s 1841 and assassin siblings Eli (John C. Reilly) and Charlie Sisters (Joaquin Phoenix)
have been hired by the Commodore (Rutger Hauer in a non-speaking 2 minute appearance) to find chemist Hermann Kermit Warm (Riz Ahmed) in order to torture out of him the details of his invention that will revolutionize gold mining.
When the Sisters bollocks up the search, the Commodore sends a private investigator John Morris (Jake Gyllenhaal) ahead of them to keep eyes on Warm, while the Sisters make their way through the Oregon Trail to San Francisco. As the four men venture on to their rendezvous, Morris and Eli both experience a transformation of thought as Morris is pulled to the idealistic Warm
and Eli grows more decisive about exiting this violent life with Charlie.
The subtitle of this film could be called “War is Over If You Want It” as it examines exiting toxic things; whether a set of ideals or a relationship. The heart of the film is Eli who, unlike his damaged brother, hasn’t let the life they’ve led harden him. As they make their way far beyond where they’ve ever ventured, Eli begins to open his eyes to what else is out there for them. While before he’s embarked on this job he was already plotting for a way out, seeing new lands and new technology like toothbrushes and toothpaste and indoor toilets cements for him that he wants more even if it means leaving behind Charlie.
I didn’t know how much I wanted to see Phoenix and Gyllenhaal in a film together until now. Unfortunately, Gyllenhaal and Ahmed’s characters are absent most of the second act. However, when Gyllenhaal and Ahmed are onscreen, it’s a great partnership.
in their second collaboration
The film bowed at The Venice Film Festival and at Tiff. Director Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone), won The Best Director award at Venice.
Phoenix took time out of filming the Joker standalone to attend TIFF
Friday
White Boy Rick
Based on the true and infuriating story of Richard Wershe Jr who at 14 became an information for the FBI who had entering the drug game in the already drug stricken community in Detroit in order for the Feds to infiltrate the drug business in order to take down the big fishes in the game.
It’s 1984 and Detroit is already a dying town. Rick (newcomer Richie Merritt) lives with his father Richard Sr (Matthew McConaughey), a buyer and seller of guns, and his drug addicted sister Dawn (Bel Powley, Mary Shelly).
Rick Jr. gets his ability to sell from his father, but his street smarts is all him. It’s this confidence and knowledge that prompts Rick to sell guns to local drug dealer Johnny "Lil Man" Curry (Jonathan Majors, When We Rise). Rick soon finds himself in his inner circle thanks to Johnny’s brother Boo (RJ Cyler, I’m Dying Up Here).
When the guns are used in a crime and traced back to Rick Sr., who is now in danger of being sent to jail due to modifying the guns, Rick Jr. is cornered by Feds Alex Snyder (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Frank Byrd (Rory Cochrane) and local officer Mel Jackson (Brian Tyree Henry) who convince him to turn informant in order to make the possible charges against his father disappear. Seeing the money for his worries as a way to help his family, Rick accepts the job and soon finds himself in the underbelly of the drug game. Eventually, his own ambition overtakes him and he finds himself in danger of the other dealers and the Feds.
The film is surprisingly matter-of-fact. I assumed it would be glamorized like “Scarface”, but instead it just shows people on the grind was a career, not as a come-up. Yes, they revel in the money and the power, but really most treat it like a job.
Merritt, as Rick, is both the weak link and the strength of the film. He’s not an actor (McConaughey and the director joked about how when shooting would get too tough with him they would bet on if he would quit the production) and it shows in the more serious films, but he shines more and is most authentic in the scenes where he’s asserting himself to the dealers and the Feds.
The 80’s vibe was incredibly authentic with its depiction of the high rolling, fur coat clad drug lords, and the soundtrack was stellar with great mixes of 80s R&B and hip hop. It’s a shame that the film itself isn’t more dynamic. It had a chance to really be more critical of drug enforcement who have operated in the shadows of the drug trade. These drug lords don’t rise without the help of those in power and I think enough has been written about corruption in law enforcement and in particular in Wershe’s case that I would have liked to see that explored.
The cast at TIFF
The Predator
There are remakes that are aligned to the original canon and there are remakes that take a completely different tone than the source material. “The Predator” is the latter. The film is more action-comedy than action-horror. If you’re looking for a tone comparison look no further than the film “The Monster Squad” which isn’t weird because just like “The Predator”, that film was written by Shane Black and Fred Dekker.
“The Predator” does not ignore the 1987 (of which Shane Black was in the cast)
or 2010 film, but makes itself wholly it’s on. If you’re like me with no connection to the other three films it’s not an issue. But when the film ended in my theater there was no applause whatsoever (although the trio of men next to me were hearing impaired and signing excitedly during someone scenes and finally at the end, one of them said, “Bad.Ass”.).
