March 26

It’s tough these days. Everyone is a little on edge. Every so often you catch yourself not thinking about it, and then you feel bad. What is the right way to treat all this? I don’t think there possibly can be one. I think you just try to take it “show by show” as it were. Try to keep half an eye on the fact that people are fighting and dying. Try to figure out how we got here. And try very hard to figure out a way you can help us never return.

That first night I got home late and of course, flipped on the TV. I watched Brian Williams hosting the coverage for MSNBC from somewhere in Baghdad, I think. He had the hiccoughs. It wasn’t funny. Soon after he began his coverage, they interrupted with the Saddam speech. The one from which all those “was it really Saddam?” articles came out. It was the first big angle of the war. Watching that taped address was pretty creepy.

If Sun Tzu were alive today, my guess is he would write a longer follow-up to his hit book, The Art Of War. This new sequel would be entitled, The Art Of War Reporting. After two hours of coverage that first night, I have done everything in my power to not watch another minute. I am trying to keep up with events through the print media and the net. It is hard. Those broadcasts are on everywhere I go. Bars, gyms, offices, rest-stops, everywhere. They really can keep you glued to the screen for a long, long time and I don’t think that is a whole lot healthier than actually fighting a war so I am staying away. Try it yourself. See how long you can go without even accidentally watching war coverage on TV. By the way, for those keeping score (and believe me, as sick as it sounds, many people are) FOX news seems to be winning…wait for it… the war ratings.

Quickly call Jimmy Tingles new theater in Davis Square. Get yourself some tickets for the comedy that is running there right now. Though a bit hokey and overplayed at times, A New War, is a wonderful play. Rarely these days can we find truly effective and intelligent satire. Here is enough to last you a long time. Mercilessly pursuing the gaps in our governments judgment, the small cast pulls off a host of diverse and cutting characters. The writing was excellent. The direction was absolutely superb. Some of the bits required real discipline as a comedic performer and the cast were certainly up to the task. This show is the right choice for your evening. You will be happy you went.

Good Morning Vietnam is really an ambitious film. When was the last time you saw it? Yeah, it had been a while for me too. But I rented it the other day and I was really glad I did. Remember Pump Up The Volume with Christian Slater? Well, GMV was very similar except it had balls. It always annoyed me that the only thing that really got Slater off the hook was that the teachers really were committing crimes. That wasn’t why he started his radio show, but that was what vindicated him in our eyes. CHEAP! Of course, Adrian Cronaur had no shortage of injustices going on around him to inspire him. And that was what he was about. Trying to bring a smile to the troops. GMV is about censorship, humanity, and just generally being decent to one another no matter what the circumstances. Not to mention the thing that put it over the top for me. Robin Williams tries to romance a certain girl. His techniques ingratiate him to a whole community, but he never gets the girl. We need more movies like this. Movies that show that, to paraphrase the Stones, you can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get far more than you could have imagined.

I watched a nice first half and a miserable second half of the once classic rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers. Chris Wallace, look at the Lakers. LOOK at them!! They have two of the best players in the NBA, but SO DO WE. The rest is your fault. YOURS. You can’t tell me their role players are that much better than everyone elses role players. And Vin Baker wouldn’t have lade a difference. Enough already, you are wasting Paul Pierce’s and Antoine Walker’s careers. Get busy and fix this team.

We are midway through the fourth season of the Sopranos now. Poor Artie lost a friend in Tony when he tried to get involved. It was funny to see Artie trying to be a tough guy and ending up with his stupid little earring torn out. But sad to see how much of a loser he has become. I always liked Artie’s character despite his over-emphatic hand gesturing. I know he is Italian, but Marrone.

I saw a whole lot of the Oscars and there is much to say. I don’t usually watch the award shows, but every time I do happen to catch one, I enjoy it. This was a pretty interesting night. I was frustrated because I didn’t keep up with all the rumblings before the ceremony, but I knew that a big deal had been made about anti-American sentiment during the acceptance speeches. There was plenty said about the state of the world and I applaud those who took their moment to express an unpopular belief. Certainly, there were some who managed to do so in a more classy, or dignified manner than others. Like the best and worst dressed, the manner in which people spoke could fill a column of its own. But then, I suppose it’s fair to say that if our leaders have resorted to war to solve problems, who are we to complain about someone saying something on a stage?

Some other random bits I caught while flipping around were a few minutes of that Pet Shrink or whatever, Paul Schaeffer hosting in Dave’s place, and the Baby Looney Tunes cartoon.

The Pet shrink woman has got to be the most inane thing I have ever seen. The only thing that I would think could possibly be interesting about the show is completely glossed over. I wanted to see her taking some sort of Vulcan moment with the dog she was helping. She kept telling the owner what she was going to tell the dog, but then nothing happened. I could maybe buy the idea that she is particularly good at communicating with pets, but not if she is going to claim that she does it telepathically. How does someone like that get a TV show???

