A Case of Murder

Weekend TV: Life 2.20

2011-06-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

When a gun law activist and political hopeful is murdered by gunfire, suspects on both side of the initiative appear.

Weekend TV: Justified 2.13

2011-06-05T21:56:00.004-05:00

Now that Dickie's out of jail, the Bennetts plan their revenge on Boyd and his gang, but things don't turn out as they planned. Meanwhile, Loretta is missing from her foster home, and Mags wants her found.

I think I liked last season's ender better, but I like that this one has a lot of questions left to answer: What about Dickie? How's Ava? Will Winona still be there? I, for one, will definitely be there to find out.

Weekend TV: Life 2.19

2011-06-05T20:59:00.002-05:00

An exsanguinated ME leads to the murder of a chef, but the answer might lie much closer to home. Meanwhile, Reese makes a decision about the FBI.

Weekend TV: Justified 2.12

2011-05-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Raylan continues to walk the line between light and dark after Helen's murder. Everyone's after Dickie, either to kill him or protect him, but Raylan's not the kind for losing...

This episode seems like it could have actually been the season finale, but I guess they're going to wrap things up as neatly as they did last season. Either way, I'm excited for whatever new episodes I can get in the future. This following clip just about sums up what JUSTIFIED is about, that no matter where they are now, these characters all came from violence, and they are steeped in it even now...

Weekend TV: Life 2.18

2011-05-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

Crews gets a new partner in the form of the lovely Gabrielle Union, and they investigate the death of a woman who spent years writing to a convict in prison. But she may have not been the only one.

In this episode, Charlie's past as a convict is a tool he uses to understand the mentality of some of the suspects, as they are ex-cons. But his past seems to no longer affect him as deeply as it did in the opening episodes. It is a part of his past, but not a part of his present.

Weekend TV: Justified 2.11

2011-05-22T07:00:00.003-05:00

After the failed hit on Raylan, he and Winona are under Marshall protection, but that won't stop Raylan from figuring out who was behind it. Meanwhile, the struggle for Harlan's criminal ownership heats up between Boyd and Dickie, resulting in a tragic loss.

Weekend TV: Life 2.17

2011-05-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

Crews and Bobby investigate the murder of a decorated soldier on the LA beachfront. There isn't much in the way of noir in this episode, as the over-arching mythology in this episode is focused on the conspiracy.

Weekend TV, Weekday Edition: Justified 2.10

2011-05-18T08:15:00.003-05:00

The seeds are being sown (so to speak) for the season finale. In the wake of Coover's death and the Black Pike deal, Mags is giving up her business, much to Dickie's disgust. Meanwhile, Boyd makes his move on Harlan County and Raylan and Winona make plans for the future.

Delayed Justification, Part Deux

2011-05-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

This time I'm north of Toronto, on Lake Simcoe, but I will post about 2.10 when I see it. I promise!

Weekend TV: Life 2.16

2011-05-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

When Reese starts what may or may not be a special assignment with the FBI, Crews teams with Bobby for a murder that may or may not be a crime of passion.

Bad TV Noir News

2011-05-11T12:29:00.003-05:00

According to thefutoncritic.com, FOX has already announced some changes to its TV lineup for the fall, ahead of the network upfronts that are due next week. Among the shows that have been cancelled are HUMAN TARGET. Less than a year old, and with two short seasons under its belt, I was bemoaning the demise of this show when a revamped version came back in November. The first season was a nice 80's adventure show throwback, with a Chandler-inspired "man of mystery" at its heart. Also cancelled, with two episodes yet to air, is THE CHICAGO CODE. While not a noir, this show was developed by Shawn Ryan, the man behind the best TV noir of all time, THE SHIELD. I'll watch whatever Shawn does, including his producing efforts on the criminally under-seen TERRIERS. CODE had started to find its stride, emphasizing the duality of the undercover work in the series, so it's sad to see it go. It's very possible I may not pick up any new (non FX) shows this year. I find it may be easier to go back and watch them on DVD...

Weekend TV: Justified 2.9

2011-05-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

All interested parties show up at Mags' "whoop-de-doo": the coal company, the Bennetts, Boyd and Ava, and Raylan Givens. What goes down from there sets up the rest of the season, as allegiances shift, power changes hands and someone has to fall...

Weekend TV: Life 2.15

2011-05-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate a shady roofer's murder.

There's nothing really transgressive about Charlie's actions this episode, unless you count commandeering Mickey Rayborn's car temporarily. But Rayborn does disappear later and Crews appears to be the scapegoat, setting up another situation where he has been accused for something he hasn't done...

Weekend TV, Weekday Edition: Justified 2.8

2011-05-05T12:12:00.003-05:00

Raylan is assigned protection duty of a coal mine representative amidst suspicions that Art knows about Winona's deception. Meanwhile, Boyd is hired as a gun thug for the coal company and starts to question the Bennetts' motives in terms of protecting the two counties.

Delayed Justification

2011-05-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

As you read this, I am in California at the TCM Classic Film Festival. I have not yet watched the latest episode of JUSTIFIED on hulu.com, but will get it to you as soon as I can. But be patient. I understand jetlag's a bitch.

Weekend TV: Life 2.14

2011-04-30T07:00:00.001-05:00

When the lead singer of an 80s cover band is found dead, Crews and Reese must dig through a pool of posers to find the killer.

I haven't quite come to terms with what the zen subtext means to the noir character in this series, but there's a nice scene here with Charlie thinking about his own personal mystery while listening to a zen tape about taking life. There's a certain awareness here about the nature of transgression and the responsibility that comes with it. Certainly a note about self-determination within the noir landscape.

Weekend TV: Justified 2.7

2011-04-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Boyd is hired by the mine to act as security while a trial against them begins. Winona has to put the stolen money back in the evidence locker, but she's going to need Raylan's help to get it there.