Army Ranger sniper Quinn McKenna (sexy Southern Boyd Holbrook, Narcos), finds a downed Predator ship while he’s on mission in Mexico. He steals contents from the ship in order to prove what he’s seen before taking off and going on the lam. When the military closes in on him he ships the goods to his P.O Box back home, only to have them dropped off at the home of his estranged wife (Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale) and son Rory (Jacob Tremblay).
Trying to get Quinn to open up about what he saw is Will Traeger, the swaggering government agent who knows about The Predators past and present. Traeger recruits biologist Dr. Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn) to help the agency figure out what exactly does the Predator wants.
But time has run out when Rory finds the gear his father sent so now Quinn escapes from the facility along with the ragtag Loonies -fellow ex military who are deemed mentally unstable (Trevante Rhodes, Keegan Michael Key, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen and Auguso Aguilera).
A movie solely about The Loonies would’ve been better. As it was, the film played out like “The A Team”, they might as well as just rebooted “The A-Team” again.
Saturday
Paley Center for Media Fall Preview 2018
While it was the fourth day of the event, it was the kickoff event for me. Two panels: ABC and CW which meant that I put in a full day at the Paley Center as if I worked there.
ABC was the only event that was sold out. I waited until the last minute to get my tickets just because I'm a horrible procrastinator and two days later after purchasing them, the Paley sent out an email offering up free tickets.
The reason ABC sold out was because of "The Rookie" starring Nathan Fillion. And I knew Fillion was the reason because there were a bunch of people with Firefly tees and material of his work to get signed. Who knew the Best Joey Buchanan was a fan favorite?! I don't know why I am surpised: I remember at Comic Con waiting in line for the SV panel overnight with "Castle" fans who were doing the same thing.
The Rookie
Stars 47-year old Nathan Fillion as 40-year old John Nolan, who reeling from a divorce and needing a path forward, decides to become a police officer after being in the middle of a bank robbery.
Fresh out of the academy, he embarks on the job as low man on the totem pole with other "boots" (newbies): Lucy (Lucy Chen, "iZombie"), an ambitious upstart and Titus (Jackson West, "The Path") the son of an esteemed detective.
They are each paired with tough as nails officers Talia (Afton Williamson), who has ambitious to become lead detective; her competition for the job Angela (Alyssa Diaz, "Ray Donovan") and resident arsehole Tim (Eric Winter, "Rosewood").
As Nolan tries his best to prove his worth, it's not good enough for Sgt. Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) who views Nolan as a danger. Thankfully, he has a supporter in Capt. Zoe Anderson (Mercedes Mason, Fear the Walking Dead).
Standard procedural with a touch of humor, that humor coming at the expense Nolan's age. And Fillion has lost a lot of weight so they can't crack on that anymore like I used to.
On panel was the entire cast and the showrunner Alexi Hawley (Castle).
I had to recalibrate my thinking because all of the cast went on and on about how hard it is to be a cop (agreed) and the great things they do and I was just not feeling it because there was still the issue of a off-duty cop who shot an unarmed man in his own apartment and she hadn't been arrested and had been given days to drift in the wind without giving a follow-up statement. Add to that last month in L.A a cop responding to a hostage call at a Trader Joe's killed hostage and I just wasn't feeling the accolades. Plus two of the cast members went on about "wow, and they go out there and never know if they're going to come home." Yes, but that's the same for firefighters and actually anyone. That woman went to work not thinking a cop would kill her. Tamir Rice was at the park on a swing not knowing a cop would kill him.
But Alexi did display awareness and said that the show is aspirational. He used an example from the pilot where the officers talk down a mentally ill man with no consequence. He says we have all seen in real life where officers have killed people with mental illness and that there needs to be more training with how law enforcement interacts the citizenry, but he wants the show to reflect how it could be and how it should be.
-Alexi didn't think Nathan would want to do it after working on "Castle" for so long.
-The cast has karaoke nights, but Fillion lamented that he's so much older than the other "rookies" that neither party know what songs they're singing.
-The rookies will rotate mentors so Fillion will be able to work alongside Winter, et al.
The Kids Are Right
A mix of past and present "The Wonder Years", "The Goldbergs" with a bit of "Complete Savages" thrown in.
Set in the 70s, the series is based on show's creator Tim Doyle's (Last Man Standing, Rules of Engagement) life as the fifth son in a Catholic family with eight boys and all the hijinks that goes with being from a big brood.
