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Jul 6th, 2023

Roger Ebert: The Iconic Film Critic

Introduction

Film criticism is an essential aspect of the movie industry, providing audiences with valuable insights, analyses, and recommendations. Among the numerous influential film critics, Roger Ebert stands as a towering figure whose impact on cinema and the appreciation of film cannot be overstated. According to film buff Carol of Baltimore, Maryland, he has been the best ever. Throughout his illustrious career, Ebert became renowned for his eloquence, profound knowledge, and genuine love for movies. This article delves into the life and work of Roger Ebert, exploring his journey as a film critic and the indelible legacy he left behind.

I. Early Life and Career

Roger Joseph Ebert was born on June 18, 1942, in Urbana, Illinois. From a young age, Ebert developed an affinity for writing and storytelling. As a student, he wrote for the school newspaper, where he discovered his passion for film. After earning a degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Ebert began his professional career as a film critic, eventually landing a job at the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967.

II. The Siskel and Ebert Partnership

One of the most significant aspects of Roger Ebert’s career was his partnership with fellow film critic Gene Siskel. In 1975, they started co-hosting a television show called “Sneak Previews,” which later evolved into the immensely popular “At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.” Their dynamic chemistry, witty banter, and insightful reviews captivated audiences, making them the most recognized film critics of their time.

III. Roger Ebert’s Approach to Film Criticism

Ebert’s approach to film criticism was characterized by his ability to articulate his opinions in a way that resonated with both casual moviegoers and cinephiles alike. He believed that the true value of film criticism lay in its ability to inform and engage audiences rather than merely assigning arbitrary ratings. Ebert focused on conveying the essence and emotional impact of a film, aiming to facilitate a deeper understanding and appreciation of the medium.

IV. Pulitzer Prize and Beyond

In 1975, Roger Ebert became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. This prestigious accolade solidified his status as a preeminent authority in the world of film criticism. Ebert continued to write tirelessly, authoring numerous books and columns, including his widely read reviews in the Chicago Sun-Times. His passion for cinema was unrelenting, and he became a respected voice within the industry.

V. Roger Ebert’s Influence on Film Culture

Roger Ebert played a pivotal role in shaping film culture by bridging the gap between film enthusiasts and the general public. Through his writing, television appearances, and festival involvement, Ebert championed diverse voices and celebrated films from around the world. His impact extended beyond reviewing movies; he was instrumental in elevating independent cinema, supporting emerging filmmakers, and promoting the importance of film preservation.

VI. Legacy and Lasting Contributions

Roger Ebert’s contributions to film criticism and the appreciation of cinema remain enduring. Even after his passing in 2013, his legacy lives on through the Roger Ebert website, where his reviews and writings are archived. Additionally, the Ebert Foundation continues to support aspiring filmmakers and promote film education. His impact on popularizing film criticism and his ability to connect with audiences have left an indelible mark on the world of cinema.

Conclusion

Roger Ebert was more than just a film critic; he was a passionate advocate for cinema. Through his eloquent writing, engaging television presence, and tireless work, he transformed the way we approach and understand movies. Ebert’s legacy continues to shape film criticism, reminding us of the profound impact films can have on our lives. As we celebrate his contributions, we are inspired to watch movies with a discerning eye, appreciating the artistry and storytelling that enrich our cultural landscape.

Sep 6th, 2015

Master Chef

For those of you that don’t know Master Chef, it is a competition where they compete to find the best home cooks in America. Each week there are winners who get an advantage in the next challenge or a special treat like a limousine ride to a fancy restaurant in whatever town they are filming in. Of course, each week there are losers as well who leave the competition.

The three judges help the home cooks refine their skills to produce restaurant quality dishes. Yes, it is another Gordon Ramsey cooking show, but before you stop reading let me set a few things straight. Number one, Gordon’s TV personality on most, if not all, of his other shows is mean terrible and downright scary. I’m not discounting that. However, on this show he gives sound advice in a nice tone (most of the time). Don’t get me wrong, he still yells sometimes, especially during team competitions, but it is only when a cook makes an elementary mistake. His expectations in the beginning are lower because he recognizes they are not trained chefs and don’t work in a professional kitchen. I know this post is about Master Chef, but one last point about Gordon Ramsey. In case you weren’t unconvinced under all of that intense TV personality, Ramsay is actually a decent guy. He went on Reddit and allowed users to ask him anything. A downtrodden chef wrote about his outlook and if Gordon had ever felt the same. Gordon responded very frankly and his response had the possibility of turning that chef’s life around. He even told the chef to send his resume and he would review it to possible work in one of Gordon’s restaurants.