But at its heart, this episode is about bonding through crime. Now that Raylan is complicit in Winona's crime, it has brought them closer together, while Raylan is espousing noir philosophy in this scene:

And here, Raylan synopsizes his relationship with Boyd and how, even though their paths normally collide instead of align, there is significant history. Pay attention to that last line:

Weekend TV: Life 2.13

2011-04-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

Recovering from his shooting, Crews (and Reese) investigate the death of an astronaut that was somehow shot but still manages to land his plane. Meanwhile, Tidwell is interested in who shot Charlie and doesn't believe that Charlie doesn't remember...

This episode introduces an actual legal transgression for Charlie, which grows out of his investigation, which was a result of his being framed for three murders he didn't commit. This suggests a repeating cycle, where transgression begets retribution, which begets transgression. If noir is the exploration of the psychology of criminals, if it is a detailing of what pushes specific people to commit crimes, this is a very important scene. It at once becomes the event to which everything has been leading as well as the fulfillment of the role everyone has been expecting him to play based on the fact that he used to be in prison.

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

2011-04-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

And, of course, we had Sean Chercover provide an introduction for the film, and his insights were invaluable. Please enjoy...

Interview with Sean Chercover

2011-04-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

We kicked off The Noir Series 2011 with a spectacular program featuring THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) and an interview with Shamus- and Anthony-winning author Sean Chercover. Sean's Ray Dudgeon PI novels BIG CITY, BAD BLOOD and TRIGGER CITY are classic tarnished knight tales in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Here he talks about his previous life as a PI, his books, and what the movies get right. Enjoy!

Mildred Pierce (1945)

2011-04-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

While Shannon was here, our audience here at the Dryden Theatre was treated to his introduction to the film playing that night, MILDRED PIERCE. Here he talks about its basis in hard-boiled fiction and a surprising theory about what the best performance in the film might be...

Interview with Shannon Clute

2011-04-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

This Winter, I was lucky enough to have four great guests visit for The Noir Series 2011: Sean Chercover, Shannon Clute, Megan Abbott and Charles Benoit. I've finally gotten around to posting the video for these talks, and I hope that you'll check them out, both here and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/jaredscase?feature=mhsn.

Today, I'm featuring my talk with Shannon Clute, TCM employee, film noir scholar, and co-author of the upcoming tome THE MALTESE TOUCH OF EVIL: POTENTIAL CRITICISM AND FILM NOIR.

Weekend TV: Justified 2.6

2011-04-17T20:18:00.002-05:00

While Boyd is brought in to answer for the mine theft, Winona is caught in a bank robbery by an emphysemac and two bullies.

Weekend TV: Life 2.12

2011-04-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate the murders of three Russian mobsters, which brings them back in contact with Roman Nevikov (the awesome Garrett Dillahunt).

Anytime I hear the words "dark" or "darkness," my ears prick up. In this case, Ted is being interviewed about Charlie and Rachel. It doesn't necessarily illuminate the noir in Charlie's character, but it does deepen the understanding of his loyalty to Rachel (or hers to him for that matter) and gives Charlie a possible means of climbing out of the darkness.

Another thing that caught my ear was a brief exchange that is similar to something I've heard before, but it does show the demonstrate the kind of person that might be more susceptible to falling into the abyss of noir. In this scene, Reese has fallen off the wagon and is getting her marching orders from her Captain/boyfriend Kevin Tidwell (the also awesome Donal Logue).

Weekend TV: Justified 2.5

2011-04-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

Boyd falls off the wagon of legality and participates in a payroll heist. Meanwhile, Raylan "kicks up a hornet's nest," as he calls it, when he investigates the cashing of a missing man's checks.

There's a lot to love about this series, from the writing to the performances, to the direction and originality of the work. But from a noir perspective, what I'm seeing now is that there are multiple archetypes of noir protagonists embedded in the series. Our main protagonist is Raylan Givens, the wounded anti-hero; the man who walks the line between light and dark, ostensibly on the side of the law, but attracted to the darkness, despite what "the words" on his badge might say (See Sam Spade, Mike Hammer). Then there's Boyd Crowder, a villain by profession and association, but not necessarily by soul. He is the bad man who realizes he is a bad man and is conflicted about how to make it right (See Victor Mature in KISS OF DEATH). Then there's the Bennett family (or the Crowders from Season 1). This dysfunctional criminal enterprise is the 21st-Century version of the back-stabbing crews of the 1950s (See THE ASPHALT JUNGLE and THE KILLING). With so much noir to go around, this series truly weaves a thick tapestry of doomed narrative. And the thing they all have in common is that they grew from a culture of criminality that pervaded their upbringing.

Hmm...So is it nature or nurture? Sociology or psychology? Or does one, perhaps, become the other...

Weekend TV: Life 2.11

2011-04-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate a tribute murder to a Manson-esque murderer. It was fun to go back and see guest star Michael Raymond-James and regular Donal Logue a year before they were cast together in TERRIERS.

Meanwhile, Charlie is still investigating Mickey Rayborn (William Atherton) and has this interesting exchange with him:

Mickey implies that "the dark" still haunts Charlie and that he'll never be clear of it, despite all "the words" Charlie might speak to the contrary.

Weekend TV: Justified 2.4

2011-04-04T12:17:00.003-05:00

Okay, okay, so it's not exactly the weekend anymore. I admit it, I spent a lot of time watching and listening to baseball over the weekend. So shoot me.

But here is the next episode of JUSTIFIED, only a day later than normal. It features a guest appearance from RESCUE ME's Larenz Tate and is directed by John Dahl, who helmed films such as THE LAST SEDUCTION, RED ROCK WEST, UNFORGETTABLE and ROUNDERS before turning to TV and directing episodes of some of my favorite shows: LIFE, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, BREAKING BAD, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, CAPRICA, TERRIERS, DEXTER and, of course, JUSTIFIED. This dedication by FX to bring cinematic directors, particularly of crime dramas, to their series is something that should be applauded and a factor that goes into making their shows so good.

