Farewell, Manny B Manny

Papi and Manny

By now, you should all know that Manny Ramirez has retired, rather than face more suspensions as a result of another failed drug test.  The news caps a long, strange career that began with a thin but strong New Yorker who went to the Cleveland Indians and took the big bucks to be in Boston, then turned LA into Mannywood.  There, with David Ortiz, he worked on terrifying baseball (and particularly, the Yankees) to the greatest heights that The Hub has ever known.

Today, any smart Sawx fan feels further cheated.  They're not going to give the rings back - nor should they - but there's a touch of hurt.  Yesterday's news reminds them of that.  It reminds them that Manny probably isn't heading into Cooperstown any time soon, and the Boston logo won't be on his plaque (it will be when he does get in...or if).  Let me be clear though, Red Sox fans should be proud of their championships.  They earned them.  That was simply the era.

They should be angry or sickened or something.  Manny became their guy.  Indeed, he failed this most recent test as a Ray, and boy, didn't Manny leave them hanging.  All class, Manny was.  You know, just "Manny being Manny."  Now he is gone, in a blaze of glory (or a cloud of shame) that tops off all of the bizarre stories that surrounded his career.

Even as a Yankees fan, I couldn't help but admire him (and fear him).  The swing.  The sheer power.  The outfield antics (always an adventure).  The way he stood and watched his home runs (oh how I miss Bob Gibson at those moments).  You couldn't help but laugh when he took a potty break - mid-game - inside the Green Monster. 

Today, all of that seems small.  Trite.

He had the nerve to say that he's "at ease."  At ease with being a cheater.  At ease with being a quitter (on the Rays).

It's not a good day for baseball.

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Movie Review: SUPER 8 (2011)

written & directed by J.J Abrams
starring Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard,
Noah Emmerich, Bruce Greenwood & Ron Eldard

It's a movie echoing hyphenate J.J Abrams' childhood, told through the prism of those wonderful early-'80s Steven Spielberg movie; where being a kid meant you were part of a gang (treehouse and dog optional), had a bedroom full of NASA posters and B-movie memorabilia, rode a BMX, used a walkie-talkie, and lived in a small-town nestled in a beautiful valley. More importantly, your ordinary life was destined for the extraordinary: perhaps due to the discovery of a treasure map (The Goonies), a visionary dream (Explorers), the arrival of iconic monsters (Monster Squad), or, in Super 8's case, the accidental release of a dangerous alien...

Our mop-haired 13-year-old hero is Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney); half-orphaned by a factory accident that claimed his mother's life, he now lives with his bereft father (Kyle Chandler), the town's Deputy Sheriff, and has bottled his grief by investing time making a homemade zombie movie with pals Charles Kaznyk (Riley Griffiths), Preston (Zach Mills), Martin (Gabriel Basso) and Cary (Ryan Lee). After soliciting the help of older neighbour Alice (Elle Fanning), who proves to be a brilliant actress (cemented by an adolescent version of Naomi Watts' audition scene from Mulholland Dr.), the gang get more than they bargained for while filming on the outskirts of town. It's there a passing military train derails one cloudless night—in spectacular, cacophonous fashion—and, unbeknownst to the young filmmakers, its extra-terrestrial cargo escapes...

From there it's E.T-meets-Iron Giant, with dashes of Jaws and Jurassic Park (and Jeepers Creepers 2?) stirred into Abrams' melting pot. Thankfully, it would be wrong to outright condemn Super 8 for adhering to genre formula, as its intention is to evoke the era when a "summer blockbuster" had to rely on a sense of wonder rather than the wonder of spectacle; where ideas, story and characters were enough to draw audiences. F/X sequences were the parcel drops that kept audiences nourished on the way through a story—they didn't gorge on a Transformers 3-like banquet, which leave you overdosed on nothing but visual stimuli. Abrams manages to nail this old-school approach perfectly; so much so that a part of me felt it was a shame his alien wasn't achieved using stop-motion (CGI almost looks misplaced in a 1979 context), but I suppose there's only so far Abrams' could afford to keep his head in the past.