Being one of eight boys, Timmy (Jack Gore, Billions) tries stand out from the pack to get attention from his harried parents Peggy and Mike (Mary McCormack,"In Plain Sight" and Michael Cudlitz, "The Walking Dead"). It's a feat that's hard to do consider all the attention his brothers get like the eldest and seminary student Lawrence (Sam Straley, "Chicago P.D."), resident snitch Frank (Sawyer Barth, "Public Morals"), Eddie (Caleb Foote, American Horror Story) who is trying to keep under the radar with varying results, rapscallion scammer Joey (Me, Myself and I), the supportive goody-two-shoes William (Andy Walken, A Christmas Story Live), Pat (Santino Barnard, Grey's Anatomy) who is kept on a short leash and an infant.
Fairly humorous, but nothing that hasn't been handled in "The Wonder Years" or even "Everybody Hates Chris". The family is constantly broke and have to improvise to keep eight kids clothed, fed and sheltered (Frank sleeps under the dining room table); the parents are controlling and of course rose colored memories of the idealistic 70s.
The key word at these events this year has been "aspirational" and showrunner Doyle wanted to show a time of upheaval in the U.S to act as a mirror to the current political landscape to show people that the U.S survived the 60s/70s and that we can survive this administration.
-Cudlitz and McCormack said they wanted the roles because they were tired of doing dramas (McCormack was on the police drama "In Plain Sight" and Cudlitz on "The Walking Dead"). While Cudlitz said killing things is great fun, he wanted something more lighthearted.
-Doyle says his plan is to keep the show in an endless summer in order to justify all of the kids being around the home. He said ABC pushed back because they wanted a Christmas episode so he said they are shooting a Christmas episode, but for all intents and purposes that episode is a flashback ep as in his mind this takes place over a summer.
-They said the kids love the retro vibe of the show and that they were amazed by rotary phones. Doyle wanted to keep it as accurate to the times as possible so he had production track down a soda can with an actual pull ring. They found it on eBay. The moderator was Jim Halterman from TV Guide and he offered up access to vintage TV Guides.
One Million Little Things
I loved this pilot, but I know myself and I don't think I will get past a season of it but it's worth a few episodes for me to gauge whether or not there is something more to it to hang onto.
The lives of three men: Rome (Romany Malco, "The 40-Year Old Virgin"), Gary (James Roday, "Psych") and Eddie (David Guitoli, "Grimm") is rocked when their friend Jon (Ron Livingston, "Search Party") commits suicide.
In the wake of his death, there are more questions than answers for the men and Jon's wife Delilah (Stephanie Szostak, Satisfaction) who grapple to find out the reason for Jon's action and to also confront the secrets they each harbor.
It manages to escape from being "thirtysomething" or something equally as pallid thanks to Roday's Gary. A man who has faced death, he views life sardonically and with gallows humor, none of which is tempered when he meets his equal in Maggie (Allison Miller, "13 Reasons Why").
It seems as if there will be a season long mystery on why Jon killed himself, but also the change in the group's dynamic after the loss of their guiding light.
Charmed
Reboot of the beloved WB series focusing on a trio of three sisters who are witches.
Sisters Mel Vera (Melonie Diaz, "Fruitvale Station"), and Maggie Vera (Sarah Jeffery,"Shades of Blue") couldn't be more different: Mel is an ardent feminist fighting the injustices at their college and all Maggie wants to do is pledge a sorority which revels in the very thing her sister protests against. The force that keeps them together is their mother Marisol (Valerie Cruz, "Life Sentence"). When Marisol dies suspiciously, the pair are fractured even moreso by their reactions to a stranger - Macy (Madeleine Mantock, "The Tomorrow People") who arrives on their doorstep claiming to be their sister.
Their lives are upended further when they are told that their mother, as well as they themselves, are witches and they must unite against a force that is coming to destroy the world. Helping them in their crash course is the warlock, Harry Greenwood (Rupert Evans, "Man in the High Castle).
It's not as quippy as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but it has the same quasi-camp tone. I'm assuming the original had that vibe as well. It works well enough and I like the balance of the sisters: Mel is more hard hitting, Macy is more even-keeled and Maggie is more free spirited.
It's not a slam dunk with me like "Grimm" was.
But glad that my dear heart from “The Tomorrow People” is working. She also has a series in the UK, “Age Before Beauty”
All American
It's like "The OC" and "One Tree Hill". I've never watched either but I'm just going to go with this comparison.
Spencer James (Daniel Ezra, "Prime Suspect 1973") is the star football player in South Central. While he is committed to the sport, he's in danger of being pulled from the team due to getting caught up in the drama going around him like drive-by shootings and getting into fights to defend his lesbian best friend, Coop (Bre-Z, "Empire").