Ok, now that Gordon’s out of the way, on to the show. Throughout the competition, each week usually switches from a combination of a Mystery Box and an Elimination to a Team Challenge and a Pressure Test for the losing team(s) which results in an Elimination. I personally enjoy the Mystery Box days and the Pressure test portion of the other weeks. I can’t stand the team competitions. I watch the show to learn about different cooking techniques in an entertaining way and all that really comes across in team competition is drama and yelling. I usually learn the most during elimination tests and pressure tests. The mystery boxes are good for seeing how a specific set of ingredients can be made into a variety of different dishes. In the couple of years that I have followed the show I have learned the proper way to poach an egg, fillet a fish, shuck a scallop and cook steak and many others. The only lesson I have put into practice has been to poach an egg. It only took a couple of tries. I could try others, but most of the ingredients they give tips on are on the more expensive side of things.

This season there have been a couple of characters, mainly Tommy who went home recently. He is one of the most flamboyantly gay man I have ever seen. Some of the lines he came out with were gut busting funny. He added a whole other layer to the show. You were never sure what he was going to come out with next. My favorites that are in the top 8 are Katrina (she has gained a ton of confidence), Derrick (the drummer), and Claudia (the one with black and pink hair). In this season, Katrina started with extremely low confidence. In the beginning I found her lack of confidence annoying, but slowly the judges helped her build her confidence. You can’t even tell she is the same person. I really admire this show for truly changing people’s lives. You don’t even have to win for your life to take on a new direction. Many of the cut competitors have gotten job offers from the judges.

Speaking of judges, this year Christina Tosi joined the judges panel because Joe Bastianich left. I applaud the addition. She has brought expertise in the dessert area and a unique perspective. It also doesn’t hurt to represent the female chefs of the world. I hope she stays for many future seasons and maybe come on to Master Chef Junior. Well that is my tidbit on Master Chef.

Jul 29th, 2015

Treehouse Masters

We have friends who do tree work, removing trees, pruning trees, planting trees, you name it, they do it. (www.treeservicesannapolis.com) They turned us on to this great show called Treehouse Masters on Animal Planet.

The person the show revolves around is Pete Nelson. He is very personable but so goofy sometimes it is almost embarrassing. We also wonder about their safety habits. Sometimes one wears a hard hat but most of the time no one does. Other times they have to squeeze or push a piece into place or to get it around a branch and it seems like it wouldn’t take much for it to go horribly wrong.

Considering the large holes they drill in the tree and put metal supports in the hole, it is a wonder that they don’t damage and kill the tree. We are not sure this show would work on the East Coast because of the species of trees here. It seems like there aren’t enough of the large trees here to make it work. They have so many large tree varieties in the Pacific Northwest where this is filmed. Redwoods, spruces, cedars, etc. Although a recent show had them building a tree house in a huge old multi stemmed silver maple. It was quite the engineering challenge to build around all the stems / branches.

Actually it might work well in the south with the big old live oaks. If they were on the East Coast, they would probably figure out some way to make it work.

It is interesting seeing the range of projects that Pete and his team create. Some are small, but others are quite extensive. First he meets with the owners and they discuss the vision that the owners want Pete to build. Then they walk the property looking for the right spot and the right tree or trees. In one episode Pete found a spot he liked but the owners nixed it. It turns out that a black bear family had hung out there the prior year and the owners were worried they would come back and that they would invade the treehouse.

Then Pete sketches his ideas based on the owner’s vision. On the show the owners always seem to love his ideas and sketches. Maybe they cut out the segments where he has to go back and rework ideas for them. One recent show needed something built on a very steep hillside that was otherwise unbuildable and was only accessibly from the water. But, it was in Seattle harbor and had a view of downtown, and of Mt Ranier and of the ocean / bay. Pete came up with a light house design.