There's heart and respect to Super 8 that's sadly been a rarity in children's movies these past few decades, once kids started to be spoonfed digital phantoms, photo-realistic tragedies, and rapid-fire editing that batters their minds into submission. Abrams resurrects the gentle spirit of youthful adventure here, helped by some great child stars who give the story real character and, for anyone over-30, a lovely swim in nostalgia. The puppy love between Joel and Alice is touchingly handled, while the thorny issue between their respective fathers provides decent human drama in-between waiting for the alien's back-story, motivation, and escape plan to be explained to us.

While there's nothing that isn't in some way derivative about Super 8, it's fantastic love-letter to a bygone age, and if Tarantino's allowed to recycle '70s exploitation cinema, I see no just cause for Abrams to face criticism for doing exactly the same thing with a more mainstream genre. The individual elements may be familiar to many, but they're blended in such a way as to appear fresh, and the whole thing will probably delight contemporary youngsters who never even lived during this time (either in reality, or vicariously through movies).

Overall, Super 8's a great throwback movie that only suffers because its limited ambition means it's rather predictable, and there are some nitpicks that'll stick in your craw. Why does the alien's magnetized spaceship only attract specific metal objects, for example? But when focusing on its young cast, while refreshing memories of early Amblin movies, Super 8's a pleasing alien-on-the-loose caper that knows exactly what it's doing. I just wish it had subverted more of the genre's conventions (beyond having a menacing alien that isn't anthropomorphized too much), but it's mostly content to replicate the tropes with loving care, attention, and effection.

Paramount Pictures / 112 minutes

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RINGER comes to Sky Living

Sky Living have announced their acquisition of The CW's upcoming 13-episode drama Ringer, which was originally produced for CBS before they passed on the project.

The show stars Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar as a woman on the run called Bridget, who escapes her dangerous life by posing as her affluent twin sister Siobhan, unaware her missing sibling was leading an equally hazardous existence. Ioan Gruffud (The Fantastic Four) co-stars as Siobhan's suspicious husband, together with Nestor Carbonell (Lost).

Owing to a multi-year deal with CBS Studios International, Sky will be airing the show shortly after its US premiere.

Louisa Forsyth, BSkyB Acquisitions Manager:

"Securing Ringer exclusively for Sky Living demonstrates yet again our commitment to owning the very best in primetime US drama. The combination of impeccable casting with the TV legend that is Sarah Michelle Geller and seasoned British actor Ioan Gruffudd, coupled with the show's edgy suspense will ensure that viewers, and especially Buffy fans, are certainly in for a treat this autumn."

Stephen Tague, Senior VP of CBS Studios in Europe:

"Ringer is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated new shows of the season, by Sarah Michelle Gellar's avid global fanbase and critics, as well as eager new viewers. We're thrilled to bring this thrilling and suspenseful series to the UK audience."

While still unavailable to the majority of people via Freeview, I'm glad Ringer is coming to the UK on a channel more people have than Sky1 and Sky Atlantic. That's a relief. Now let's hope it's good. I've heard mixed things about the script and pilot.

RINGER premieres in the US on 13 September. Sky Living's premiere has yet to be announced.

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Trailer: DEATH VALLEY (MTV)

I vaguely remember posting a news article about this show's development a long time ago, but now it's finally here: Death Valley. This is a horror comedy-drama that's essentially a supernatural COPS, set in a universe where the Undead Task Force (UTF) clean up the San Fernando Valley from nasties like vampires, werewolves and zombies. Tania Raymonde (Lost) and Bryan Callen (The Hangover) head up the cast, and you can watch MTV's trailer above. (Skip to the 30-second mark to avoid a commercial.)

What do you make of Death Valley? It looks like fun, but I'm not sure it's the kind of show that's going to last. Once the novelty wears off that you're watching a group of cops arrest supernatural creatures and throw them into jail, what else is there to see? Still, I'd never write something off before I've seen it. Maybe the cops themselves will be an entertaining bunch and the story will offer more than weekly scenarios for the cops to throw werewolves into jail.

Still, the TV spots are pretty funny:

DEATH VALLEY premieres 29 August @1030PM on MTV.

