Parks and Recreation - "Ann's Decision" - Review

There are plenty of instances where you may like something, but you find it impossible to articulate why that is. You know it’s good, but you just can’t put your finger on it. Explaining your feelings episode to episode, while maintaining variety and trying to not to fall into the same old patterns, can make it difficult at times to write about a show. If an episode is just flat out spectacular or if it bombed like crazy, you’re going to have good deal to plumb from it. But when an episode isn’t doing anything particularly special, but it’s still good and still representative of the show, well, what do you say then?

My most recent review of Cougar Town is quite frankly a total mess. It fails to capture exactly what I wanted to say; it’s too vague in places and it leaves out a few ideas that in hindsight should have been put down. But I’m fine with leaving it a bit haphazard-like because I’m attempting to use this blog in part as a learning tool. Hopefully the more I write, the better equipped I’ll be to address what makes a series and individual episodes work or don’t work. 

Which is to say, Parks and Rec was very good but I couldn’t say why I liked it much beyond I really enjoy this ensemble and I think the writers give them material that plays really well to their strengths. Not much changes really from episode to episode. The biggest things to happen this season are Ron dating Xena Princess Warrior, and Leslie and Ben getting engaged. These big events happened, got absorbed into the show’s DNA, and then the series has carried on undisturbed. Yes, we’ve had episodes that are suggestive of preparing for the eventual wedding but they play out like any old plot the series would be doing anyway. Down the line we’ll probably get a big, fabulous, adorable wedding and I’m sure the series will manage to invert the concept in such a way that it fails to be “stunt”-like. 

But otherwise, though this episode isn’t the most outstanding episode the series has produced, it’s still very, very funny. 

The food tasting scene is filled with great little character jokes; Ben failing to recognize that breaded Italian dish is calzones; Tom “Instagram”-ing his food rather than eating it and describing one dish as “a good book I would likely not read, but would probably enjoy the movie version of”. Funnier still is the day after where everyone but Tom finds themselves with food poisoning. Nick Offerman’s calculated movements to show his physical discomfort is a great piece of physical comedy. 

April dressing up as Leslie is not only amusing but also speaks to her aspirations to be like Leslie. When Andy purposely does a misdirect and hides Leslie’s outfit in order to force April to handle the town hall meeting in her own way, I was smiling a big ‘ole grin. Especially when right after April asserted herself and shut down the usual loonies at these kinds of meetings (most memorably one who wants a “topless park”).

We also get the return of the always welcome Nick Kroll as “The Douche”, Pawnee radio personality, who, to Leslie’s chagrin, is suddenly baby-crazed Ann’s top candidate as a sperm donor.

All in all it’s another pleasing episode carried by the charm and chemistry of a strong cast and writers who utilize them well. It’s all the more impressive an episode for carrying three storylines. In the hands of less competent writers, three stories would make this feel overstuffed and none of them would get their fair due. But everyone is still given some nice moments (even Ann who despite my affection for Rashida Jones is usually my least favorite character but has been well used this season), and none of it feels rushed or forced. 

Grade: A-

Community - "History 101" - Review

When Cougar Town moved to a new network, there was the question of whether it would remain the same show it had always been. Thus far the series has stayed fairly true to the makeup and quality that we anticipate from the series. 

Similarly, when Community creative braintrust Dan Harmon was given the boot by NBC, it was impossible not to question whether the series would remain the same without him. David Guarascio and Moses Port were brought in as showrunners for the series’ fourth season. And the question now is can the show survive without Harmon? 

Well, I hate to say it but tonight’s episode was bad. 

This is not Community. This is imitation Community. A knockoff brand trying so hard to be the original product. This is someone trying to do everything the series has always attempted (the weird jokes, the high concepts, et al.) and failing to understand the basic nucleic acids that made the series tick and work. 

The Hunger Games idea is a good idea in of itself, but it just doesn’t work. The episode only superficially goes through with the concept, and it comes off as only a half-hearted effort. Even when the show faltered in the third season, what let you at least appreciate it was that the series went for broke with every single concept. And sometimes that meant it would fall flat on its face, but the series put in the full, balls-to-the-wall effort to be something bold and audacious and high-concept. It tried so damn hard. 