Paul was great for the short time I saw him. He did this musical number about what kind of host he was going to be. It really seemed like he was happy to have the chance, but would never want his own show. Nice place to visit… He sang very well, and seemed to conduct as he did it. Perhaps this is just habit after doing his job the way he does for so long, or maybe he was really singing and conducting at the same time. Either way, he was fun to watch. Also, the excitement he felt over his keyboard idol being there was awesome. It was fun to find out why he stands at the keys. Nice job, Paul. From what I have heard, many of the celebrity hosts have been less than great. I am glad that Paul was able to pull it off.

Since when are there Baby Looney Tunes and why, oh why, does everyone have to have a baby version of themselves? Do fictional characters grow young? Although I will say this, they were pretty cute.

-TV

March 19

Arriving in the middle of a film can be a very interesting barometer of its quality. Sometimes, for whatever reason, you catch the ending of a film and say to yourself, “OK, check that one off the list. What’s next?” Other times, you write down the name of the film so you can hopefully remember it next time you are in the video store. If, however, you have walked in on the second half of Bruce Robinson’s Withnail & I you will try to get the friend of yours who brought it to lend it to you on the spot so you can back it up and see what you missed. Just like I did.

Sadly, my friend wasn’t lending it and so, like you, I am going to have to put it on the top of my Netfix queue. I can honestly say I have never seen such a promising ending to a film! If there were a sequel, I might be tempted to watch it in the same manner as the original. Maybe Memento was on to something…

Sleepily, I faded in and out of the latest Disney film (at least I think it is the latest) Lilo & Stitch. Disney films have had a long and rich history of two things that were very prevalent in this effort. Those things are violence, and children singing. The first time I noticed the violence was early in the film when Lilo, the precocious young title character punched one of her young hula-classmates in the face. Later we are told that she has also bitten her enemy in this heated exchange. There follows, for the bulk of the opening, all manner of yelling, screaming, and rule breaking mayhem, all instigated by cute little Lilo.

By my description, you might not expect Lilo to be a very enjoyable character. You might ask yourself why, on earth, they thought people would want to watch her exploits for around an hour and twenty minutes. Well, I was on my way to those very questions myself until I realized that they made Lilo an orphan. Poor little Lilo. No, wait, poor little us.

Like so many other Disney films in recent memory, Lilo & Stitch was teeming with watered down “ethnic” songs from whatever culture the story was set in (Hawaii, in this case). As always, these songs feature a group of children over the chorus. I wish I could express my opinion more eloquently here but, this music sucked.

Wasn’t the advertising of this film making it look like a character that had weaseled its way into several other Disney films? That is a movie I would like to see! Unfortunately, Lilo & Stitch is just a weak rehashing of The Rescuers. Ah, The Rescuers. Now THAT is good Disney.

The only other thing I caught this week was an episode of the new Big Fat Greek Sitcom. I am not sure that is the title, but anyway, I saw it. Now, I saw the movie last year and enjoyed it. It certainly was not a groundbreaking film, but a fine piece of entertainment. Good heart, charming characters, a crazy family life well portrayed. That should be enough, don’t you think?

Well, Mrs. Hanks disagrees. Despite almost all the same actors from the film playing all the same characters in the same situation, the magic has left this group. The parents especially seem out of their element. Scenes that found them rising above the mayhem of a large family in the movie are not possible in the sitcom setting. As lead characters playing to only each other, and canned laughter, they seem stiff and uncomfortable. The writing is typical for sitcoms these days (read: lame).

The sole reason to catch the show is to see what Andrea Martin manages to do under such tough circumstances. Undaunted by the lack of energy around her, she can take the smallest line and turn it into comedic gold. The brass behind the show seem to think that she outshines the rest of the cast and, to preserve the status of her character, gives her very little to do in the episode. They are right, if given more substantial things to do, the show, and the audience, would quickly become focused on her. Too bad, if that were the case, I might watch again.

-TD

March 12

I was in a show this past weekend. I felt odd reviewing it, since I
was in it, but I felt it should be included since I did see it going on around me. Happily, my good friend J-Bro was in attendance for opening night. His review can be found here.

It is a dark day indeed for the Viewfinder. A sacred trust has been broken. I forgot to review some stuff.

Let it be known forever more that the very integrity of this column has been maintained not just by myself, The Viewfinder, but indeed by one of you, the readers. Thank you J-Bro. Thank you for keeping a watchful eye on me. Thank you for reading with care. Thank you for not letting me slip.

This weeks installment is unique in many ways. Already, we've seen the first apology from me, The Viewfinder. The next few paragraphs will be the first "catch-up" batch of old things that I, The Viewfinder, should have already written about, but forgot to for whatever reason. Later, you will see the first guest review to be featured on this column which has been heretofore entirely written by me, The Viewfinder. And finally, there is this annoying new habit I, The Viewfinder, have adopted of referring to myself as, The Viewfinder. Trust that it will go no further than this paragraph.