Then they toss ropes up or use ladders or both and work on getting the tree(s) drilled and the supports put in. Then they create a frame and really start building it out. What is amazing to us is that the final decorations all seem to happen in the last 24 hours. It seems like a lot to get done in a very short time. But they always make it work.

Jan 8th, 2018

Best 2017 Films

Best 2017 Films

It is another time of the year to look over the events of the past 12 months of 2017. In the entertainment industry, the filmmakers have treated their audience with blockbusters, indies, and documentaries, giving every movie lover something to keep them screen-glued. Here is our pick of the best 2017 films.

All the Money in the World

This movie directed by Ridley Scott is a story about a kidnapped 16-year-old boy. His devoted mother desperately attempts to convince a billionaire who turns out to be the boy’s grandfather to assist with the ransom.

Director: Ridley Scott

Star: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris.

Molly`s Game

Based on a real story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world`s most exclusive high-skates poker game. Later, the star becomes a target of the FBI.

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Stars: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kelvin Costner, Michael Cera

Phantom Thread

The enthralling psychodrama is set in 1950s London high fashion. Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young waitress, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Stars: Vicky Krieps, Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, Sue Clark

In the Fade

Katja’s life collapses after the death of her husband and son in a bomb attack. The Palme d’Or’s award competitor in 2017 is full of intrigues as Katja seeks revenge and justice.

Director: Faith Akin

Stars: Diane Kruger, Denis Moschitto, Numan Acar, Samia Muriel Chancrin

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

This romance spark movie between a young actress and her lover keeps you on the edge as the relationship is tested to the limits.

Director: Paul McGuigan

Stars: Jamie Bell, Annette Bening, Julie Walters, Vanessa Redgrave

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The heroes of The Force Awakens bring this movie to an epic experience after the legends unlock the age-old mysteries and past revelations.

Director: Rian Johnson

Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Four teenagers find an old video game which draws them into the game`s jungle setting. In their new environment, the teens become adult avatars of their choice.

Director: Jake Kasdan

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kelvin Hart, Jack Black.

Whatever tickles your fancy, 2017 definitely had something for you. If you have not watched any of these movies, you still have time before 2018’s tidings start streaming. Have a blast while at it!

May 11th, 2017

Game of Thrones

GOT: Game of Thrones Offers an Insight of the Royal Bushes

If you said “Winter is coming” to 100 random people and recorded their expressions, there would be a wide difference in the expressions shown. If you still think this is referring to the season, you, my friend, are from a different planet.

Game of Thrones is a television series that is adapted from a book “The Song of Ice and Fire” written by George R.R. Martin. The pilot episode was aired in April 2011and has never looked back since. It has one of the widest fan bases for a series and rightly so. Every episode has a cliff hanger that makes the audience impatient for the next episode.

Game of Thrones is predominantly based in politics. Set in the fictional land of Westeros, it depicts seven noble families and the immense political struggle between them to capture the title of ‘King of the Seven Kingdoms’. Of course, friction exists between every house that threatens to escalate into a full blown out war at any point. Far out in the north, an ancient entity called The Night King awakens and threatens to destroy the entire realm of men, with only an ancient neglected order called the Night’s Watch fighting against them. Doesn’t seem interesting? I dare you to watch the pilot episode and stay the same way.

Other than the gripping story, the lead characters of the series are an indispensable asset. Sean Bean (Lord Eddard Stark), Lena Hedey (CerseiLannister), NikolajCoster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), MaisieWillaims(Arya Stark), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Emilia Clarke (DaenerysTargaryen), Peter Dinklage (TyrionLannister), Aidan Gillen (PetyrBaelish) and Conleth Hill (Lord Varys) play their characters to different extents of perfection. The portrayal of the characters that it remains in the minds of the viewer for a very long time.

The screenplay and the dialogues are to be noted. Maintaining the same tone and the unrelenting grip for six seasons without compromising on any character is a challenging task. The show does a fabulous job of maintaining the cold yet diplomatic stance right from the start. Since magic is an aspect of the series, the portrayal of dragons, blood magic and other fantasy elements is done in a manner that is appropriate to the situation. The series has its own share of stand-out dialogues (“I am a Khaleesi”, “The Lannisters send their regards”, etc).