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TRUE BLOOD, 4.8 - "Spellbound"

My star-ratings for True Blood tend to reflect how much of each episode focused on storylines I care about or enjoy having wash over me. Unfortunately, after last week's high-point, I thought "Spellbound" allowed too many of this season's tedious subplots to spoil the brewing war between vampires and witches...

After teasing us with the almost-certain death of Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) last week, who was bewitched into walking out into daylight, that didn't come to pass—thanks to Jason (Ryan Kwanten) rugby tackling her indoors just as Marnie's spell ended. Jason's act of heroism only strengthened Jessica's infatuation with him, eventually leading to her breaking up with poor Hoyt (Jim Parrack). Actually, there were two breakup scenes, with one involving Jessica aberrantly killing Hoyt by smashing his face in—revealed to be a dream sequence. (True Blood does this a lot, but I stupidly fell for it yet again.)

Elsewhere, Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) continued to bring erotic fan-fiction to life, having sex in fantasy dreamscapes as their love deepened; Sam (Sam Trammell) tried to repair his relationship with Luna (Janina Gavankar) after their misunderstanding, only to meet her werewolf ex Marcus (Dan Buran), Alcide's (Joseph Manganiello) new packmaster; Tommy (Marshall Allman) used his "skin-walking" ability to pose as Maxine Fortenberry in an effort to get his hands on the money her land's worth; Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) had a dream that explained the mystery of the ghost haunting Arlene's baby (the apparition lost her own child many years ago), before the dead girl possessed him; and Bill (Stephen Moyer) reached out to Antonia/Marnie, promising a truce between vampires and witches, only for their midnight rendezvous at a cemetery to end in a fracas with Sookie injured and Eric under Marnie's control.

I'm still struggling to find Sam, Lafayette and Alcide's storylines in any way interesting this year. I have a vague hope they exist because they'll factor into the finale, but they're most likely just ways to give those characters something to do. Alcide's been especially wasted this season, but to be honest I don't even understand the character's existence on the show, so he feels like a stupid way to add some beefcake to the show. Lafayette has also been poorly treated. He rushed off with boyfriend Jesus to find a way to protect themselves against vampires now that Marnie has provoked them, but has since returned to Bon Temps and just resumed work at Merlotte's? What's going on? And now Lafayette's been roped into the daft ghost/baby storyline, making it feel like everything this season has just been a long-winded way to explain that Lafayette is a spiritual medium. It feels incredibly disordered and, frankly, the idea of a ghost with maternal feelings for a baby because she lost her own before she died (or was likely murdered) isn't very interesting.

Sam's storyline also feels like a desperate way to connect his storyline to Alcide's, possibly because they're individually poor subplots so may feel stronger if there's an overlap. I don't know, it's just another case of True Blood filling much of its screentime with wasteful scenes and weak ideas.

As has been the case for many weeks now, season 4's greatest strength has been giving vampires an interesting menace to contend with in Antonia's spirit. The show is often about the loss and gain of power, and this has been a really entertaining way to see a few all-powerful vampires characters suddenly lower on the pecking order. It's also given Bill some of the best material he's ever had, ironically be ditching the Sookie/Bill relationship that was the show's primary focus until this season. He's really stepped forward as a leader and, thanks to showing the depth of his attachment to Jessica and maturity over Sookie's relationship with Eric, has really matured in my eyes.

Overall, maybe True Blood's impervious to criticism. There are bad storylines, flawed storylines, and good storylines. Each episode offers its audience a different combination of those, and if the brilliant storylines are emphasized more one week you'll have a fun time. And if they're not, you'll be left gnashing your teeth at the idiocy of the writers and how stupidly they're handling the ever-expanding cast. "Spellbound" was great fun when the witches were the subject of conversation, because there's a feeling of tension to this burgeoning war. It was also entertaining whenever the always sympathetic and beguiling Jessica's around, despite the fact her boyfriend Hoyt's become a whiny pain this year, but otherwise this episode was forgettable piece-moving.

Asides

• Has it been explained why Arlene thinks it's okay to give her one-year-old son that spooky, filthy doll to play with in his cot? Yeuch. Think of the germs. Give it a wash, at least. Terrible parenting.