In this episode, Rachel has to track down here parolee brother-in-law who has just beaten his P.O. Meanwhile, Raylan visits representatives from both the Bennett family and the Dixie Mafia, and Boyd is courted by criminals with a plan.

Got Justified?

2011-03-30T07:54:00.003-05:00

Only halfway into its second season, FX's JUSTIFIED has been picked up for a third season. The more Raylan we can get, the better. And I think anyone that knows me and reads this column knows that I hope we can keep Walt Goggins on a weekly basis as well...

Read the story here.

Weekend TV: Justified 2.3

2011-03-27T07:00:00.003-05:00

Raylan is put on the case when an illegal bus of oxycontin gets hit. Meanwhile, Raylan confronts Ava about Boyd and a face from the past makes a big mistake when he impersonates Raylan.

Look, this is just a warning, but the longer you people in Kentucky make Boyd Crowder stew, the bigger he's gonna blow. I'm just sayin'.

Weekend TV: Life 2.10

2011-03-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reese act as neutral parties while investigating the murder of a Sheriff's deputy on an Indian reservation.

Probably the funniest episode of the run, several pieces of information get revealed in awkward ways, and we get a lot of really nice moments from the actors.

Weekend TV: Justified 2.2

2011-03-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Raylan and Tim track down a pregnant prisoner, after losing her at the doctor's office. Raylan visits Boyd.

Weekend TV: Life 2.9

2011-03-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate the shootings of a drug dealer and an elementary teacher, who also happens to be a cop groupie.

Weekend TV: Justified 2.1

2011-03-13T07:00:00.002-05:00

Raylan's back!

Picking up where last season ended, in the aftermath of the shootout at Bulletville, Boyd is still on the run and the Miami cartel is still in play. Meanwhile, when Raylan returns to work, he and Deputy Brooks chase down an anonymous tip on a released sex offender.

It looks like this episode sets up a long arc that we'll follow throughout the season, with a lot of likeable actors, including Jeremy Davies and Brad William Henke. It also displays the laid-back attitude and patient story-telling that made the first season such a stand-out. I'm looking forward to the next 12 weeks.

Weekend TV: Life 2.8

2011-03-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate a murder in a mall on the busiest shopping day of the year. Then the body disappears.

Nothing noir in this episode, unless you want to count the advice Charlie gives a suspect near the end, about lying to the police. And even that was presented as a greater good, so between that and the fact that it provided spoilers, I decided not to include it.

My Movie Day

2011-03-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Back in 2003, I came up with what I thought was a cool concept. I'd take a day for myself every year and dedicate that day to films. And, to make it more interesting, for every additional year I did this, I would commit myself to watching an additional film on that day. So, on my half-birthday in 2003, I watched CASABLANCA. In 2004 I watched CONTACT and THE CONTENDER. In 2005, I went up to three films: JAWS, HIGH AND LOW and PULP FICTION. In 2006, it turned out that I couldn't take that day off, so I put it off a year. In 2007 I moved to a day "around" my half-birthday and watched RHAPSODY IN AUGUST, BATMAN BEGINS, 'TIL THERE WAS YOU and RUSHMORE.

In the intervening years, it has been increasingly difficult to take a day off in early September, as school is starting up at George Eastman House and my own kids have started going to school. So for three years I've waited to continue my solitary tradition. And finally the time has come. I asked myself why I was waiting for a day near my half-birthday. If I wasn't going to do it on a day of significance, I'd rather do it near my real birthday. And now that day has come. Today, March 10, 2011, I will watch five films. It won't be a record for me. Some day I'll tell you about that long April day at Loew's Webster back in 1990. But it will be the continuation of a tradition I like.

I don't know exactly what the titles will be. I like it that way. I've got several possibilities in front of me. There are some movies I need to catch back up with. There are some movies that are borrowed. There are some that are expiring soon. And there's always the possibility I'll go out and see a movie. You never know. But I'll try to keep you updated.

And wish me luck.

Robin Hood (2010)

2011-03-10T01:09:00.003-05:00

Why: Oh, come on, it's Ridley Scott, right? And I borrowed it from my brother-in-law.

On: DVD

I decided on the longer director's cut. I dunno. Maybe it was a bad choice. I think what they were going for here was the behind-the-castle-keep kind of political intrigue that worked in A Song of Ice and Fire (or the upcoming HBO series A Game of Thrones). There were several characters we were following in the first half-hour, to the point that I was wondering if Robin Hood was actually the main character, and if not, if the country of England was the main character, as seen through the eyes of several different characters in different positions. But that wasn't the case, either.

The concept was to explore the origins of the Robin Hood character. Unfortunately, the origins provided much of the backstory for the Robin Hood we know and love. So, as the film begins, we get a cypher of a man, the generic war veteran, ashamed of what he's done and only wants to get home, if only he knew where home was and where he belonged, other than in England. In the course of getting home, several things happen to him that push him in several directions away from his goal of running away. But they actually push him toward his real home, you see? Is that fate? Or convenient storytelling?

I liked some of the actors in the film. I've never been a big Russell Crowe guy, but I like Cate Blanchett. And I'd never seen Marc Strong before, but I see why people talk about him. And it was good to see William Hurt, Kevin Durand (this generation's Adam Baldwin), Mark Addy, Scott Grimes, and the lead singer of Great Big Sea, Alan Doyle. But ultimately I just didn't care. And that's death for a 2 1/2 hour film.

NetFlix rating: **

Tom Brown's Schooldays (1971)

2011-03-08T23:37:00.005-05:00

Why: I became interested in TV miniseries throughout the years, and this was the first Emmy winner for this format back in 1973.

On: DVD

I'm no big anglophile. Oh, I've spent hours watching Doctor Who and Monty Python, and I've read a few Agatha Christies, but I couldn't tell you royal succession beyond Elizabeth II. So, why would I watch this? Well, I started to wonder about the TV miniseries after reading more about events like Roots and Rich Man, Poor Man. I went back to look at miniseries beginnings and decided to check out some that were nominated for Emmys back when they started to be recognized. This was the first winner.