The most important aspect of all is how the characters seem to grow in the series. Sansa Stark, DaenerysTargaryen, Jon Snow TyrionLannister and PetyrBarlish are characters who have developed from being irritating or hateful to audience favorites.

All these put together make GoT (after F.R.I.E.N.D.S), perhaps, the most iconic series of all times.

Mar 7th, 2016

Downton Abbey Finale

Well, the Downton Abbey finale was last night and they decided to give almost everyone a fairy tale happy ending. It has been a smash hit for PBS during its six seasons and what some would call a cultural phenomenon.

There was a very interesting display a year or so ago at the Dupont Estate, Winterthur that had costumes from Downton Abbey but also talked about what life was like for the ultra-rich in America at the time and how it differed from the English. It was very interesting.

Downstairs and Upstairs Had Equally Happy Endings

It didn’t matter whether it was the servants or the Crawleys, everyone seemed to get a happy ending out of this last episode. But, of course, you had to have some drama.

Thomas Barrow

To start with, Thomas Barrow, tried to commit suicide by cutting his wrist in the bathtub. Luckily, one of the maids suddenly realized this might be the case based on something he said and rushed to find him. He was found just in time and rescued and stitched and bandaged up. The support he received seemed to change him from nasty to nice. However, because of his prior issues, he looked for and found a job with another family. When he got there, it turned out it was a much smaller household and therefore a much smaller staff. He was the butler and there was a cook and a maid. He seemed very unhappy.

Lady Mary

Then Lady Mary told Bertie that Edith had had a child and because Edith hadn’t told him, it put an end to their engagement. Violet (Maggie Smith) comes back from a trip and talks things through with Lady Mary who is very unhappy since the death of her husband in a car racing accident. Violet tells her that it is OK to marry for love and not station which is kind of a shock. So she gets married to Henry in a small ceremony and is happy, but in a way, Henry is not. He had been a top race car driver but since the death of his friend and Mary’s first husband, racing no longer brings him any thrills. He mopes around for a good part of the show trying to figure out what to do with his life and not just depend on his wealthy wife. Finally towards the end it is revealed that he and Tom have teamed up and opened a car dealership selling used cars to start and then looking to move into new cars. Mary is excited for him even though this would have been so inappropriate for someone of this station to be doing at the time when the show first began.

Mr. Carson

Mr. Carson is as crusty as ever but has started to have problems with shaking of his hands making difficult to pour wine or serve properly. A bit of a problem for a butler. It isn’t noticed much at first and he hides it but becomes more obvious as the show goes on. Carson meets with Lord Grantham and says that he can no longer function at his job because of the palsy and he will tender his resignation. Grantham suggests he could stay in some capacity and Carson said that if he were the person coming in, he would not accept the job on those terms. At the very end Barrow is back from his other job to help out with a Christmas party although oddly it seemed as if he was a guest not a servant. When Carson has problems pouring, he offers to take over the job for him. Lord Grantham has a brainstorm and suggests that Barrow leave the other job and come back as the head butler and Carson would get a cottage and stay around to help and give guidance. Happy ending for all.

Mr. Molesley

Molesley gets to teach a class in a local school and tries to give the kids advantages he didn’t have. Later they expand and want him to come and live at the school in the village and work full time. He agrees to come back and work at Downton Abbey for large functions and parties.

The Hospital Resolved

Lord Grantham is not happy with Lady Grantham’s involvement with the local hospital until a niece brings him to see Lady Grantham at a hospital meeting and he realizes that she is very good at it and loves it. And, at another point Violet tells Lady Grantham that she is doing a wonderful job at the hospital.

Lady Edith

Lady Mary arranges a meeting between Bertie and Lady Edith without Lady Edith knowing it was going to happen. They resume their courtship and plan to get married. Bertie doesn’t want to tell his mother about Edith’s child. So the morning of the party where the marriage will be announced, Lady Edith goes to his mother and tells her all the details. There are some tense moments but everything works out and the marriage goes forward. This means that she now outranks her family in social ranking and also wealth.