And this is all the trappings of a good episode with none of the substance underneath to really make it successful. We can see it in the whole joke about going inside of Abed’s head. It’s another good idea in theory, but the execution feels like: Hey, wouldn’t it be cool to see inside Abed’s head! (In fanboy-esque fashion) And then failing to come up with a decent reason to justify it happening. 

Whether it was paintball or fake clip shows or alternate time lines the series had been smart enough to tie these things back to these characters. Often times the episode wasn’t particularly out there or crazy. Much of the first season had some out there jokes, but it wasn't until “Comparative Religion” that the show came into its own and became the show we know it to be, and the only kind of high concept episode before that is “Debate 109” which has glimpses of what the series will be but in many ways holds back. 

This is high-concept for the sake of high-concept with a tacked on heart. The cast tries very hard with the material given to them but the writers seem to have a much worse grasp on how to utilize these characters. 

Grade: B-

Cougar Town - “Runnin' Down A Dream” - Review

There are plenty of in-character and funny moments in “Runnin' Down A Dream” but it doesn’t exactly add up to a satisfying whole.

Cougar Town is a show about incremental changes. The world isn’t saved on a regular basis, allegiances haven’t shifted, etc. etc. Earth shattering changes never occur (and would honestly feel out of place and offputting). The best episodes reveal a new side of a character or a relationship, and challenge and evolve it in subtle ways. Arguably this season’s best storyline was in “Between Two Worlds” where Bobby confronts how inadequate he feels about his life. After trying on the alternate personality of one “Ron Mexico”, Bobby ends up opening up about the fact that he wishes he were someone else.  Bobby is still carrying on status quo, but it’s those little glimpses where we see what makes people tick that elevate the show above just any old sitcom. These are characters but their problems and their relationships, and how they deal with them hit close to home even as they’re trying out different gags.   

Two of the three storylines have nice emotional resolutions and character developments, but they don’t feel like the best stories to explore more about the characters. 

Jules recognizing she misses working for herself and then goes out and lands a sale makes the icing swilling and outlandish bartending self-created roadblocks to admitting that she’s unhappy. It’s this underlying sadness and realism that lets Cougar Town take turns into the more manic. The only problem is that we haven’t seen Jules selling real estate since who knows when, and it’s ceased to be an important or defining feature of her character. If the people she ultimately dealt with weren’t guest stars may be the moment might have rung more true. 

The Andy-Travis-Laurie storyline feels even less compelling. The art snobbery angle feels a bit played, and it’s not the best note to be played by Travis and Laurie. Andy admits at the end that he sometimes wishes he had a dream that he could call his own. That his humdrum job crunching numbers sometimes could use a bit more excitement. It’s heartbreaking and it’s all the sadder coming from carefree Andy, but it does feel like a resolution that comes out of nowhere.  

The third story, Ellie’s story where she badmouths Bobby’s customers is the only plotline that doesn’t work at all because it never goes anywhere. Ellie never claims to feel guilty and it’s not acting as a distraction from something more deeply felt (i.e. desire for independence or yearning for lost dreams – even ones for lousy stand up). So it serves no other purpose than an attempt to be funny and give something for a character to do. It’s the story most in line with the typical laid back, hang out vibe the series does well, but why would anyone pay to get insulted; it comes out of nowhere and then it’s never brought back to what it’s supposed to say about the characters. 

There can be weird and crazy stories and the characters can do and say terrible things, but the stories can’t just be stories for the sake of a story. They have to be brought to bear on the characters even if by the next episode it’s like nothing ever happened. Here these stories don’t deal with anything significant enough that it feels like its warrants drawing attention to it, and the resolutions are nice but don’t stem logically from everything that came before them in the plot. 

Stray Observations:

-Tom is back to being the gang’s whipping boy.