So, I went into this DVD set not knowing a thing about Thomas Hughes or Tom Brown's Schoodays. Apparently, it was a poorly-disguised memoir about Hughes' time at the famous Rugby public (read: private) school in England. He was the son of a judge who sent him to Rugby when Tom's previous school is shut down due to an outbreak. The main tension in the story comes from Tom's struggles with a bully at school, the son of a lord whom Tom caught abusing a servant girl at his house.

I actually quite liked this film. The acting is uneven, but the narrative is compelling, as a young man tries to find his way, struggling with his taught morality in the real world as he matures, finding his way as he becomes a man. The bully character, Flashman is sufficiently evil, and yet somehow realistic in his position and actions. Coincidentally, Charles Benoit tells me the character was adopted by author George MacDonald Fraser for a series of 19th Century adventure novels.

NetFlix rating: ***

Moon (2009)

2011-03-08T13:10:00.002-05:00

Why: Filmspotting's 2009 Golden Brick winner/ expiring from my NetFlix instant queue. Plus it's a drama on the moon that has some science basis to it. I mean, come on!

On: NetFlix streaming.

David Bowie's son, Duncan Jones, is the writer and director of this neat little sci-fi psychological thriller. Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is the sole employee at a moonbase that oversees the harvesting, conversion and export of a new energy source contained in the rocks of the moon. He is nearing the end of his three-year contract when things start to happen. Hallucinations and medical problems are compounded when another version of himself appears, calling his sanity and his existence into question.

Oh, man, do I have a problem. I love film. I love the whole experience. I love re-creating the experience and sharing it with people I care about. But I don't get to do it as much as I used to. I'm not pointing any fingers, it's just a fact. I still like to keep plugged in, though. And therein lies my problem.

This "plugging in" features the upside of remaining current on things cinematic, but the downside is that sometimes things will build in my imagination further than they're meant to go. And I found that this year, catching up on some of the Oscar nominees that had made it to DVD. ANIMAL KINGDOM, WINTER'S BONE, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT were all fine, good even. But by the time they had been nominated, I was expecting much more than they could deliver. And maybe that's the case with all such things. Once a certain amount of praise gets heaped on a work, the expectation of its quality goes up, creating a greater opportunity for disappointment, whereas a film with no approbation from respected critics might have lower expectations and a greater chance for a surprisingly pleasant experience. Or maybe my reaction wouldn't have been any different, but it makes you think.

In correlation, the films that were my favorite from last year - INCEPTION, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, TOY STORY 3, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON - I got to see them all in the theater. Now, were the experiences enhanced by the theatrical atmosphere? Or were they films that I was attracted to in the first place, and thus films I was more likely to enjoy, and made the extra effort to see them in their best possible light?

Well, the same is true for MOON, which has been much-talked-about on Filmspotting, one of my favorite podcasts. It even won the sole award they give out, a self-congratulatory title they bestow on a film people went to see based on their recommendation. And while it was good - I think the set design and photography are beautiful, and Sam Rockwell gives a really nice performance (or two), and I really dig the concept - it didn't quite live up to the build-up of the last 18 months. The film is short at 97 minutes, but there were still sections that seemed long. And I get that it underscores Sam's isolation, I do, but I don't think it's that difficult a concept to get. Perhaps this review should stop before it gets too far along, as everything I feel like saying will simply have a "but" attached. The fact is the film is good. I would recommend it, depending on the audience. It's just that that's all there is.

NetFlix rating: ***

Death at a Funeral (2010)

2011-03-06T14:41:00.003-05:00

Why: It was on my wife's queue.

On: DVD

A farce based on a British film released just 3 years earlier, this film reached a decent audience when it was released last Spring. It opened fourth in a tight race behind KICK-ASS, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, and DATE NIGHT, at least two of which were better films, DATE NIGHT by a little, DRAGON by a lot. (I haven't seen KICK-ASS.) A farce in the classic vein, the action takes place in a single day when Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence's father's funeral is being held at home. The relationships in a family are always complex, which makes perfect fodder for farce. Rock and his wife Regina Hall are trying to get pregnant, but it's not quick enough for Rock's mother, Loretta Devine. Rock is an unpublished writer, while his 9-month-younger brother Lawrence is successful at publishing tripe. Cousin Zoe Saldana is engaged to James Marsden, who isn't good enough for father Ron Glass, who prefers Luke Wilson. Marsden accidentally ingests some hallucinogens created by Saldana's brother Columbus Short (from Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip). And so on and so forth. Add in the standard stranger with a secret and the friction heats to the boiling point.

It was a fun time. I laughed out loud more than once. I won't watch it again, but it was worth the 90 minutes it ran. What I really appreciated about the film is that, despite the mostly-black cast, it didn't rely on racial stereotypes and broad humor for effect. The humor came out of situation and execution from the very likeable cast.

NetFlix rating: ***

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

2011-03-06T14:04:00.002-05:00

Why: My son is into superheroes right now.

On: DVD

We've been catching up on Superman movies since I took the 7-year-old to see the first one on the big screen last June. I love that movie. I was seven when it came out originally, and I'm sure the nostalgia is a factor. When we went back and watched the second one, I was disappointed. You could clearly pick out the parts that Richard Donner had nothing to do with, and the series was already going to camp. By the third film, I was angry. I remembered liking it when I was a kid, laughing at it a lot, with Richard Pryor and Robert Vaughn. But the movie was really bad, I mean really bad, and by the time it was done, I was disappointed I had put myself through it again.