When Billy Baker (Taye Diggs), a coach from Beverly Hills High recruits him, Spencer becomes the low man on the totem pole up against their star players which includes Baker's disapproving son Jordan (Michael Evans Behling, "Empire"), and Jordan's best friend, the arrogant teammate Asher (Cody Christian, "Teen Wolf").
Stunned by the complete difference from his home environment and new school environment, Spencer does find an ally in Spencer's daughter Olivia (Samantha Logan, "13 Reasons Why") and Asher's girlfriend Leila (Greta Onieogou, 'Anne with an E").
I did like this because in a small way it reminded me of my dear "90210" reboot. I like how they don't pose it as Spencer feeling out of place because while Beverly Hills is a complete change of pace than where he's from, they never portray it as if he feels he doesn't belong there. He's sure of his talent and his eyes is ever towards football because he views it as a way to provide a better life for his parents so that other drama falls away. That's real deal.
Of course it can't be a CW show without its twists and love triangles/square. In this it's the form of Olivia being attracted to Spencer while he has eyes for Asher's girlfriend Leila.
It is based on the experience of former NFL-er Spencer Paysinger who is a producer and consultant on the show.
Paysinger and series lead Daniel Ezra
-I was sitting with and in front of people either from CW or assistants/friends of the actors so at one point Cody Christian pointed out that the guy who does his football stunts was there. He was behind me with two other men so he stood up a bit when he acknowledged. As the panel went on after Cody gave Aaron the fifth fist bump/hand clasp of the night, one of the footballer’s friends whispered, “Yeah, bro. We’re total bros. Sick.” I was like, dang. No one’s safe in these streets. Getting mocked openly by people associated with the show. Sick burn, bro!
Sunday
Life Itself
If you watch NBC's "This Is Us' created by "Life Itself"s writer/director Dan Fogelman then you know you are in for some tears. "Life Itself" is "This Is Us" on HGH.
While I hate emotionally manipulative works, I felt that this wasn't tragedy porn as it felt too to the ground and realistic to feel like it was jerking your emotional chain. Life can be incredibly sad and painful and while people go to film to escape that reality, I think art exists to reflect reality so this films honor that reality that life is pain and you will have hardships but it is part of the journey and you can either avoid it or you can embrace it as a truism and learn to coexist.
"Life Itself" reveals itself through the lives of cool, artsy expectant couple Abby and Will (Olivia Wilde and Oscar Isaac),
,angsty rocker named Dylan (Olivia Cooke, "Bates Motel"),
the hardworking Javier (Sergio Peris-Mencheta, "Snowfall") and his love Isabel (Laia Costa, "Cites"),
wealthy landowner Mr. Saccione (Antonio Banderas)
and fish out of water Rodrigo (Àlex Moner, "Vivir Sin Permiso").
Starting about boldly and with a near staggering wild brilliance, the film tempers into something more even keel. Sometimes it feels to clever by half and self-referential, almost humblebrag-gy as the characters go on these Aaron Sorkin/Cameron Crowe-esque monologues about life as if they're first year college students. And those tangents would be annoying if I didn't find beautiful truths in them, if I didn't find relevance and relativity to it. Also, I love good pain - I would rather feel something than nothing so even when something so absurdly sad happens (there was one scene in particularly when, almost at the same time, me and another person across the room said, "oh, jesus!"), I can appreciate how Fogelman depicts the harsh realities of life. We are not getting off this spinning blue-green ball alive and pain is the price of admission on this ride so why not confront it.
The performances are all swell, though Isaacs as the manic-pixie-boy Will was a sight to behold and Banderas as the circumspect Mr. Saccione were my favorite turns. And high-five to Melanie Griffith who has at least one ex who didn't go to pot. My word, I would dare say older!Antonio Banderas is sexier than "Desperado" Antonio Banderas and Desperado! and Never Talk to Strangers! Antonio Banderas was better than porn to me.
Monday
Paley Center’s Fall Preview: NBC
I Feel Bad
NBC keeps trying to make comedies happen and the ones that are genuinely promising like "Champions" are axed as NBC puts all their comedic hopes and dreams on the "Will and Grace" revival and "Superstore". "I Feel Bad" won't return NBC to its glory days but it's moderately entertaining. Bonus points for an Indian-American lead.
Emet (Sarayu Blue, "No Tomorrow", "Blockers")
is trying to find a better work/life balance: mom at home to two young kids, a wife to David (Paul Adelstein, "Private Practice")
and daughter to an intrusive mother Maya (Madhur Jaffrey, "The Only Living Boy in New York" and befuddled father Sonny (Brian George, “The Expanse".