• Shall we call Marnie "Marntonia" when she's possessed? It may be easier when explaining things, going forward.


• I admit it took me a few seconds to twig that Maxine was actually a shape-shifted Tommy, and it's certainly amusing that Tommy makes no attempt to act like the people he's impersonating.


• Does the young black ghost mother have a name?


• Anyone else think the show's gearing up for Hoyt to die, so Jessica can get with Jason in season 5? If so, he'll probably go down in a blaze of glory rescuing Jessica and proving his love, making her feel very guilty for having an affair.


• No movement on Jason being a were-panther or "Ghost Daddy" to the Hot Shot degenerates. Has that storyline died? If so, good riddance, but it's perhaps even more unforgivable if there was never any reason for it to exist! Did the writers just need to keep Jason out of the way, chained to a bed, for four episodes?


• In a similar vein, there's been nothing about the Fae since the premiere! Are they being kept on the sidelines until season 5? It felt like they'd have a big role to play this year, but they've been forgotten about. In some ways that's very wise because the show is already very crowded, but a premiere should set the stage for what the season's going to cover, so dropping the Fae like a sack of potatoes isn't very clever.


• Random query: can't shape-shifters just turn into the biggest and baddest wolf imaginable? I'm unsure why werewolf Marcus gets in Sam's face, but was so keen to ensure his kind keep away from vampires. If you ask me, werewolves should fear shape-shifters equally as much. They can turn into anything!

written by Alan Ball / directed by Daniel Minahan / 14 August 2011 / HBO

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BREAKING BAD, 4.5 - "Shotgun"

This should satisfy viewers who've been itching for something more explicitly exciting that swerves the show down a new direction. "Shotgun" was another terrific episode, as Jesse (Aaron Paul) and Mike (Jonathan Banks) spent a day together, leaving Walt (Bryan Cranston) panicked over his young partner's disappearance. Both Walt and Jesse were on emotional journeys of very different kinds here, and it became clearer than ever that Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) is a masterful opponent for Walt, who again let his pride get in the way of his common sense...

The situation with Jesse and Mike was fascinating to watch, as we assumed the world-weary hitman was under orders to drive Jesse to a remote part of the desert and shoot him in the head. Instead, Jesse was merely accompanying Mike on pickups: collecting drug money from six dead drops across the state. And while Jesse's role was surplus to requirement, he proved his worth by thwarting an attempted robbery by a rival outfit, reversing Mike's car do at a hoodlum approaching with a shotgun. But then came the cruel twist: the whole day had been a long con, orchestrated by Gus to give Jesse a sense of camaraderie with Mike and a feeling of self-esteem. That should make him acquiesce with Mike's commands, and pull his social life out of its nosedive. It's a clever play by Gus to make a play for Jesse's heart and mind, with Mike almost being setup as an alternative "father figure" to Walt—but one who may treat him with greater respect than the prickly, condescending Walt.

Walt spent some of this episode on the offensive, but found it impossible to find a target for his anger. The episode began with Walt speeding to Gus's Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant for a confrontation over Jesse's abduction, but Gus wasn't around to yell at. Or had wisely decided to leave the premises, having seen Walt's arrival on a surveillance camera. And then Walt's calming phone call from Mike and Jesse led him to accept Jesse's life may not be in immediate danger, forcing him back to the Superlab to work alone. But even after that proved difficult and dangerous, the unblinking eye of Gus's surveillance camera henchman Tyrus to assist with the cook. There's really no way Walt can escape from his invisible chains, as he's kept at permanent arm's length by Gus and has probably lost some influence with Jesse now—who eventually returned from his day trip under the sway of Mike, whose hard shell cracked slightly in gratitude for how Jesse dealt with their would-be robbers. He even let him smoke in his car as a reward.

The one positive for Walt this week was a sign his marriage to Skyler (Anna Gunn) could be rescued, which came about completely by accident when Skyler heard Walt's desperate voicemail message in his presence, recorded when he was convinced his confrontation with Gus may end badly. But there are signs Walt's not really happy for things to go back the way they were (his silence over Skyler's suggestion he move back in spoke volumes). Has he grown to value his independence? Or is he perhaps just wary of getting his family mixed up in his life, which he's still trying to compartmentalize?