But I had never seen the fourth film. I knew that it was generally considered to be a real piece of crap. Maybe it was the atmosphere, sitting on the living room floor with my two boys, munching popcorn, but I didn't think it was as bad as the third film. But, maybe it was just that the film was so ridiculous that I couldn't take it seriously enough to hate it. I mean, there was just nothing to hold this film together, from plot holes to gigantic gaps in logic to a complete lack of character development. But, for all of that, it was kind of fun to sit and say "What?"

Like, "Why did Lex need the arms dealers in the first place?"

Or, "How can Muriel Hemingway breathe in space?"

Or, "If you're fighting a guy who is powered by the sun, and bother to take him to the moon, Superman, why not take him to the dark side of the moon, where the sun never shines? It's not that much further, dude, let's not be lazy."

Netflix rating: **

Weekend TV: Life 2.7

2011-03-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

When a lottery winner ends up dead, all the suspects seem to come from a Lottery Winners Anonymous support group.

Just one little note in this episode, again about perception and how it paints reality:

Weekend TV: Life 2.6

2011-03-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

After an earthquake, an old friend from Charlie's past breaks out of jail and puts into play a complex plan of revenge, robbery and escape.

There are a couple of nice scenes in this episode, starting with this one where Crews has to bust Marc Rawls because of what he might do, and a realization comes to both of them. "I guess you really are a cop, aren't you?" Rawls asks. "I guess so." Charlie replies.

Of course, the cops aren't really who they appear to be, at least temporarily. Then there's this scene where Tidwell is the mouth for another generalization about convicts, compounding society's perception. And as we've discussed before, sometimes external perception can become internal reality.

At this point, Charlie seems to have overcome those perceptions, but Life isn't done with him yet.

35 Days of Me

2011-03-04T13:26:00.007-05:00

It's been over a week now since The Noir Series 2011 came to a close. I had a great time, as evidenced by these photos:

But now that it's over, I'm trying to give myself a little space to breathe, a time to refresh and re-center. And I plan to do it watching a boatload of movies. I'll take about five weeks of time and catch up on TV shows and movies that I've borrowed, or that are expiring on NetFlix or Hulu, or knocking off a few notches on my queue or even catching up on things I've bought but haven't watched. And that doesn't take into account going to the movies. I'll try to keep you updated on what I'm watching, give you little reviews. The goal is 50 movies before April 1, but I'm already really behind. We'll see how I do. Meanwhile, watch the bar on the right to see what I've been seeing.

Weekend TV: Life 2.5

2011-02-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reese discover a body in the trunk of a car that has been crushed. The investigation leads to online relationships that hide secret identities. Meanwhile, Rachel begins to talk again...

I Walk Alone (1948) - Notes

2011-02-23T13:38:00.003-05:00

The Noir Series 2011 is coming to a close tomorrow with a bang: Special Guest Charles Benoit and John Huston's heist thriller THE ASPHALT JUNGLE. Make sure you show up for that. It's been a great time through the whole series, and I can't wait to do it again.

In the meantime, here are the notes I prepared for last week's film I WALK ALONE, which featured the first teaming of Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. I hope you enjoy:

Born about three years apart, and both in New York State, Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster shared remarkably similar paths to stardom and shared the screen on several occasions. Lancaster was born in 1913 Harlem and Douglas in 1916 Amsterdam, NY, and both were exposed to the entertainment industry before they enlisted in the Armed Forces during World War II. After the war, they individually went back to the theater and were introduced to producer Hal Wallis by friends (Harold Hecht for Lancaster and Lauren Bacall for Douglas), who “discovered” them and took them to Hollywood.

Lancaster’s film debut was in the 1946 film noir classic The Killers, directed by Robert Siodmak. Douglas’s film debut was also in 1946 and also in a film noir, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, with Barbara Stanwyck. They went on to act in additional films noir. Lancaster was the star of Jules Dassin’s Brute Force, and Douglas supported Robert Mitchum in one of the finest noirs of all time, Out of the Past. And in 1948, the pair collaborated for the first time on an additional noir, I Walk Alone, for Byron Haskin, a former cinematographer. It was Douglas’s fourth film and Lancaster’s fifth, but they had already established themselves as Hollywood stars of the first order. The story about two bootleggers separated by a long prison sentence brought them together, but they didn’t become friends on the set.

The two men went on to their own careers, working in all kinds of films, including film noir. Lancaster, especially was drawn to this kind of role. Later in 1948 he starred in Kiss the Blood Off My Hands as an American on the run from an accidental homicide. 1948 also brought Sorry, Wrong Number with Lancaster as an unwitting conspirator in a plot to kill his wife, played by Barbara Stanwyck. In 1949, Lancaster starred in Criss Cross, one of his most under-rated films, as loser Steve Thompson, a man whose terrible decisions always bring him back to the woman he can’t forget, and a fate he can’t escape. Lancaster also went on to roles in films such as Jim Thorpe – All American, Trapeze, and The Kentuckian. In 1953, he earned his first Academy Award nomination as Sergeant Warden in From Here to Eternity.

Meanwhile, Douglas made his own way. 1951 saw the release of two films noir: Ace in the Hole (aka The Big Carnival) and Detective Story. In the first film, Douglas starred as the unscrupulous reporter Chuck Tatum; in the second he is James McLeod, a cop with a vicious streak and a hidden agenda. Douglas also distinguished himself with roles in Young Man With a Horn, The Glass Menagerie, Ulysses, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It was also in this period that he received all three of his Oscar nominations: for Champion (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1953) and Lust For Life (1956) as the great Vincent van Gogh.

Lancaster and Douglas re-teamed for Gunfight at the OK Corral, with Lancaster taking the Wyatt Earp role and Douglas at his side as Doc Holliday. It was on this film that their friendship really took off. They would stay up talking well into the night, on subjects of all kinds. It was only two years later that they were together again in the Revolutionary War film The Devil’s Disciple, opposite Laurence Olivier. And in 1963, Douglas played multiple roles in The List of Adrian Messenger, while Lancaster had a cameo.