She's also a quasi-parent to her staff of computer animators the cheeky Chewy (James Buckley, "The In Betweeners"), the sweet Norman (Zach Cherry, "You") and the incel in training Griff (Superstore).
Manifest
It's like a mix of "Lost" and "Sense8" but awful. So in that sense, I guess it's more like "Sense8".
2013: A plane takes off from Montego Bay to Massachusetts.
2018: That plane lands.
Ben Stone (Josh Dallas, "Once Upon a Time") and his family: wife Grace (Athena Karkanis), young children Olive and Cal (Jack Messina), Ben's sister Grace (Melissa Roxburgh, Valor) and their parents are returning from a vacation. When the flight is overbook, Ben, Grace and Cal opt to take another flight.
Other than extreme turbulence the flight is uneventful. It is only until they land do they realize how wrong they were. It is now five years later and the lives of those they left behind has gone on without them.
As the Stones and the other passengers try to wrap their heads around their mysterious disappearance, they realize that the five year gap isn't the only strange things surrounding them.
It's a Syfy show, but also a police procedural because Grace is an officer so there is that element mixed in. It also seems to have elements of a faith based series so that's odd.
New Amsterdam
A lot like CBS's failed 2017 series "Pure Genius" about a billionaire who opens an experimental hostipal which was much better.
The series follows the doctors and patients of the public hospital in the Manhattan district, New Amsterdam.
Newbie medical director of New Amsterdam Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold, "The Blacklist") is an idealist and his hope is to reform the care that is given to the patients and eradicate the predatory billing practices of the doctors and push for a more humanistic approach. He blows into the hospital making enemies by performing a culling and paring down the staff to those who will follow his vision like Dr. Anil Kapoor (Anupam Kher, "The Indian Detective"), psychologist Dr. Iggy Frome (Tyler Labine, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency"), and Dr. Laura Bloom (Janet Montgomery, "Salem"). And there are those whose resolve he has to break like doctor turned hospital spokesperson Dr. Hana Sharpe (Freema Agyeman, "Sense8").
I went from despising Eggold on "90210" and "The Blacklist" to really admiring him as an actor in "BlackKKlansman" and now this. He takes an almost Robin Williams in "The Dead Poets Society" take as Max; a man who believes in connectedness and striving to help the downtrodden despite his love and focus on the hospital has caused a rift in his marriage.
Tuesday
A Simple Favor
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It's great fun despite the sometimes unncessary divergent paths it takes.
Stephanie (Anna Kendricks) is a single mom whose focus is her young son, his school activities and her Mommy Vlog.
But some spice is added to Stephanie's life by a friendship with the mother of her son's classmate; Emily (Blake Lively). Emily is everything Stephanie isn't: rich with a successful career, gorgeous husband and as effortlessy caustic as she is stylish.
When Emily goes missing after asking Stephanie to watch her son, Stephanie embarks on a mission to find her "best friend". But the more Stephanie digs the more she realizes that she, nor Emily's husband Sean (Henry Golding, "Crazy Rich Asians") really knows Emily.
The movie is promoted as being darker than it really is; as if it's the second coming of "Girl on the Train" or "Gone Girl" and it's not. It's more in the vein of "Heathers" or "Serial Mom". It's extremely easy to envision Lively's Emiy as one of the Heathers now a stylish, boozy, ballbreaker.
The sugar and spice combo of Kendricks and Lively works perfectly as Stephanie gamely tries to keep her nerd at bay as she stands in awe and sometime astounded disbelief at Emily's in -your-face attitude.
The film deviates greatly from the novel of the same name (written by Darcy Bell; the screenplay by Jessica Sharzer) so if one didn't like the novel, I feel the book is a great antidote for that.
Kendricks does her usual awkward, but firm tough gal but gets to explore a more adult side than usual. However, I loved Lively as Emily. Yes, Emily is cruel and so despicable but Lively makes her looks fun! Like she's a black widow and you would easily and willingly fly into her web just to get closer to her. And although this just seems like an older, grittier version of her "Gossip Girl" character Serena thanks to the amazing wardrobe she gets to wear (Ralph Lauren suit porn!!!)
Which Blake carried over to Fashion Week
, there is still a relatability to her. Throughout the film she's knocking back martinis, but you can easily see her knocking back Bud Lights. It's a great contradiction.
-*Attended a meeting with Disney head Bob Iger as speaker. Someone asked if Disney would turn to darker fare to keep up with their FOX acquisition and Iger said that not only would Disney not go darker and never should, he regretted that they made "The Lone Ranger" not only because it was too dark (he did say a couple of the Pirates of the Caribbean films toed that line) but also because it cost them 100s of millions in losses.
