4 to Consider . . .

Let's consider this the "marriage post" - I've got four here for your consideration.

We'll begin with the something old.  Recently, I saw Top Hat, a 1935 comedy considered by many to be the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers pairing. Between 1933 and 1949, these two hoofers did a total of ten pictures together, nine for RKO and one (their only color film) for MGM. Say what you will about the tissue-thin plot, Top Hat is delightful. This was when movies were aspirational - the plot truly is ridiculous, but ignore that - reality and these dancing pictures really shouldn't spend unsupervised time together. Astaire is suave and blade-thin (as compared to the more muscular build of Gene Kelly) and Rogers is spunky and seems to float on air. Together, they're unstoppable. A wonderful, light-as-meringue way to while away a spring night.

Next, let's look at the something new. I just saw the new Johnny Depp science-fiction flick Transcendence.  It has some interesting questions to explore, but overall, this one's a rental.  (I was gratified to learn that even when the machines begin to rise, I should have no trouble locating an adequate supply of eyeliner and peroxide, however.) Really - this movie does take some risks, and it wants you to think about what it means to be human and is it worth giving up some very central things in return for health and life, but it didn't totally come together for me. It's directed by first-timer Wally Pfister, who is far better known for his cinematography work on films such as Inception and the Dark Knight movies and indeed, Christopher Nolan has an executive producer credit on Transcendence. One to watch, but this one left me unimpressed.

Now for something borrowed. As a child, I never got around to seeing Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal (1982), so I borrowed from my childhood and finally fixed that.  Sigh.  As a kid, certain scenes would have scared the bejeezus out of me and I can appreciate Henson's efforts to take puppetry to the next level.  But maybe you can just be too old to see something for the first time.  I liked the level of detail, but I found the plot to be trite, predictable, and meh.  And I hated that I found it to be so.  I really, really wanted to love this movie, but alas - perhaps it was too late for me.  Henson would go on to elevate puppetry in both Labyrinth and the TV series Farscape, so it's not that I dislike anything that isn't Muppet.

And last, the something blue. Living in small-town North Carolina, I am sometimes limited by what I can see locally.  I greatly regret - and it makes me blue - that I missed Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. It's nowhere within an hour of me, but that's what DVDs and streaming services are for.  Still, if you're interested in a quirky movie involving a hotel, please seek out John Madden's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  You won't be disappointed.

Walter White Wednesday 62

Every week brings us closer, Breaking Bad fans!  So many unanswered questions, so many ways for things to go wrong for Walt . . .

This Saturday is the Joss in June conference that Ensley and I have been working on for the better part of a year (yes, while also working incredibly hard on Wanna Cook?), so you'll understand if this is a short post.  Joss in June is shaping up to be a great conference, but there are a number of details to tend to before registration begins, so our days - and our lists! - have been long as of late.

But there are a couple of items I want to bring to your attention in this post.  First, Hank may be the brewmaster, but the official Breaking Bad beer will be named for Walt.  Typical, don't you think?  Yes, it's true.  "Heisenberg's Dark" (no, it's not blue) has a limited distribution area, but if you're in the Albuquerque area, you'll be able to pick up a six-pack of the intensely dark, internally-conflicted brew.  And if you don't, it'll probably track you down and poison you.

Also, why not show the world you're a Breaking Bad fan?  AMC has made available the "Breaking Bad Name Lab" which will render your name in the style of the credits.  You can then post your own personal periodic table to Facebook or Twitter, and even send an animated GIF to your friends.  Or your enemies, if want them to say your name.

That's it for this edition of "Walter White Wednesday" - as I said, I know it's short, but hey! - it's full of quality work, so that has to count for something!

Walter White Wednesday 48

My co-author and I are in the midst of prepping the last eight episodes of Breaking Bad that have already aired for the Wanna Cook? project and it's given us an opportunity to carefully re-watch those episodes from last summer.  Things begin to jump out at you - Ensley has a fantastic write-up of the last episode, "Gliding Over All," for the latest installment of Meth Monday over at his blog and I encourage you to go check that out - Gilligan & Co. have created some wonderful, carefully-wrought episodes of television throughout the run of the show, but this one - well, it's a humdinger and not just for the final shot.