Meanwhile, they continued to foster their own careers. In this time, Lancaster won an Oscar for Elmer Gantry and got another nomination for The Birdman of Alcatraz. His other films included The Sweet Smell of Success, Run Silent, Run Deep, The Unforgiven, Judgment at Nuremberg, and Visconti’s The Leopard. Douglas had his own string of hits with Paths of Glory, The Vikings, Spartacus, and Lonely Are the Brave.

The two actors’ next collaboration was the Rod Serling-scripted Seven Days in May. A taut political thriller about a potential military coup in the United States played on Cold War fears and the threat of a “military-industrial complex” at work behind the scenes. This was the actors’ last collaboration for more than twenty years, but they continued to be movie stars. Lancaster made The Train, The Professionals, The Swimmer, Airport, Local Hero, and got one last Oscar nomination for Atlantic City. Douglas went on to make In Harm’s Way, Cast a Giant Shadow, Is Paris Burning?, The Villain, and The Man From Snowy River.

The two actors teamed one last time in 1986 for Tough Guys, the tale of two aging gangsters who no longer fit in the world after being released from prison. Burt Lancaster died in 1994 at the age of 81, but Kirk Douglas, despite suffering a stroke in 1995, celebrated his 94^th birthday in December.

Weekend TV: Life 2.4

2011-02-20T07:00:00.003-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate a murder that took place in a recreation of the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment. Meanwhile, Captains past and present meet when Davis's new partner discharges his weapon and is brought to Tidwell for questioning.

This is one of the most important episodes in the series, as it explicitly underlines Charlie's situation, and his noir standing. There is a certain subset of noir that explores heroes who are forced to act like criminals, and the darkness they find within themselves as a result. DEAD RECKONING and DESPERATE, both 1947, are probably the best examples, but there are others. Some of the "bad cop" noirs of the 50s might be included. LIFE takes this concept and merges it with the ideas behind the Stanford Prison Experiment and a conspiracy storyline to create its meta-narrative

There are several scenes I want to point out in this episode. It starts out with this conversation between Charlie and Ted explicitly stating that despite his standing as a policeman, there are things Charlie does that are not legal:

This next clip not only demonstrates the mind-set of someone fully invested in the experiment, which mirrors Charlie's real-life experience, but it also shows the violence Charlie is still capable of:

This next line reflects what Kyle Hollis said in the first episode of the season:

So, if the perception is that all people who are in jail must have done something, whether or not it was the thing they were convicted for, how does one adapt to this new perception? They become the other:

And when one has successfully become the other, is there any road back? If you are offered a life-line, will you take it? This scene that immediately precedes the last suggests that the transition to becoming yourself is not so easy.

There is a lot of very noir-ish doubling in this episode, as students become guards and prisoners, and as the guards themselves become prisoners of the system:

Charlie, of course, is the ultimate double, as a cop who becomes a con who becomes a cop. And in this analogy, the professor becomes the warden, whether he likes it or not. This scene shows Charlie confronting him with the idea, as well as giving insight not only into what Charlie's worst fear is, but reflecting, through the entire episode, what his worst fear was, as a cop going into prison, and how he managed to survive for 14 years, not to mention another look at the violence that lives within him.

This last scene provides us with not only a glimpse into the lengths Charlie had to go to survive in prison (or was it just intimidation tactics he and Ted learned there) as well as giving us a final doubling, as the warden becomes the prisoner in his own jail.

And here's the philosophical coda:

In the end, the student became a killer because he "accepted that he was a convict," according to Reese, and killing was within his definition of a convict, in order to survive. Here, we see Charlie passing on advice, another clue to how he survived and, through his own doubling, a ray of hope that he may ultimately be able to find his way back to who he was.

Weekend TV: Life 2.3

2011-02-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate a "stiff" frozen solid in a medical lab. Meanwhile, Crews continues his surveillance and Dani finally confronts her father.

We spend a lot of time with Charlie, and think we know him pretty well. But we never really get inside him enough to know what his true intentions are, including his idea of justice after having spent 12 years in prison. In this scene, the silence speaks more than the words:

Weekend TV: Life 2.2

2011-02-13T08:16:00.003-05:00

Crews and Reese track a murder from the gangs of LA to its highest echelons.

The show-runners may have moved away a bit from Charlie's noir leanings in the second season, but they still allow him to be comfortable in situations other policemen wouldn't:

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.13

2011-02-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. I'm so glad to have these kinds of shows around. And to have FX to give them to me. I literally had chills at the end of this episode. I know it's chilly here in Rochester, but I'm inside. This one was good.

Jax has Abel back. Jax has Tara back. Now the club needs Jimmy, and Jax is at the crux, needing to find a way to please Stahl, the IRA, and his club, while getting them all off for their illegal activity. Needless to say, things are not what they seem...

The Return of #16, #6 and #2

2011-02-09T08:49:00.002-05:00

Tonight marks the second season premiere of FX's Justified, a show I like a lot and that provided three of my favorite TV characters from last year: Nick Searcy as Art Mullen, Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, and the fantastic Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder. They're all back this year and ready for more Kentucky-based Elmore Leonard action. I, for one, can't wait.

Weekend TV: Life 2.1

2011-02-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

The second season premiere introduces Donal Logue as the detectives' new captain, as Crews and Reese chase down a serial killer that puts their victims in trunks.

Even when Charlie isn't doing something to cross over legal and ethical lines, there is always the smell of criminality about him, from being in prison, as seen in this clip:

And it's not just that criminals that think so, either. It's the police, his comrades in arms. And since perception often forms reality, how is Charlie supposed to resist being what they see?

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.12

2011-02-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Just back from Ireland, Jax and the crew need to track down the missing Tara, while maintaining the deal Jax struck with Stahl, and getting the dirt on Hale to disparage him in the upcoming mayoral race, which will keep Charming PD from being disbanded in favor of a county sheriff's office. Sound complicated? It is.