Isobel and Lord Merton

Then there was Isobel and Lord Merton. Isobel turned him down and then he told her he was dying of anemia and didn’t have long to live. Violet told Isobel their age shouldn’t matter. When she went to see Lord Merton, Merton’s son and daughter in law wouldn’t let her in. They wanted him to die and to inherit the estate and not have her creating complications. Finally Violet goes with her and they barge in and get to see Lord Merton. He tells his son he doesn’t like him and he can have the house but he is going with Isobel. Then he finds out that his anemia isn’t as serious as previously thought and he won’t die soon.

Other Wrap Ups

Anna breaks water in Mary’s room and ends up giving birth to a boy in Mary’s bed with Mr. Bates, Anna’s husband in attendance. Daisy stopped being dim and finally accepted the advances of Andy. Mr. Mason started flirting with Mrs. Patmore and it looked like something was going to happen there.

Oh, and Lady Mary is pregnant. There are probably more things that could be mentioned but there was a lot of feel good stuff they packed in that last episode.

Nov 6th, 2015

Man of Steel

Man of Steel is a movie made in 2013 and is about guess who? No, it is not about a robot. It is about Superman. Yeah, I know, pretty obvious. Don’t know how it was rated or received. I don’t remember hearing much buzz at the time.

It definitely made use of the latest CGI effects. There was a lot of whizz bang, especially toward the end when they tore up a lot of New York. Why is it that New York always seems to get the raw end of things?

What was interesting was the way the movie fleshed out parts of the Superman creation myth but also changed some long standing parts of that myth.

Beginnings on Krypton

It starts out with Superman’s father Jor El talking to the council about escaping from the planet Krypton. No one believes him that he planet is unstable and will self destruct. They turn him down but just then General Zod comes in with troops and tells the council that he is taking over because they won’t listen and shoots the head councilwoman. Jor El and Zod agree about the planet but disagree on everything else.

It turns out that for centuries all babies born are bred in special pods and not born naturally. Each is selected genetically for a specific role. Jor El and his wife Lara have decided that more choice is needed and so they have just had a son through natural birth.

Jor El escapes Zod, steals a device called a codex with the genetic code for everyone on Krypton and gets back to his home / citadel. There he uses the codex to incorporate all the information it contains into Kal El’s (Superman) genes or cells. Based on my knowledge of biology and genetics, this seems a bit dodgy. How do you store another person’s entire genetic code in the cell of another person?

Anyway, Kal El gets shot off in a rocket, Zod kills Jor El, Zod and other get banished to an alternate zone, Lara watches the planet explode around her and everyone dies. As we find out later in the movie, because the planet is destroyed it frees Zod and his compatriots.

Superman Arrives on Earth

Kal El lands in a farm in Iowa (?) and a farmer and his wife raise him as Clark Kent. They hide his powers and warn him that people might react badly if they found out about him. But he keeps saving people and giving glimpses of his powers.

Superman and Lois Lane

Then something is found under 300 feet of ice in the arctic in Canada and Lois Lane goes to investigate. Clark hears about it to and signs on as a laborer. Lois sees him leaving one night and she follows and finds he has drilled a hole in the ice using his laser eye power. He discovers a space ship which turns out to be from the planet Krypton. It is from 20,000 years ago and yet his father appears to him as a hologram. So did the software automatically upgrade itself over time or had Jor El lived for 20,000 years? Or was there a time warp on Kal El’s flight to earth? Kal El saves Lois from a flying robot and then he flies the ship away so it won’t be discovered by people from earth.

Then Lois starts trying to figure out who this guy is. She finds his name or rather alias (not Clark Kent) and traces him slowly back to where he grew up. Finally Clark shows up and confronts her. He explains how his father died when Clark could have saved him because he didn’t want Clark’s secret to be exposed. Lois decides to stop pursuing the story and trying to publish it.

Zod Reappears

Then Zod shows up, drawn by a beacon set off when Clark / Kal El started up the ship. Zod asks for the person from his planet. The FBI finds Lois and takes her to a secret facility. Kal El surrenders and lets himself be taken in as long as it it so where Lois is being held and that she must be released.

