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Swan Dive
I'm unsure of how to discuss Black Swan, or even my expectations of it, without possible spoilers. You've been warned.
Just about all of the essential ingredients of Black Swan show up right away, from the main character, Nina, to the central action, dance, to the recurring motif of mirrors and the intermittent diversions into fantasy and/or delusion.
Here's the basic plot for those who haven't seen the film — helmed by Darren Aronofsky, whose career spans such respected work as 1998's π and 2008's The Wrestler — but decided to read on:
All That Glitter
Still: Paul Drinkwater for Reuters © 2011
A live show, hosted by Ricky Gervais, populated by celebs drunk on camaraderie, self-congratulation, and in some cases even alcohol? Hard for a pop-culture maven to pass up.
So I did watch this year's Golden Globes telecast, albeit (due to a migraine) not in
real time. Which is just as well since there's plenty to fast-forward through — film clips, ads, folks walking to the stage. And like other gluttons for punditry I found it lacking, perhaps appropriately for a show affiliated with The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a certain je ne sais quoi.
Grit Expectations
I'm behind on moviegoing, let alone writing up reviews, but I saw True Grit on Saturday and like everyone else I was blown away by Hailee Steinfeld.
Grit was adapted by writer/directors Joel & Ethan Coen from Charles Portis’ 1968 novel, previously translated to the big screen in 1969. While this edition might not be
an outright classic, it's good enough to recommend if only to experience Steinfeld more than holding her own against the likes of Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, and — playing Rooster Cogburn, John Wayne’s role in the earlier version — Jeff Bridges.
Robot Chicken
Script, Pencils, Inks: Mike Mignola. Colors: Dave Stewart. Letters: Clem Robins.
I often grab pics available online for a post. Even when I'm reviewing a book I have
on hand, my scanner may be boxed in by stacks of stuff, leaving virtual drag-&-drop the path of least resistance. Such was the case with Mike Mignola's excellent The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects, which I wrote up last month.
Wait for It
Like most viewers, I was punched in the gut by last Monday's How I Met Your Mother. But while I did realize that something awful was about to happen moments before it happened, based on the big, fat hanging fastball of dialogue, unlike most viewers I wasn't expecting any surprises good or bad before that moment — at least
not based on the apparently instantly infamous visual cues.
Screencap from How I Met Your Mother 6.13 “Bad News” © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox.
To be honest, I just didn't see the trees for the forest;
The Vampire Slayer Diaries
As I noted last week, I've taken a fresh look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer — the original film. My impetus was Nikki Stafford's rewatch, now underway, of the WB/UPN TV series that the movie spawned. (I suppose what actually spawned the series was the movie's script, but we'll get back to that.)
Curls on Film
I'm not entirely sure why, but not only didn't I expect to like Disney's Tangled
— I almost didn't want to like it.
Much to my surprise, however, it was one of my favorite movies of the year.
Eh?
I wish you all joy, contentment, and good health in 2011.
Thanks for reading Blam's Blog... And stay with it for more reviews, purported humor, and complaints over the next 365 days!