Weekend TV: Life 1.11

2011-01-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews tracks down Kyle Hollis, the man who killed the Sebolds, while Reese and Bobby have to track down a missing murder weapon.

The idea behind a noir protagonist is to understand how someone can choose to transgress generally accepted legal, moral or ethical boundaries. One of the types of noir protagonists is the hero forced to act like a criminal who finds the darkness in himself, much like our Charlie Crews. Charlie has seen most of the darkness within himself and is in a type of recovery, using buddhism as a tool. But every once in a while, the darkness appears again, as these posts have attempted to illustrate.

In this final episode of the first season, as Crews moves deeper into the mystery of the Bank of LA, there is, as you might expect, greater drama, and thus, integral as it is to Charlie's character, more gazing into the darkness. I may not get all the appropriate clips from this episode, but these are representative of what we're talking about:

Charlie rejects buddhism

Charlie kidnaps and tortures Hollis

Charlie defends himself with deadly force

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.11

2011-01-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Jax finds Abel, but his father's legacy makes the transition difficult. Meanwhile, Jimmy has one more trick up his sleeve, and Tara makes an escape attempt. Charming votes to have the County Sheriff take over for Charming PD, and Lumpy's death clears the way for Hale to develop Main Street.

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.10

2011-01-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

The SamBell betrayal is revealed, even as more betrayal is uncovered. Meanwhile, Charming finds out about the kidnapping, but Salazar's demands are unreasonable.

Mildred Pierce - Notes

2011-01-19T14:59:00.002-05:00

Notes more about Joan Crawford and her noir roles, so make sure to show up for yours truly and Shannon Clute Thursday at 6:30 pm!

Joan Crawford was named through a contest put forth in Movie Weekly magazine. She had been born Lucille LeSueur, but that name didn’t impress MGM publicity head Pete Smith. He arranged the contest and the new name was chosen. Lucille hated it, but learned to love the security that came with it. Prior to being Joan Crawford, Lucille was born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma, where her aspirations as a dancer led her to spots in travelling revues, and eventually to a chorus line on Broadway. From there, she did a screen test that was seen and liked by producer Harry Rapf, who offered her a contract. By New Year’s Eve 1924, she was in Hollywood, and by New Year’s Eve 1925, she had a new name and a new career, with three films to her credit.

Through the last half of the ‘20s, Crawford elevated herself to star status with the image of a flapper. Her silent films reflect this persona. But when sound arrived, MGM started to cultivate her into a more sophisticated character, often playing hardworking young women who find romance and success. She became one of the highest-paid stars of the ‘30s, starring often with Clark Gable in films like Possessed, Dancing Lady, Chained and Strange Cargo. By the end of the ‘30s, however, her popularity had waned, and parts became fewer and smaller. She split with MGM in 1943 after 18 years. It was two years before she was seen on-screen again. Warner Bros. signed her to a three-picture deal, the first of which happened to be Mildred Pierce.

When Bette Davis balked at playing the mother of a seventeen-year-old, Joan Crawford was given the opportunity, but not before pleasing director Michael Curtiz with a screen test, because the Casablanca director didn’t want to “waste my time directing a has-been.” The screen test passed muster, Crawford got the part, Curtiz directed the film, and it went on to receive six Academy Award nominations, including a win for Crawford. It also started Crawford off on a string of darker roles, or at least roles in darker films, some of them now considered noir.

The next in this line was the last of the three-picture deal with Warners, 1947’s Possessed. Strangely, Crawford had already made a film called Possessed with MGM in 1931. In that film, part of her social-climbing romantic drama phase, she starred with Clark Gable in the story of small-town girl enamored of a divorcee attorney. They tango around their relationship, both spurning the other until Gable faces political ruin and their relationship comes to light. This Possessed, much different in tone, chronicles the mental collapse of Louise Howell (Crawford), a live-in nurse who may or may not have killed her patient to marry her husband (in shades of Double Indemnity). Her real affections lie with Van Heflin, but when she can’t have him, it drives her mad and into the arms of the widower. The film has some very nice touches including a homicidal fever-dream and a room buzzer that intones Louise’s name. The film also garnered Crawford her second Oscar nomination.

Then in 1950, Crawford starred in The Damned Don’t Cry for Vincent Sherman. Crawford plays another small-town girl, this time trapped in a loveless marriage. When her only son is struck down on the bicycle she bought for him on credit, it gives her an excuse to leave home for the big city. But the big city is cruel, and as a model, she ends up going on dates for tips. Once she’s learned the ropes, she meets meek CPA Martin Blackford (Kent Smith of Nora Prentiss), whom she cajoles into cooking the books for an organized crime outfit. She climbs the ladder to escort for the head of the outfit, but she learns that she hasn’t come very far at all when he wants her to ingratiate herself with a rival gangster. Interesting as much for being a forward-thinking gangster film as a film noir or Crawford vehicle, it unfortunately did not earn Crawford any accolades.

Crawford asked out of her Warner Bros. contract in 1952 and moved to RKO. Her first film there was the thriller Sudden Fear, the screen debut of Jack Palance. She is playwright Myra Hudson who fires Palance from her current play, as he doesn’t come across as a romantic lead. The two happen to meet on a train back to San Francisco and strike up a romance that leads to marriage. But Palance is still in love with Irene Neves (film noir veteran Gloria Grahame), and his feelings for Crawford may not be genuine. A taut suspense film, Crawford earned her third and final Oscar nomination for the role.

Crawford only made about a dozen more films after this, but she both played on and played against the character she had created since leaving MGM, in films like Torch Song, Johnny Guitar and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Her film legacy, however, remains her glorious period of noir, beginning with Mildred Pierce.

Weekend TV: Life 1.10

2011-01-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate the death of a zen master when his body is found 10 years after he disappeared. Meanwhile, Crews gets new answers about the Bank of LA shootout and the killer of the Sebold family.