Then he is handed over to Zod and Zod decides to take Lois as well. In the ship, Jor El appears to Lois and helps her escape, but before that she and Jor El make enough changes that Kal El can escape as well. Good thing because he needs to save Lois from crashing. As soon as he gets her down safely he realizes Zod is at his mother’s house and he gets there in time to save her and a big battle ensues during which half of his home town gets ripped apart. Zod retreats.

Then Zod deploys a machine that will terraform Earth, or perhaps we should say Kryptoniform, because when it is done, it will be uninhabitable for humans. Lois tells of what Jor El told her and they plan on using the ship Superman came in to connect with Zod’s ship and create a black hole that the two ships would be sucked into.

The terraform ship and Zods ship made a connection through the earth. The other was in the Indian Ocean and Zod’s was over New York city. It started destroying the city from the beam outward. Superman flew around and tried to destroy the other ship. He had troubles because he lost power when he was back in his own atmosphere. But, of course he struggles and overcomes and destroys the machine.

Lois and Scientist Saves the Day

That allows Lois, a scientist and others crewmen to arm the device and crash it into Zod’s ship and form the black hole. Lois falls out of the plane and Superman sees her and catches her again and saves her. He has to fly and strain like crazy to beat the effects of the black hole. This time they kiss when they get to the ground.

Somewhere in here Zod has gone to another ship, (the one found in the ice??) which has the ability to grow people from Krypton with the information in Superman’s cells. Superman confronts Zod and destroys the ship which Zod says means an end to the Krypton race that he spent his whole life trying to protect.

In a way, Zod is like the bad computer in I, Robot or in 20001 which decides that he knows what is best for mankind or Krypton kind and will do anything to protect it even if warped and misdirected.

Superman Saves the Day

Zod emerges from the crashed birthing ship and he and Superman have a battle royal which destroys a bunch more buildings in NY. Compared to most Superman stories, this one had an amazing amount of collateral damage. Finally Superman snaps Zod’s neck.

Then it shows a general driving along and a drone crashes right in front of him. Superman shows up and says I am willing to work with you but don’t try and track me. The general said that was a $12 million dollar drone. Superman says basically, so what. I will help but on my terms. Don’t pry into my business.

Intro to Clark Kent

Finally he tells his mother that he needs to get a job someplace where he can get information about what is going on in the world. He next shows up at the Daily Planet with glasses on. Like that is going to keep people from recognizing him? Especially Lois? That was kind of lame. Although I guess it was a bit suspect in the original comic too now that I think about it.

Aug 27th, 2015

So You Think You Can Dance 2

Now for a twenty something take on So You Think You Can Dance by my daughter. If you can’t tell, we like the show.

So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) is one of my favorite shows. It is the only place you can find an adult version of a dance concert that is not connected with a college or grad school. I love being able to watch all kinds of dance especially ones I’m not familiar with such as Bollywood, Krump etc. Another one of my favorite parts, THE TOUR! It is one thing watching the dancing on the TV and quite another to watch the dancing live. I am a sucker for tap so getting to see that anywhere is always a treat. For the curious ones, SYTYCD Season 12 tour tickets go on sale August 25^th. I can’t wait to see this seasons contestants live and in action especially my favorite dances.

Many of my favorite dances this season have included Gabby. She is a tapper originally and I hope she wins. She is in a class all of her own. Virgil and Hailee danced a robot routine that I have classed as the most entertaining routine of the season. They pulled off the characters extremely well not to mention the actual technique. They even stayed in character during the judge’s comments and walking off stage. I want this season’s top 4 to be Gabby, Virgil, Hailee and Jim or Yaya. Which brings me to the choreographers. The caliber of choreographers on this show is insane. I am glad Sonya Tayeh is back for an episode or two this season. Any dance that Travis touches is amazing. A great choreographer cannot only put together the moves but takes into consideration the dancers he or she has and really works to highlight their best side.