-“You could put in a Jacuzzi. You could put in 10 Jacuzzis. You could turn a whole room into a Jacuzzi”

-The “stranger touch” is totally something I could see these guys doing, as well as something that they’d be completely oblivious to the potential consequences of.

-What’s better, Laurie’s monologue about being turned into prostitute in a compound in Yemen or Jules’ reaction: “What’s a Yemen?”

-Bobby’s Burgers sounds oddly close to Bob’s Burgers.

-“Stan has a harness but he eats glass”

-“He pays me back by being surly and stealing my shirts”

-Bobby warms the burgers under his armpits.

-Everyone steals drinks when Grayson isn’t in the bar.

-“I don’t think there’s a huge market for whores in their 40’s”

-“I think you’ve make a great whore, mom… did I just say that?”

-“I just have trouble pulling off the pretentious part”

-The Latin Kings ordered a cake from Laurie: “Lil Choke doesn’t like caramel”

-“She’s been doing that to me since before it was cool”

- “You’re probably nervous because Bonnie has some drinking issues”

Grade: B-

New Girl" - "Table 34" - Review

There are certain moments a television series can never really escape from. Whether you’re a fan of the Jess and Nick kiss from last week’s “Cooler” or not, that moment is going to color everything the series does from this point forward. There’s no going back from it.

Cece and Schmidt is a similar pairing that once brought together it irrevocably changed how the show would handle those two characters. We’re still seeing the ripple effects from them dating and eventually breaking up. If the show were to have opened up the possibility that they may have sought relationships (at least meaningful ones) with other people, maybe we could have been lulled into a false sense of security. But Cece was never truly interested in Robbie, and Schmidt has either been numbing the pain from losing her or chasing after her. So is it really surprised they’re back together? 

I’m a shipper so I can dig it, but I’d prefer a potential coupling be brought together or torn apart in meaningful or interesting ways. Cece and Schmidt’s coupling was handled decently to begin with and the break up (though it could have been handled better) was well-played. But what’s the point if it’s all inevitable; if the plot so blatantly is spelling out that hey these two are gonna date! Case in point: was there ever any doubt as to Cece and Schmidt at least hooking up again (and likely getting back together)? No. The stars have been aligning to achieve exactly that since the beginning of the season.

The Nick-Jess side of the episode though is much more interesting. The series handles it smartly; jumping in immediately from where we last left off, and giving us a glimpse of the morning after where equally panicked Nick and Jess are trying to wrap their head around the kiss. It’s that moment we’ve all had in life. Where some holy shit piece of drama lands in our lap, and we’re now forced to confront what the hell we’re to do now. They both decide to go talk to the other, but this leads to them bumping into eachother awkwardly in the hallway. Nick “panic moondances” away (an amusing reoccurring gag retconned in) back into his room. 

It appears as if the two plan to put this real talk til later, but of course the fates that be end up bringing together everyone; this time at an “Indian Wedding Convention” of all places. Cece is continuing her quest for a nice Indian guy that she should realize by now is doomed, Schmidt is continuing his attempts to win back Cece, Nick and Jess are put onto a collision course to deal with the problem, and Winston is just along for the ride, glowing after having great sex the previous night with an absent Brenda Song. 

What’s great about this scenario is that Nick and Jess don’t run head long into eachother’s arms. When Jess keeps denying her feelings for Nick as she’s recounting the ordeal with Cece, we know that she’s lying (“I saw through space and time for a minute,” she says with hyperbole) but we can understand where it’s coming from. She’s become very close with Nick (and all her roommates) and she doesn’t want to screw everything up. On top of which, she’s still dating someone (nonentity Sam – but still another person none-the-less), and it would just be mean and cruel (and totally out of character) for Jess to immediately break things off with him. But at the same time, Jess doesn’t take the out here when Nick comments how the kiss was equivalent to “kissing a cousin”. When you have feelings for someone it will fuck with whatever intentions and plans you may have. And so Jess chooses to complicate things further and act inquisitive and doubtful about the kiss meaning nothing; “It must have meant something,” she says.  