Entirely against my own free will, I was forced to endure a few moments of MTV's latest rehash of it's own entertainment vomit, the mysteriously titled Real World Road Rules Challenge. This is one of those ego-maniac-losers-fight-each-other-in-stupid-ways-on-TV-to-become-king-or-queen-loser-in-the-eyes-of-some-teenagers shows. I watched scantily clad people sit on blocks of ice till either they wimped out or were forced off by "doctors". Then they voted someone off for some reason and everyone got angry. I wondered to myself, "Aren't the Lumberjack Championships on?"

As I wandered around the channels on a TV in a hotel room in NH recently, I stumbled on something pretty fun on ESPN. It was a retrospective on championship NBA teams, but it was one with a twist. Often, when a team is dominant for more than one year, it is a result of a very strong bond between a coach and a star player. This show profiled several of these kinds of pairings. We saw pieces on the relationships between Bill Russell and Red Auerbach, Magic Johnson and Pat Riley, Isaiah Thomas and Chuck Daly, and finally, Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. It was especially interesting to see the things Michael had to say about Phil. I have always been a Jordan fan, but I have never been one to give any credit whatsoever to anyone else in the Bulls organization, player or otherwise. As far as I am concerned,
they should replace the Bull logo with Jordans face since he represents the entirety of their legacy to date.

However, Michael seemed to think that Phil really did make a difference to them. After he was given the reigns, they went from perennial playoff team to perennial champion. Not at all unlike what happened out west with the Lakers. I was so intrigued by the things Michael was saying about Phil, and indeed what Phil was saying about himself that I went to the net and bought Phil Jackson's book the next chance I got. I'd tell you what I think of it when I finish, but it isn't a movie or TV show or play, so go screw.

The last thing I neglected to write about was half an episode of That's My Bush!. I liked it! The guy who plays Bush is great. Very precise with his imitation, which is something I really appreciate. I think a good impersonation is a really wonderful thing to see. It lends clarity to see something out-of-context, yet remaining accurate and true. Does that make any sense at all? The rest of the cast, as well as the general way they don't take their show too seriously, all combined for a great 15 minutes or so. If I had any idea when it was on, I might try to catch it again.

There. Now we are all caught up. Here's the new stuff.

We got about another episode and a half in of the Sopranos. I guess we are almost half way through the most recent season at this point. It's hard,since I generally watch the show late, late at night and either my
girlfriend or I invariably fall asleep. I am losing track a bit of what is happening, but here's what I gather:

Adrianna is trying to find a way out of the horrible mess she is in. there was this great scene where she meekly tried to get the idea of how nice it would be to live "out west" to Christopher. The FBI are clearly leaning on her, and I like how little the writers reveal about her dealings with them. The tension of this plotline is really great.

Dr. Melfi is almost never around. I miss her, but not her strange accent.

We are seeing more and more of Bobby Baccala (no not his gut, his
character). It is awesome. What a thrill for the actor, too. Imagine, you are along for the ride on this great hit show, and the writers start coming to you saying, "Hey, were gonna start to really write you. No more easy comic relief stuff. Get ready." He is certainly doing a good job. I like the guy. The scene where he leans on the union guy to vote a certain way is so nicely done, and what really makes it is the view we get of Bobby's apprehension beforehand, and guilt afterwards. This guy is shaping up to be one of the more deep characters on the show. Who knew?

Lastly, I know there is something going on with a horse, but for the life of me, I can't figure it out. Sometimes I think Ralphie is sleeping with it, and sometimes I don't. Usually, I do.

I was flipping between three different movies the other night. Two I love, and one I had never seen before. They were the newish Disney version of Tarzan, Nothing In Common, and The Birdcage.

Tarzan:
I don't know what happened, but somewhere along the line I stopped enjoying new Disney films. I think it was around Beauty and the Beast. They just don't do it for me anymore. I still love the old ones, but I can't get into the new ones like I used to. Seeing new ones makes me want to rent old ones. That said, it seemed lively and fun and the animation certainly was beautiful. I only caught the end, and I suppose I should give it a fair shake by seeing the whole thing.

Nothing In Common:
If a movie were to star Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason, one might expect it to be a hilarious comedic romp. While Nothing In Common is funny, the truth in this film is what carries it above the humor (and past the cheesy, horse inspired love making scene) into the realm of a truly great movie. Make no mistake, this is not a great FLIM, but a great MOVIE. There are no inspiring new uses of shadow and light. The score does not transcend the action. The script does not celebrate the complexity of language itself.

What happens is this. You meet, and like the characters. You want them to succeed. You want them to find each other. And you are so very happy when they do. The scenes with both Hanks and Gleason ripple, not with comedy, but with heart.

