The Zombies Made Me Do It

Last night's episode of AMC's "The Walking Dead" helped viewers remember that it isn't just a creepy show about zombies. Instead Frank Darabont's adaptation of the comic is a deeper look into how people react differently during a crisis. Of course, the special effects are awesome and the makeup is just gross enough to make you groan (but not quite look away.) But the true value of the show can be seen in the character development. At the beginning, the archetypes were familiar--the hero dad/cop, the troublemaking Redneck misfit, the smart Asian problem solver. But then the writers dug a little deeper, and viewers are now looking at potential new villains and new hero(ines?)

There's always been a hint of something bad in Rick's fellow cop, Shane, but (HUGE SPOILER ALERT if you haven't watched the Oct. 30th episode) he has helped lead the group up til now, and he's a helluva shot. However, the ending scene revealed a darker side when a flashback shows Shane basically sacrificing sweet, fat Otis in order to escape the Walkers.

Some would argue that Shane was just doing what was necessary to survive. Otis was holding him back by being slow, and Shane cared more about Carl (his pseudo-son) than the man who accidentally shot him. But it was heartbreaking to see Otis fight back, with the desperate look on his face as he came to realize that Shane was betraying him...leaving him for bait.

Perhaps Shane will come into his own as a bad guy. The viewer has even less reason to trust him (in addition to that whole sleeping with Rick's wife thing.) Even if he goes over to the dark side, Shane still represents a former good guy--leading to the question: how would I react if I was in survival mode? Would I take down the nice old guy who might end up getting me eaten? Would I be like Andrea and decide suicide is the best option? Or would I be like Rick and insist that the world still holds some kind of beauty?

Even though the show seems like it's all about the dead, the series is really about the living and how people change when they're faced with undeniably sucky circumstances.

It's About Time

I started this blog back in 2009 for my senior project at University of La Verne. It gave me a great excuse to write about my fave things in entertainment.

Flash forward to now...I'm currently searching for a job as a writer (and would love to get my short stories published!)

But while I'm waiting, I'm going to blog less formally, and with possibly shorter entries just to keep the juices flowing. And to have my opinion out there instead of them just staying in my head.

Thanks!

PaleyFest 2009

I have consistently attended the Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Radio and Television) festival. In its 26th year, the PaleyFest annually celebrates achievements in television series that have aired during the past season. I was able to attend four of the 14 nights (and would have gone to more, but the tickets are $40 each.) The festival was held this year at the Arclight Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and the venue proved to be a perfect way for the cast and creators of the shows to interact with their fans.


“True Blood”—On April 13, this HBO vampire series was honored. The creator and executive producer Alan Ball (“Six Feet Under,” “American Beauty”) was on hand to tell the audience about his vision for the show and how the next season will play out. Many members of the cast were there, including Anna Paquin (who plays telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse), Stephen Moyer (her vampire love Bill), and Nelsan Ellis (who appears on the show as the deliciously campy Lafayette.) The series is a fascinating mix of fantasy and romance, and should be the reason, aside from “Twilight,” that the public has a renewed interest in vampires. The PaleyFest attendees were treated to a sneak peek of a new series episode that won’t air until June.


“Big Love”—April 22 marked the celebration of another impressive HBO series. The polygamy drama, centered around Bill Paxton’s Mormon family man and his three wives, has garnered rave reviews over its previous three seasons. However, it was the past few episodes of this show that earned complete respect from its audience—the writers have packed so much into each episode that they revealed their storyboarded plotlines through season six have all been used up. Although Ginnifer Goodwin, who plays naïve wife Margene, was unable to attend the festival, the rest of the cast was represented. The standout entertainer was Jeanne Tripplehorn, who stars as first wife Barb (and also just appeared in HBO’s “Grey Gardens” as Jackie O.) Although her character is formal and stoic, Tripplehorn seems to be the funny lady of the cast, continually making the audience laugh at her quips. It was fun to see a cast that truly gets along with one another. Harry Dean Stanton plays Roman Grant on the show, and appeared to be a little nutty at the festival—he was constantly misunderstanding questions and yelling out mixed up answers. However, his antics only made the night more unpredictably fun.


“Fringe”—This FOX sci-fi show has gotten grief for not having a bigger audience, but its fans are truly devoted. J.J. Abrams, the creator of the show, has had an illustrious career so far, with shows like “Lost,” “Felicity” and “Alias.” It was interesting to hear the inspiration behind the show. The cast was also present, including Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv and John Noble. The best part of the night was when audience members were allowed to ask questions of the cast and creative team. The questions ranged from curiosity about the mythology behind the show to queries about character arcs in the upcoming season.


Each year the festival outdoes previous events by showcasing amazing talent both in front of the camera and behind the scenes…2009 was no exception.