This tickles Nick’s fancy: Jess’ fixation has got to mean the kiss was significant to her. “Admit the kiss meant something to you!” Nick keeps repeating. The accusation isn’t completely about feelings they may have for eachother; instead, it’s, in part, a back to basics return for the dynamics between these two. They quibble and fight like siblings on a regular basis, and, in this instance, they project their typical one-ups-man-ship onto the complications of their kiss. The arguing and pettiness of course is concealing the obvious that they do have feelings, but the timing is terrible. Even when Sam is gone, it doesn’t form an easy opening for Nick to swoop in and take advantage of. No, it just makes him look like more of a jerk than he already does. 

And how about that hug at episode’s end? It’s so awkward; it almost makes you want to squirm. 

Awkwardness should exist though. That’s realistic for what might happen in the wake of two friends kissing and regretting it. You can try to put a bandaid on it, but the cut still remains.

Stray Observations:

-“I didn’t even use my hands”

-“I didn’t even kiss him back… Fine! I kissed him back”

-Previous awkward moonwalk away occasion: “Man, terrorism …”

-Schmidt’s limited Hindi knowledge imparts such verbal gems as “Can you tell me where the white person’s toilet is?”

-Nick tells Winston about kissing Jess and he proceeds to punch him in the balls.

-“I miss your body and the things I used to do to it… I’m talking about sex”

-Cece’s most notable modeling gig was in a Lil’ Wayne music video where she was “the girl throwing strawberries in slow motion”

-“I always thought we’d go bowling before we went to an Indian wedding convention”

-“I’m a man. Pink robes are my catnip!”

-“I will Cal-cut-a bitch!”

-“Is there another doctor in the house ? … With this crowd I’m sure there is”

Grade: A

"Re-Animator" - Film Review

By no stretch of the imagination is Re-Animator a good movie. In fact, at times it’s very bad, and for nearly the first half of its run-time, it’s barely watchable.

The plot is an unfocused mess and, besides Jeffery Combs’ Herbert West, none of the characters are all that interesting or well realized (A problem that remains throughout the entirety of the film).  Bruce Abbott as Dan Cain and Barbara Crampton as Megan Halsey never get developed what-so-ever beyond the typical hey look protagonists!-sort of going through the motions plot mechanics. Likewise David Gal’s Dr. Carl Hill eventually shifts to the film’s villain and the change comes out of absolutely nowhere.

And then something strange happens…

The film becomes bizarrely entertaining. Almost enough to make up for how distractingly one dimensional it’s been (and will primarily continue to be). There’s a number of horror setpieces and over the top gore effects that are actually kind of inspired. The scene with the clearly fake cat being tossed around and scratching up people is so damn funny and weird and over the top, and everyone is so committed to it and later scenes that the film starts to win you over just a little bit. 

There’s an Evil Dead sensibility to the film’s over-the-top nature. The blood and guts are so obviously unrealistic and so clearly excessive that it renders itself into the absurd. This lends it a dark, weirdly comical tone that it maintains throughout and saves the film from being a total disappointment.  

I don’t know if I’d recommend Re-Animator, but it’s unique and quite unlike anything else. For those fans of extreme gore, horror comedies, or H.P. Lovecraft (it’s adapted from his story “Herbert West-Reanimator”), it may be worth seeing the cult film, but for everyone else: it may not be your cup of tea. 

Grade: B-

"M" - Film Review

There’s a brilliant scene early on in M that perfectly establishes the entire film and its premise. A little girl bounces a ball off a lamppost; posted on this is a poster warning townsfolk of a murderer on the loose and out to get children. Cue a shadow drifting in from the right of the frame. It’s a deeply unsettling, expertly crafted shot.

The tension continues to mount as we witness the girl’s mother begin to get nervous that she’s not home from school and frantically start to call out for her. But from the crosscutting (which is used excellently throughout the film) frequently back to her daughter, we know her fate is sealed.

The town is in an uproar in the wake of the child’s death and looks to be on the verge of tearing apart and turning on one another at a moment’s notice. The police and underworld criminal bosses (whose business have been disrupted in the wake of the scandal) simultaneously try to track down the killer first and bring them to their form of justice. 