So I have covered the dancers and choreographers, now on to the judges (said the way Cat Deeley says it on the show). The judges this season are Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul and Jason Derulo. I think Paula has finally found the reality TV show that she can give useful feedback on, She has been an excellent judge. Jason has added a refreshingly different perspective and a very helpful tips for the street performances. When I first heard that this season was Street vs. Stage I was very skeptical but I think it has turned out extremely well and is tons of fun to watch and mixed up the competition. Another plus, we get to see Travis (stage coach and former winner) and Twitch (street coach and former winner) every week, who wouldn’t want that? I can’t wait to see what dances they bring on tour and what spectacular dances are yet to come.

Aug 12th, 2015

So You Think You Can Dance

There are two main dance competition shows on TV, Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You can Dance. The level of dance between the two is night and day. In Dancing with the Stars, a Star is paired with a professional dancer. Usually the star is out of the lime light and is looking to make a comeback. So we are talking B and C list actors and actresses.

Everyman Dancers

Some of the stars can actually dance and the few who make it to the finals are pretty good. An example would be the Olympic gold medal ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White. In the Olympics Meryl Davis gave off an aura of toughness. In Dancing with the Stars, she was incredibly lithe and exuded an amazing sexuality. But many of the Stars are not particularly coordinated. They do improve as they continue on the show. The show is popular and the appeal is probably that the Stars come off as an Everyman and we can envision ourselves attempting what they are doing.

The judges are probably more important in this show because they need to carry the performers. They are a show unto themselves in a way and are vital to the flow of the show.

Elite Dancers

So You Think You Can Dance auditions hundreds of dancers and the ones they end up with are amazing. In past years the street dancers were at a disadvantage because they had to dance a wide variety of dances, many of which they had never done and possibly never seen before. The stage dancers did have to do other types of stage dance that weren’t their specialty and had to do street dance forms but it seemed like an easier transition.

This year the competition changed format. Stage and Street were separated and each had to compete at first in their own forms. Later, they started pairing a stage and a street dancer in random styles of dance. That gave the street dancers a bit more lead time to start learning choreography and start learning about other types of dance. It also gave the stage dancers a chance to get down and start working of forms of street dancing.

Some of the stage dancers still look very stiff when trying to do street and the street dancers often don’t have the extension and form and pointed toes and flexibility. But the choreographers work to show off the best of each performer and as in past seasons there have been some amazing performances. It is hard to believe they can move and jump the way that they do.

Judging

The judges are less important on this show because of the talent of the dancers. They are probably more important to the dancers than the audience because of the advice and critiques they give that can help the dancer going forward. It is a relief not to have Mary, the screaming judge, any more, although when she stopped screaming and actually gave advice, it was often good. Her replacement Paula Abdul has been a surprise. Her comments are often insightful and show a great knowledge of dance. It is quite a contrast to her time as a judge on American Idol where she often came off as a ditz and was always the one taking the edge off Simon’s biting comments.

Jul 21st, 2015

Rizzoli & Isles

Rizzoli & Isles last week (July 14^th) blew my mind. SPOILER ALERT (for the rest of the post). How could they kill off Susie? She was such an interesting character.

For those of you unfamiliar with Rizzoli & Isles, it follows a Boston Detective, Jane Rizzoli, and Medical Examiner, Maura Isles. Susie was a forensic scientist working under Maura. Although, Susie was a minor character she added another dimension to the show. She had an innocent joy for all scientific inquiry that is missing from other crime dramas (except maybe Abby in NCIS).

I can’t figure out if the actress who played Susie decided to leave the show or if the writers decided to kill her off. If she made the decision herself it seems odd that the episode she was killed off in seemed very thought out and scripted. It wasn’t quite a traditional two-parter, where the first episode ends in a cliff-hanger and the second (or third) episode resolves all of the remaining questions. I have watched many overt two part episodes with cliff-hangers that make you want to skip ahead in time to figure out what happens, this was the first subtle two-part episode I have seen done extremely well. All of the ingredients were there, intrigue (Susie was suspected of being dirty), emotional turmoil (a close friend and college was murdered), climax (Maura was suspended), a twist (the aspiring Politician did it) and a resolution (Susie is cleared and the murderer is caught). I can’t wait to see what the writers come up with next, hopefully without killing off any other characters. How will the remaining characters handle Susie’s death? Who will be coming in to replace her?

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Hiyono