I tried to not take offense because while the movie is called "The Lone Ranger" and Armie Hammer was the titular character, it's a Johnny Depp film so all the blame should rest on his shoulders. Also, according to Armie people come up to him all the time to say that they like it and don't understand why it didn't do well. So...there.
Also again, Iger is a very handsome and charming man of a certain age and I hope he's not a creepy sex pest like his peers.
Wednesday
CBS Fall Preview Night
The Neighborhood
I completely missed the pilot and the majority of the panel. I came in as Sheaun McKinney and Marcel Spears were talking about how they both auditioned for the role and Sheaun was sure he didn't get it because he saw Marcel and other younger actors there and figured the role would skew younger. He ended up getting a call about another role they added at the last minute.
The premise: "The nicest guy in the Midwest (Greenfield) who moves his family into a tough neighborhood in L.A. where not everyone appreciates his extreme neighborliness. That includes their new next-door neighbor Calvin (Cedric).
The panelists: Beth Behrs (Two Broke Girls), Max Greenfield (The New Girl), Cedric the Entertainer, Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris)
The Paley's security guard's phone went off and that led to Ced riffing on how that was a business call and the guard looked like the type who sells tube socks (that is a thing in L.A. People sell packages of socks and batteries that they've bought wholesale on the streets and on the trains).
I got there so late that I really thought it was the last screening and panel of the night. Tichina was the last one to leave the stage because she was catching up with friends who came to support her and she apologized to the crowd for holding up the next panel. I assumed she was wrong, but sure enough as soon as she left the stage, the lights were dimmed and "Happy Together" started.
Happy Together
Loosely based on a span of time when One Direction singer Harry Styles lived with director/producer Ben Winson (The Late Show with James Corden) and his wife.
Jake (Damon Wayans Jr.) is the accountant of dim but sweet Aussie pop sensation Cooper James (Felix Mallard, "Neighbors").
When Felix and his pop princess girlfriend break up, he asks Jake if he could lay low with he and his wife Claire (Amber Stevens West, "The Carmichael Show").
Felix's presence makes the solid Jake and Claire aim to add fun back into their lives, but also sparks their parental instincts as they see that despite Felix being an international star, he needs a safe harbor as a buffer between his overzealous manager Wayne (Chris Parnell, "Suburgatory") and fans such as Claire's mother Bonnie (Stephanie Weir, "MadTV").
A pretty by rote sitcom but it's Wayans and his chemistry with Stevens that make it better than what it is. He provides some laugh out loud moments solely on his mannerisms. The lead weight is Mallard. Ben Winston, the show's creator, said he was really after Mallard for the series because Mallard had another offer so he was "stalking" him in order to get him to agree to the show and I just don't get why. He's pretty bad. Like Disney Channel sitcom bad.
The show also stars Victor Williams of the former CBS series "King of Queens" as Gerald, Claire's father. It was mentioned during the Q&A that originally Tim Meadows had the role but they never said why he left the project or was dropped. It's a shame because sketch comedy alums Meadows (SNL), Parnell (SNL) and Weir (Mad TV) would have been great together.
- Winston told of how Styles came to live with him and his wife. Winston directed a few One Direction videos and when Harry was working on his solo work he asked Winston if he could stay with him for a few days. He ended up living in his attic on and off for 18 months.
Winston said he mentioned it to a producer friend of his who told him it would make a great series. He says the reality is very boring - it was just 18 months of them sitting on the couch in their pants watching TV, so other than the base premise, the show goes on another tangent so it gives him license to explore wild scenarios.
-Mallard said Harry called him before he got the role. He said he had been expecting a call from Winston so when an unknown number came through he assumed it was Winston, but it was Styles. He said Styles is surprisingly well versed about "Neighbors" ("He’s an avid Neighbours watcher. He’s all up on Australian daytime television.") They talked so long that Harry ran out of things to say. ("That's a fun thing actually. It got to the point where he was like, "So..All right. How’s it going?)
-Weir was already employed on another series as a writer, but dropped it for "Happy Together". She has now spent time in their writing room. The moderator asked Wayans if he was in the writers' room but he said he's not, but they are allowed to improvise and do that a lot. (Writer Austen Stowell, "I hate it! 'I spent a lot of time on those words!')
-Stevens-West was the last one hired. She was waiting on word if "The Carmichael Show" would be renewed or not so she wasn't pushing hard for shows, they reached out to her and she gave it a shot just in case. The wrap party for "The Carmichael Show" was on a Friday night and Saturday night she auditioned with Wayans and Mallard ("I had already worked with Damon so it was like reuniting with a friend." "I forgot how tall you were. I had to stand up straighter.")