"Grey Gardens"

With the current state of the economy, losing one’s wealth is a relatable topic. People are now becoming increasingly familiar with living one day as the cream of the crop and living the next without access to riches. When the story of the Bouvier-Beales was first presented in the 1975 documentary “Grey Gardens,” the public became fascinated by the story of a mother and daughter related to Jackie Kennedy who were discovered to be living in squalor in the East Hamptons. Despite living in the lap of luxury throughout the 1930s and 1940s, the duo (Big and Little Edie) ultimately became a cautionary tale of money management and codependency. When a documentary crew interviewed them for a film about the Bouviers, the two were discovered in utter filth, without electricity or running water with diseased cats and raccoons roaming throughout the house. Through actual footage, the unhealthy relationship between the mother and daughter was revealed.


HBO’s interpretation of the documentary premiered last Saturday, showcasing incredible storytelling and mesmerizing performances by the two lead actresses. Jessica Lange impressively portrays Big Edie as a gregarious broad, eager to sing at local Hamptons parties and determined to marry her daughter off to a suitable beau. Lange has graciously endured hours of makeup to appear as Big Edie later in life—she genuinely looks like a woman in her 80s, down to the ragged teeth and saggy arms. Lange gives a tour-de-force performance as a woman who refuses to be a wallflower, and is so set on living life to the fullest that she barely notices when her own life has become unmanageable.


While two-time Oscar winner Lange is impressive, it is Drew Barrymore, as Little Edie, who truly steals the movie. There were industry concerns over the casting of Barrymore. She has previously been in romantic comedies, starring and producing movies like “Never Been Kissed” and “Fever Pitch.” However, the actress dove into the role and completely became the character for this project. She plays Little Edie with reverence and sympathy, displaying her highs and lows with equal respect. Barrymore even successfully conquered the accent, while forgetting her usual side-mouthed speech patterns (the actress has admitted that she took over a year of classes with a diction coach to sound like Little Edie.)


Although only in a few scenes, Jeanne Tripplehorn is amazingly subtle as Jackie Kennedy Onassis (she is already married to Ari in the scene in which she appears in.) Tripplehorn has been doing a remarkable job as Barb Henrickson on HBO’s other show “Big Love,” and she adds a quiet glamour to the other more boisterous characters in this movie.


The film is excellently written and directed by Michal Sucsy, and the dialogue contains enough saucy quips and witticisms from the two Edies to make up for the otherwise sobering account of the women. But the costuming in the film is by far the most impressive part of the production. Catherine Marie Thomas has blended together a slew of glamorous gowns from the 30s and the eccentric turbans and capes that Little Edie grows to love later in her life.


This movie is airing repeatedly over the next month on HBO—be sure to catch it for a glimpse into the lives of these captivating women.

Pacific Asia Museum

In the Hindi religion, many different gods are celebrated and revered. The Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena houses some of the most inspiring artworks and eclectic exhibits in the Los Angeles vicinity, which honor this tradition along with other Asian customs. The museum is located at 46 North Los Robles Avenue, and a trip to check out the art can easily be squeezed in between shopping on Colorado Boulevard and dinner at El Paseo. Additionally, the museum is fairly inexpensive—tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for students and seniors, with free admission on the fourth Friday of every month. There are also many events offered by the museum, including lectures, yoga classes, and free family concerts.


Currently, “Discovering Ganesha: Remover of Obstacles,” will run until Sept. 20. Although the collection is very small (it fits into one small room,) there are amazing photographs depicting the Ganesha festivals in Mumbai, India. The room that houses the collection is brightly painted to go along with the colorful photographs, and there is a 30 minute movie displayed that discusses the different rituals surrounding the Ganesha festivals.
The Ganesha is an elephant figure that is a much-revered god in the Hindu religion. Annually (usually around August or September,) there is a 10-day festival honoring Ganesha called Ganesh Chaturthi. Homes in India are decorated with bright flowers, and the festival culminates in a trip to the sea where representations of the Ganesha (usually made of clay) are submerged in the water. This act is symbolic in the hopes that Ganesha will visit the following year, bringing good luck again.


Shanna Dressler captured some of the most impressive art featured in the exhibit. She was inspired by the Indian people’s dedication to Ganesha, and the faith placed in his ability to make lives better. Dressler writes in her artist statement, “Regardless of religious or cultural background, universal questions will present themselves: ‘What obstacles would you like removed from your life? What would your life look like if you removed all of the everyday obstacles related to money, relationships, career, and health? What would it be like if everyone in your community was connected to something beyond the material world that gave deep meaning and purpose to their lives?’” Most of Dressler’s prints are untitled pieces, but they all embrace the color of the festival and demonstrate the devotion and hope displayed by the people celebrating.


Another interesting exhibit is “The Samurai Re-Imagined: From Ukiyo-e to Anime” in one of the main galleries. The exhibit, which will run until Aug. 9, shows how the definition and depiction of samurais has changed and evolved over centuries. To demonstrate how the samurai has been incorporated into American culture, there are posters of Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” movies, in which samurai violence is glorified and celebrated. The art of anime is represented by various animation cells and comic books that are extremely popular in Japan.


For more information on the museum, visit www.pacificasiamuseum.org.