This was writer-director Fritz Lang’s first sound film. Previously he had made dozens of silent films, most notably Metropolis. Here Fritz makes complex use of the soundtrack, including narration, sounds offscreen, and a very effective and cool use of total silence broken by bursts of sound. It doesn’t sound all that impressive by filmmaking standards today. But in 1931, only four years after the first truly successful “talkie” (The Jazz Singer), it was an amazing feat. 

The lighting is also a thing of beauty. The film contrasts shadows and light to create a dark, sinister and foreboding tone. German Expressionism was one of the biggest influence on film noir of the 1940’s and 50’s, and it’s hard not to see a direct link between M and many of those films (i.e. Double Indemnity, The Maltese Falcon). When Lang was forced to flee Germany due to the Nazis, he ended up making films in the United States that would continue to pave the way for the film noir movement of the following years (including Fury and You Only Live Once).

Perhaps most memorable of all is Peter Lorre’s performance as pedophile serial killer Hans Beckert who has an abiding affection for whistling “In the Hall of the Mountain King” (similar to the way A Clockwork Orange changes how you hear “Singin’ in the Rain”, you’ll never quite see the song the same way again). He’s not just this one-sided maniac out for blood; he’s deeply disturbed and haunted by the terrible things he’s done. There’s an unspeakable sadness, exuding out from those big dark eyes, to Bekert in Lorre's hands.

The film is dated and awkward in places, and too slow going in the middle. It’s hindered by historical and cultural differences, and uneven pacing, that make the setup halfway through feel overlong even though it leads to a fantastic ending. And perhaps M works better as individual segments that don’t necessarily add up to a completely satisfying whole, but those individual segments are pretty damn electrifying and evocatively shot, even 80 plus years after its initial release.  

Grade: A

How I Met Your Mother - "P.S. I Love You" - Review

There’s a moment in “P.S. I Love You” where the episode loses all sense of plot that came before it and delves into a lengthy joke. Normally this might be a problem, but it’s such a tried and true gag, and the writers put all the stops out for (what appears to be the last appearance of) Robin Sparkles that it doesn’t really matter all that much.

Even Ted’s story about meeting and falling for stalker Jeanette is somehow far funnier than it has any right to be. Starting with the legal pad gag and ending with the call back to the so-called destined first meeting of Marshall and Lily, it’s a nice set of callbacks and great in character jokes (this is some of the best use of “Douchey Ted” all season). However, putting this story on the backburner to emphasize the Robin Sparkle VH1-like special actually does wonders for this storyline. If they had carried on the jokes any longer, it would have gotten real old, real quick. It’s just the right amount of time on screen for it to be amusing without getting stale.

Now, instead, for most of the episode, we get a slew of cameos from famous Canadian personalities. And whether it was them all stating the place they were and the donut they were eating when the “P.S. I Love You” incident went down or Bob Saget’s future Ted making a meta-Full House reference when Dave Coulier is on screen, it’s one of the funnier gags the series has managed in a long while. The extended segment probably goes on longer than it has any right to. But though the rest of the plot suffers significantly in way of development due to it, I could care less for how much I was laughing.    

I don’t expect works of wonders from HIMYM at this point in its run; but if it can at least still orchestrate some memorable segments such as still finding humor to be mined from Robin Sparkles, it may not be so painful to go down with the ship. 

Stray Observations:

-Ted has a backup yellow legal pad.  

-Was it just me or was the laugh track particularly bad at points during the episode?

-Dobbler/Dahmer Effect is one of the less interesting terms the gang has come up with.

-“50 Meters … that’s like 4 years!”

-Great callback: Barney’s power drill has a label on it that says “Property of Ted Mosby”

-“I’m coming to think you didn’t come here to see my lectern”

-Robin’s single went “Maple” and then “Double Maple” in Canada.

-“Even when Canadians are mean, they’re nice”

-The happy music cutting out when Ted said, “Just like Jeanette” was great.

-“That’s now considered the day grunge was created” 

Grade: B+