As I've discussed before, Breaking Bad is not only a critically-acclaimed show, it's got a faithful fanbase.  And in America, where there are fans, there's the opportunity to make a buck.  (Not that I'm against that sort of thing.  Buy our book!)  Celebrity endorsements made by actors, athletes, and musicians are common - and sometimes not too well-thought-through, as this link can attest.  So far, I haven't seen official endorsements by the Breaking Bad actors, although that's a fun line to speculate upon - Bryan Cranston for porkpie hats!  Anna Gunn for Albertson's deli take-out!  Giancarlo Esposito for KFC! - but others around the ABQ area are certainly doing their best to cash in on the show's popularity.

Submitted for your consideration:

1.  While in the greater Albuquerque area, why not take a Breaking Bad tour?  You can see the car wash and the "Crystal Palace," among other locations.  You can take a trolley tour (well, it's the off-season for another couple of weeks) of popular locations and even end with a complimentary drink at Los Pollos!  The city's Convention & Visitor's Bureau has gotten in on the act with a link to information about the show's filming in the area on its official Website - check it out here!

2.  Want a little more "Crystal Blue Persuasion"?  Try a yummy "Blue Sky" doughnut from Rebel Donuts!  Don't worry - the sugar is real, but the meth is fake!

There's something about these -
it's almost addicting!

3.  Still not satisfied?  Well, after the show finishes airing (which is bound to drive up the price), you can pay way too much for Jesse's 1984 Toyota Tercel, which was leased (that just makes me snicker - didn't want to out-and-out buy a $500 car) for filming.  There's no word on whether Jane's lipstick-stained cigarette is in the ashtray.

The ultimate collectible?

Something Old, Something New . . .

So this week, I'm taking a different approach.  Originally, I was thinking of doing a sort of Valentine's Day post, but I didn't really want to go all hearts 'n' flowers, so consider this the Bridal Fair posting.  I'll be discussing four films here - a something old, a something new, a something borrowed, and (yes) a something blue.

Up first - the "something old."  This is a classic film that deserves a look.  For this one, I chose Ball of Fire, which stars Gary Cooper as a stuffy professor and Barbara Stanwyck as a floozy nightclub singer with the truly unforgettable name of "Sugarpuss" O'Shea.  The film is loosely based on the Snow White tale, with a few gangsters thrown in.  Great fun, with a fast-paced story and some amazing slang that will make you shake your head and guess what's actually been said.

Next, the "something new."  Seven Psychopaths came and went this past summer and is now available on DVD.  It's a quirky little thing and I can easily see why it wasn't a huge hit.  However, it's a funny film and Christopher Walken alone is worth the price of the rental.  Add to that Colin Farrell speaking with his natural Irish accent, Woody Harrelson as a dog-loving gangster and Sam Rockwell playing (sort of) two roles and the rental price is an absolute bargain.

I decided that "something borrowed" could be defined as a foreign film, since that's something borrowed from another country.  (I decided England didn't count, so no Monty Python.)  I'm going with a classic here - Kurosawa's Ran.  A re-telling of the King Lear story (with samurais!), Kurosawa's use of color in this film is just breath-taking.  Don't let the "foreign-ness" throw you - Ran is a gorgeous film and after five minutes, the subtitles don't throw you at all.

Last, the "something blue."  In this case, the "blue" means "sad."  I didn't want to go all weepy-wailey, and I feel comfortable putting The Wrestler in this category.  Mickey Rourke blasted onto movie screens in the mid-80s and he always worked, but his projects became smaller and less "A list" over the years.  He left acting to work as a boxer for a while and those experiences lend a dark realism to this film, which was Rourke's re-emergence onto the A list.  He's astonishing in this movie - his character is a washed-up professional wrestler who knows nothing else and honestly, can't not wrestle - he's put nothing aside for a rainy day.  Or rainy decade.

I have nothing for the "lucky sixpence in her shoe" part of the rhyme.  I guess you could dig the loose change out of the couch before you watch these movies.

That'll do!