-This is Wayans' first time doing a series in front of a live audience. He says the learning curve is letting the audience laugh because they'll start laughing at the set-up and he's waiting to deliver the punchline but has to time it so it could be heard. ("You don't know what will make the audience laugh. They're laughing at things that's not even funny - just the set up.") (dawnybee: Poor Damon. Does he not know they have signs above the audience's head telling them when to clap and laugh or the warm up person who urges audiences to laugh hard and loudly even when it's not funny?)
-Winston tells of his first real Hollywood moment and it was a few days ago at the start of Rosh Hashanah and he and his parents were walking to temple and right next to it was a huge billboard for "Happy Together".
-The mod asked what type of hosts they are. Stevens-West says she's a great host but will never let people know that she wants them to leave. Wayans said he's a terrible host and it's obvious when he wants people to leave. ::slapping his hands on his legs:: "Welllp. Where are you all heading next? What are you guys going to do now?"
Stevens-West : "He comes out brushing his teeth" (affecting like he's going to bed).
Wayans: "That's how I do my mother."
-Mallard said he has already received hate tweets from Harry Styles' fans. "It's a small group (sending him hate) but they're *loud*. It's really a detriment to his brand. It's really disturbing." “What I think is bizarre is the judgement passed before. One photo came out…one photo came out and some people were like, (crossly and folds his arms) “No. I don’t wanna watch *that*.” But the majority of the people have been really excited.
Wayans: I didn't know these jeans had holes (pointing to the stupid jeans that didn't go with his jackets). I saw them folded up (in the store) and I bought them and put them on and my feet comes out through the holes. That’s what I want people to take away from the show. Just buy it. Just buy it and tell your friends to watch.
Magnum P.I.
Reboot of the 80's detective drama starring Tom Selleck (who is still at home on CBS with the long-running family cop drama "Blue Bloods").
The series, set in Hawaii (natch), follows the (mis)adventures of former soldier, turned private investigator Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez, "Bad Moms" and "Bad Moms Christmas") who gets free run of the palatial estate of mysterious writer Robin Higgins who uses the military exploits of Magnum and his fellow soldier/friends TC (Stephen Hill, "Maniac") and Rick (Zachary Knighton, "LA to Vegas") as inspiration for his novels. The estate is run by Juliette Higgins (Perdita Weeks, "Penny Dreadful") who has an antagonistic relationship with Magnum.
Another non-fan of Magnum is Detective Gordon Katsumoto (Sung Kang, "Power") who hates the fact that Magnum interferes in police investigations.
There is nothing extraordinary about this series. Maybe it will take a few more episodes to properly judge it but on sight the cast lacks the chemistry that the "Hawaii 5.0" cast has and it is not as compelling as "Criminal Minds". And unlike "Elementary" where they genderbent Watson but didn't make her a love interest to Holmes, it's obvious that the Magnum/Higgins relationship is a "will they or won't they" scenario. Good thing is that Higgins gets to be more involved and she's as much as a brawler as the men in the series.
Thursday
The Sisters Brothers
Adapted from the Patrick deWitt novel of the same name, “The Sisters Brothers” is an amiable film that is a bit disarming in its subtlety. For all of its gritty, wham-bam violence, it is a quiet film that is more about personal reflection. Categorized by some critics as “zany”, it’s not and I think the title and John C. Reilly and that descriptor led people to think it’s a comedy which is why I think 8 people walked out of it when I saw it.
It’s 1841 and assassin siblings Eli (John C. Reilly) and Charlie Sisters (Joaquin Phoenix)
have been hired by the Commodore (Rutger Hauer in a non-speaking 2 minute appearance) to find chemist Hermann Kermit Warm (Riz Ahmed) in order to torture out of him the details of his invention that will revolutionize gold mining.
When the Sisters bollocks up the search, the Commodore sends a private investigator John Morris (Jake Gyllenhaal) ahead of them to keep eyes on Warm, while the Sisters make their way through the Oregon Trail to San Francisco. As the four men venture on to their rendezvous, Morris and Eli both experience a transformation of thought as Morris is pulled to the idealistic Warm
and Eli grows more decisive about exiting this violent life with Charlie.
The subtitle of this film could be called “War is Over If You Want It” as it examines exiting toxic things; whether a set of ideals or a relationship. The heart of the film is Eli who, unlike his damaged brother, hasn’t let the life they’ve led harden him. As they make their way far beyond where they’ve ever ventured, Eli begins to open his eyes to what else is out there for them. While before he’s embarked on this job he was already plotting for a way out, seeing new lands and new technology like toothbrushes and toothpaste and indoor toilets cements for him that he wants more even if it means leaving behind Charlie.