The Birdcage:
I have not seen La Cage Aux Folles, on which this film is based. I cannot imagine it being more entertaining than this fine ensemble cast, and this modern update. Robin Williams' earnest portrayal of a gay father is inspiring. The prim and proper family of Gene Hackman, Dianne Weist, and Calista Flockhart are brilliantly despicable. And Hank Azaria is so funny you can skip your sit-ups for the day. The movie has some valuable things to say, and has found a very fun way to say them. Have a blast, and watch this film.

Lastly, turning to the sports world, all I'll say is this: UNC 82, Dook 79.
How sweet it is.

-TV

March 5

9 Short plays, a single film, and a commercial are all I have to offer this week. That’s what starting a new job, going into tech week for a show, and spending 15 hours in one day, at a high school, judging a drama festival will do to you.

I’ll start with the commercial. I can imagine it seems a bit late to start reviewing commercials (though I think a commercial reviewer would be a great addition to brucespero.com) but this one is a little different. As with the Super Bowl commercial reviews, there has to be something unique about the circumstances under which I saw the ad to make me review it. Back then, it was all the hype, which made the commercials at least as big a story as the game. This time, it is the cast.

For the first time I have seen a professional commercial that I was in. Brian Cunha and Associates is a law firm serving the Providence, RI area as I understand it. In their latest ad, we see Joe Law Firm talking about how they have the case in the bag, until they receive a fax telling them the other side has switched lawyers to Brian Cunha. Their faces belie their almost tangible fear of Cunha. Their immediate reaction? “Raise the offer, and settle.” Live to fight another day.

Now let me say that if Adbusters magazine had a card for its subscribers, I’d be carrying it. I think advertising can be one of the most insidious forces in our lives and generally, I am skeptical when it comes to embracing consumerism. However, being in a commercial is cool. This is certainly not the best ad ever, but there is something enjoyable about the seriousness with which we took a pretty hokey concept. Plus the quality of the ad is outstanding. I was really impressed. This is no Bernie and Phyl’s style grainy, local deal. It actually looks pretty good. Let me know if you catch it.

Sunday night I caught the film Frida at the local second run theater. This is a biopic about Frida Kahlo, the bold, brash, less well known than she should be artist who painted stirring images of very human subtext. Frida Kahlo married Diego Rivera, had a rumored affair with Josephine Baker, and a well documented one with Leon Trotsky. It’s tough to see a biopic about someone without ending up thinking they are the most underappreciated thing since water, and this was no exception. However, the film did have its problems.

Starring as Frida was Salma Hayek. An actress I was not at all familiar with, except for hearing her name mentioned at places like the gym. Salma, however acquitted herself very nicely in this film. Clearly it was a subject she was passionate about (she also co-produced the film) and this passion makes its way to us despite a cliché packed script, and some jarringly poor accents. The accents especially detract from a very culturally rich film. Balancing off the poor dialects was a wonderful soundtrack, full of flamenco and folk guitar songs in Spanish.

For me, biopics are delicate things. When liberties are taken, or intimate details too heavily relied on, I start to wonder how much is known, and how much is dramatized. I love history and usually, upon seeing any kind of biopic I want to read more about rhe subject. After scouting some Frida Kahlo sites when I got home, it seemed to me they did a pretty good job of weaving a story out of facts. Despite the scripts flaws, the film was very watchable, and this is due mostly to Fridas sufficiently dramatic life. A wild streak as a child, leading to an accident which turns the extrovert inward. Here, she explores the images of her thoughts and dreams as relentlessly and confidently as she did the streets of her Mexico City hometown. Bits of both world make it to her canvas, and her voice remains strong and unique until her death.

See the film for Hayeks conviction, and the appreciation of Kahlo as a quirky focal point in history, and a woman who more than met the challenge of greatness within each of us.

Finally, I spent Saturday at Andover High School as a judge for the preliminary round of the 2003 Mass. High School Drama Festival. It was an absolute honor to be involved in this event. 9 Schools presenting short plays, each with a 40 minute limit. Kids get a chance both to perform, and to learn by seeing other schools take different approaches. At the end of the day, awards for anything that stood out are presented, and then three schools are selected to move on to the next round.

As you might expect, the quality level was broad. Several schools made wonderful presentations, and most of the rest had very interesting things going on. It was a truly incredible day of kids getting excited about live theater and there simply isn’t enough room to write adequately about the value of a day like that. If you have the opportunity to attend one of these competitions, please do go. No matter what the quality of the performances, you will leave a happier person than when you came in.

Part of my job as judge was to write a short review of each show in the 20 minutes or so between shows. I should be receiving copies of these reviews shortly, and when I do, I will post them after changing the names in a separate column. Sound good? I think so too. See you next week…