"Frozen River"

In the film, “Frozen River,” the audience is treated to a tour-de-force performance by Academy Award-nominated actress Melissa Leo. She plays a down on her luck minimum wage worker, Ray Eddy, who struggles to cope with paying the bills. The woman will do anything to keep her two young sons from knowing how bad off they truly are. The only food in their ill equipped trailer consists of Tang and popcorn, and their dream is the hope of obtaining a doublewide—however, Ray just can’t seem to make the payments.


The opening scene of the movie shows Ray sitting outside in a disheveled robe, smoking a cigarette. Set in upstate New York, there is snow covering the lawn, and her breath comes out in puffs. Tears stream down her cheeks, and the audience learns that Ray’s husband has run off and her job at the local dollar store is hardly helping to make ends meet. The audience can fully appreciate why Ray makes tough choices throughout the film—she will do anything to keep her children safe and cared for.


While pursuing her wayward husband, who has a gambling problem, Ray crosses paths with a woman who lives on the Mohawk reservation, between New York state and Quebec. The woman, Lila Littlewolf, works as a smuggler, driving illegal immigrants across the border. Because of the money (more than Ray makes in months,) they form an unlikely crime duo. Although visually, the two women couldn’t be more different, their goals are the same—to provide for their families.


Leo’s acting in the film is superb. Her emotions are raw, and the director, Courtney Hunt, makes a wise choice to center many scenes on Leo’s expressive face. Leo’s acting is incomparable to most actresses of today (with possibly the exception of Kate Winslet who beat Leo for the Best Actress award at this year’s Oscars.) Despite Leo’s impressive acting, Misty Upham, as Lila, more than holds her own. As a woman desperately trying to pull her life together, Lila is a sympathetic character that the audience instinctively finds themselves rooting for.


The scenery is hauntingly beautiful in “Frozen River.” White snow covers everything, and the filmmaker often includes scenes of eerie quiet. The silence plays nicely with the building tension present in the movie. The two women face increasingly dangerous situations when they get more involved in the smuggling world. The audience feels as though something bad is going to happen, and the foreshadowing continues throughout much of the film. Although the movie runs about 97 minutes (relatively short by most filmmaking standards,) the audience experiences a festering feeling that the movie won’t end well for the main characters. The movie ends realistically, which helps to explain why it is so well crafted.


Hunt, who was also the screenwriter, should be commended for her incredibly moving script—she was also nominated for an Oscar for this project. Even though the movie is a tale of two downtrodden women, there is an evident feeling of triumph throughout the movie. Lila and Ray are portrayed as strong female characters who do what is necessary to protect their families. The sense of reality brought to the film by the two actresses allows for an impressive demonstration of the lengths people will go to in order to overcome adversity.

James Hueter Exhibit

Using various materials including glass, mirrors, and pencil lead, James Hueter’s art is filled with the complex layering of different elements. At a current exhibit at the Claremont Museum of Art, Hueter’s impressive works are available for everyone to observe. The museum, which has not been open for very long, is small but has enough room to showcase many of Hueter’s pieces in what has been deemed “A Retrospective.” The exhibit, which will run through May 3, displays works from Hueter from each decade, dating back to the 1950s.


Hueter is a local artist from Claremont, but his paintings and drawings are worldly and broad in range. The guest curator for the exhibit, Steve Comba, brought Hueter’s work to the museum because he was inspired by the “hybrid nature of Hueter’s work, the notorious fickleness of the art market, the focused seriousness of his pursuits, and his own modest demeanor.”


One of the most striking pieces on display is a drawing entitled “Mystic Head” from 1960. It is created entirely out of small pencil strokes. When the viewer looks closely, all they can see is tiny pencil marks, but when standing across from the painting, a face comes into sight. Hueter was drawn to the form of these ‘soft drawings’ in which the “process began as an experiment involving repetitive, vertical strokes applied with gentle pressure.” These drawings (especially his “Self Portrait” from 1990) are ghostly images that have taken form from the usage of the lead in the pencil.


At the exhibit, there are works from Hueter including sculptures, acrylic paintings on wood (like “Jeff” from 1969), landscapes in oil paintings, and an entire room filled with 55 of the sketches and drawings he completed throughout his life. The sketches include rough outlines for his wood and glass designs and watercolors. Most of the images are of naked women, faces, or landscapes.


Around the 1970s, Hueter began working on a new style, using glass to create his illustrations. Creations like “Roman Woman” done in 2003 showcase reflections from mirrors and prisms to produce interactive pieces—the viewer first sees their own reflection and then proceeds to catch sight of a woman’s face drawn in the center of the work. Hueter was “initially attracted to its color, sheen, and prismatic diffusion of light.”


The museum is in the Packing House in Claremont at 536 West First Street, with admission prices at $5 for adults and free for anyone under 18. The museum offers many deals because they hope to get the community involved in the various exhibits. The first Friday of every month is free from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There are also Family Art Days, including the upcoming “Chalk Talks” in which children can experiment with pastels—the event has been inspired by Hueter’s works. For more information, visit www.claremontmuseum.org.