I didn’t know how much I wanted to see Phoenix and Gyllenhaal in a film together until now. Unfortunately, Gyllenhaal and Ahmed’s characters are absent most of the second act. However, when Gyllenhaal and Ahmed are onscreen, it’s a great partnership.
in their second collaboration
The film bowed at The Venice Film Festival and at Tiff. Director Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone), won The Best Director award at Venice.
Phoenix took time out of filming the Joker standalone to attend TIFF
Friday
White Boy Rick
Based on the true and infuriating story of Richard Wershe Jr who at 14 became an information for the FBI who had entering the drug game in the already drug stricken community in Detroit in order for the Feds to infiltrate the drug business in order to take down the big fishes in the game.
It’s 1984 and Detroit is already a dying town. Rick (newcomer Richie Merritt) lives with his father Richard Sr (Matthew McConaughey), a buyer and seller of guns, and his drug addicted sister Dawn (Bel Powley, Mary Shelly).
Rick Jr. gets his ability to sell from his father, but his street smarts is all him. It’s this confidence and knowledge that prompts Rick to sell guns to local drug dealer Johnny "Lil Man" Curry (Jonathan Majors, When We Rise). Rick soon finds himself in his inner circle thanks to Johnny’s brother Boo (RJ Cyler, I’m Dying Up Here).
When the guns are used in a crime and traced back to Rick Sr., who is now in danger of being sent to jail due to modifying the guns, Rick Jr. is cornered by Feds Alex Snyder (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Frank Byrd (Rory Cochrane) and local officer Mel Jackson (Brian Tyree Henry) who convince him to turn informant in order to make the possible charges against his father disappear. Seeing the money for his worries as a way to help his family, Rick accepts the job and soon finds himself in the underbelly of the drug game. Eventually, his own ambition overtakes him and he finds himself in danger of the other dealers and the Feds.
The film is surprisingly matter-of-fact. I assumed it would be glamorized like “Scarface”, but instead it just shows people on the grind was a career, not as a come-up. Yes, they revel in the money and the power, but really most treat it like a job.
Merritt, as Rick, is both the weak link and the strength of the film. He’s not an actor (McConaughey and the director joked about how when shooting would get too tough with him they would bet on if he would quit the production) and it shows in the more serious films, but he shines more and is most authentic in the scenes where he’s asserting himself to the dealers and the Feds.
The 80’s vibe was incredibly authentic with its depiction of the high rolling, fur coat clad drug lords, and the soundtrack was stellar with great mixes of 80s R&B and hip hop. It’s a shame that the film itself isn’t more dynamic. It had a chance to really be more critical of drug enforcement who have operated in the shadows of the drug trade. These drug lords don’t rise without the help of those in power and I think enough has been written about corruption in law enforcement and in particular in Wershe’s case that I would have liked to see that explored.
The cast at TIFF
The Predator
There are remakes that are aligned to the original canon and there are remakes that take a completely different tone than the source material. “The Predator” is the latter. The film is more action-comedy than action-horror. If you’re looking for a tone comparison look no further than the film “The Monster Squad” which isn’t weird because just like “The Predator”, that film was written by Shane Black and Fred Dekker.
“The Predator” does not ignore the 1987 (of which Shane Black was in the cast)
or 2010 film, but makes itself wholly it’s on. If you’re like me with no connection to the other three films it’s not an issue. But when the film ended in my theater there was no applause whatsoever (although the trio of men next to me were hearing impaired and signing excitedly during someone scenes and finally at the end, one of them said, “Bad.Ass”.).
Army Ranger sniper Quinn McKenna (sexy Southern Boyd Holbrook, Narcos), finds a downed Predator ship while he’s on mission in Mexico. He steals contents from the ship in order to prove what he’s seen before taking off and going on the lam. When the military closes in on him he ships the goods to his P.O Box back home, only to have them dropped off at the home of his estranged wife (Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale) and son Rory (Jacob Tremblay).
Trying to get Quinn to open up about what he saw is Will Traeger, the swaggering government agent who knows about The Predators past and present. Traeger recruits biologist Dr. Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn) to help the agency figure out what exactly does the Predator wants.
But time has run out when Rory finds the gear his father sent so now Quinn escapes from the facility along with the ragtag Loonies -fellow ex military who are deemed mentally unstable (Trevante Rhodes, Keegan Michael Key, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen and Auguso Aguilera).
A movie solely about The Loonies would’ve been better. As it was, the film played out like “The A Team”, they might as well as just rebooted “The A-Team” again.