Perhaps most interestingly for Walt was how his pride got the better of him, once again. Hank (Dean Norris) has come to accept that "Heisenberg" was the dead meth-cook Gale, and for all intents and purposes the case was about to be closed... only for Walt to take umbrage at Hank's dinner table comments about Gale being a "five-star meth chef" and "genius", which made him plant the seed in Hank's mind that Gale was just a starry-eyed accomplice to the real mastermind. Maybe a part of Walt wants to be caught, because at least that would mean his family would have to accept he's the "genius" and someone of great notoriety—instead of the "gambling addict who got lucky" tag his cover story paints him as. Whatever the reason, Hank got the message and began poring through the boxed evidence from Gale's apartment, noticing the incongruous presence of Los Pollos Hermanos fried chicken packaging in a vegan's home. "Since when do vegans eat fried chicken?" indeed.

Overall, I really enjoyed "Shotgun" and it helped deliver a sense of where season 4's headed. Can Mike and Gus get Jesse to dance to their tune, simply by giving him respect and a role in the business away from mindlessly shadowing Walt at the Superlab? Is Mike going to continue with this facade, or will he be charmed by Jesse and eventually confess? What can Walt do to snap Jesse out of this spell? And if the DEA start snooping around Los Pollos Hermanos, at the behest of Walt's brother-in-law, Gus isn't going to be happy...

Asides

• Is Mike's initial refusal to let Jesse smoke in his car a sign that Mike has lung cancer and didn't want to passive smoke? There's been a suggestion online that Mike's health could be an issue, and is perhaps the reason why he's not willing to rock the boat with Gus and depose him with Walt's help.


• Loved Hank's description of Gale being "like Scarface had sex with Mr Rogers", knowing that Walt's intended arc has always been described as Mr Chips becoming Scarface by showrunner Vince Gilligan.


• Did you notice Walt Jr (RJ Mitte) drinking from a Beneke mug, belonging to the man whom Skyler had an affair with? A subtle sign that the White's marriage still has visible scars.


• More lovely directorial touches from Michelle MacLaren, most notable with time-lapse photography with Mike and Jesse on the road. I wonder how long those scenes took to film, so they'd last as long as they did when sped up?

written by Tom Schnauz / directed by Michelle MacLaren / 14 August 2011 / AMC

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BREAKING BAD renewed for final 16 episodes

There's been a stand-off between AMC and Breaking Bad's production company Sony Pictures TV recently, over the network's desire to save money by only commissioned 6 to 8 episodes of a fifth and final season. Thankfully, a breakthrough has come in negotiations: AMC will now finance 16 episodes, which will be filmed together but possibly split into two seasons.

Presumably, AMC can handle paying for twice the hours they originally wanted, provided it's spread out over 24-months. The network have been playing a risky game this year because of financial pressures. The future of Mad Men was in doubt for a few months when they played hardball with Matthew Weiner over costs, and it's believed they fired Frank Darabont from The Walking Dead over constant arguments about plans to cut the zombie drama's budget.

The problem AMC have is that they have three high-profile shows, but not necessarily the money to pay for them—as only The Walking Dead is enough of a mainstream hit to justify the running costs. Mad Men and Breaking Bad may be critical darlings that win awards and help promote the AMC brand, but they've never been ratings juggernauts. And the bottom line is AMC's shows are paid for by subscription fees, so need to draw eyeballs.

AMC actually produce The Walking Dead themselves, so can enforce whatever changes they like to that show—unlike Mad Men and Breaking Bad, which are made by independent companies Lionsgate and Sony, respectively.

The only hurdle for Breaking Bad now is signing showrunner Vince Gilligan for the final 16 episodes. His contract expires at the end of the current fourth season, so will he happily just extend his existing deal, or will he use his position to negotiate more money for himself? That remains to be seen, but I expect Breaking Bad to continue for two more eight-episode seasons, finishing in 2013, with Gilligan at the helm.

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