Note: I love the strangely incestual casting process that goes on in several of the shows I like. For instance, Robin Weigert, Adam Arkin and Titus Welliver, who all show up in this episode have been featured on SONS OF ANARCHY and Donal Logue joins the cast in Season 2, prior to being so great in TERRIERS last year. But when I heard that the two computer nerds in this episode were named Sean and Ryan, I couldn't help but think of Shawn Ryan, the creator of THE SHIELD and THE CHICAGO CODE, as well as Executive Producer of TERRIERS. Incestual indeed.

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.9

2011-01-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

On the boys' second day in Belfast they go on a protection run that ends explosively while trying to walk the line between the IRA and Jimmy, but Jimmy has other things on his mind, specifically his adopted family. Meanwhile, the real estate situation in Charming untangles and ties into other knots.

Don Siegel Double Feature

2011-01-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that the Don Siegel Double Feature at the Dryden Theatre starts tonight at 8:00, with THE LINEUP featuring Eli Wallach, Robert Keith and Richard Jaeckel and continues at 9:45 with THE BIG STEAL, re-teaming Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer from OUT OF THE PAST, along with William Bendix and Ramon Novarro. Come see why Eli Wallach was honored with the Oscar last year and delve into some noir with the director of DIRTY HARRY and THE SHOOTIST!

The Best Episode of the Year?

2011-01-12T16:27:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite television sites, The Futon Critic, has released its annual list of the 50 best episodes of 2010. Of no surprise to readers of this blog, TERRIERS holds the top spot. Actually, the opening quote from the entry is "One could make a case for virtually any of these last 10 episodes as being the best episode of 2010." My personal choice would have been episode 12, "Quid Pro Quo," but they chose episode 3, "Change Partners." Either way, way to go Futon Critic! Read the whole article here.

Don Siegel - Notes

2011-01-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

Here are the prepared notes for the Don Siegel double feature taking place at the Dryden Theatre this Thursday, January 13. Enjoy!

Don Siegel, who served as a mentor to both Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood, started his Hollywood career in the Warner Bros. film library, sussing out possible stock shots from millions of feet of film. He steadily conned and cajoled himself into jobs as an assistant cutter, head of the insert department, and eventually into creating montages for such Warners classics as The Roaring Twenties, Knute Rockne – All American, Meet John Doe, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Now, Voyager and Casablanca. He moved from this to directing second unit sequences, or action that takes place away from the main actors or at a distance. His work on Saratoga Trunk, The Conspirators and To Have and Have Not got him a chance to direct shorts at Warners. Star in the Night was a modern re-telling of the Nativity, and Hitler Lives explored the lasting impact of the Nazi Party.

Despite his work behind the camera and in editing rooms getting him noticed around the Warners lot, his brazen attitude rubbed Jack Warner the wrong way, and once he started getting feature assignments, the material was often challenging. His first film, The Verdict, re-teamed Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet for the last time in a convoluted story of innocent men sentenced to death and the lawyers who represent them. He directed another film at Warners, Night Unto Night, before he was laid off. He struggled to find work from there, picking up a second unit gig on All the King’s Men, and eventually landing at the Howard Hughes-controlled RKO for The Big Steal and No Time for Flowers. As a relatively inexperienced director in the early ‘50s, it was difficult for Siegel to get a long-term contract and picked up additional work at Universal and Columbia.

His first big break came from Walter Wanger at Allied Artists, who hired him to direct the prison drama Riot in Cell Block 11. The film was well-received and assured Siegel of work in film and TV for years to come. He distinguished himself throughout the ‘50s with the film noir Private Hell 36, the sci-fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers, gangster film Baby Face Nelson, as well as the pilot episode and feature adaptation of The Lineup. Siegel’s style grew and refined in the early ‘60s as he directed Elvis Presley in Flaming Star and Steve McQueen in Hell Is for Heroes. He turned exclusively to television for a time, producing and directing several episodes as well as the film The Killers with Lee Marvin and Ronald Reagan, originally destined for TV, but ultimately deemed too violent. When he returned to features in the late ‘60s, he was a seasoned veteran with a definitive style.

1968’s Madigan, with Henry Fonda and Richard Widmark, was a glimpse into the films to come. It was at this point that he met Clint Eastwood, and the two collaborated on his next four films: Coogan’s Bluff, Two Mules for Sister Sara, The Beguiled and the seminal Dirty Harry. He continued to work with big stars throughout the ‘70s: Walter Matthau in Charly Varrick, Michael Caine in The Black Windmill, Charles Bronson in Telefon, John Wayne in his last film role as The Shootist, and re-teaming with Eastwood on Escape from Alcatraz. His last film was 1982’s noir-inspired farce Jinxed!, with Bette Midler, Ken Wahl and Rip Torn.

Siegel’s legacy is as a director of violence, but a closer look reveals a career-long interest in the outsider, whether he be criminal, prisoner or cop working outside the law. The existential question of the outsider, and how he comes to transgress criminal, moral or ethical boundaries is a central tenet of the construct that we now call noir.

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.8

2011-01-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

In this extra-large episode, Jax and the MC get into loads of trouble their first day in Belfast, while Tig and Kozik rough each other up back in Charming. The wheels are turning behind the scenes in both America and Ireland, and by the end, Jax has a new charge.

Sean Chercover and The Maltese Falcon - Tonight!

2011-01-06T15:36:00.002-05:00

A last minute reminder to all of you out there that award-winning author Sean Chercover will be discussing THE MALTESE FALCON, Dashiell Hammett and his own work tonight at 6:30, followed by a book-signing and a screening of the film.

Make sure you're here!

Also, there's a nice blog at the George Eastman House website right here: http://blog.eastmanhouse.org/2011/01/06/from-page-to-screen-and-back-again/

Sean Chercover and The Maltese Falcon (1941) - Notes

2011-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Just like last year, I'll be posting notes about the films from The Noir Series prior to their actual screenings. The series starts out with a bang this first week as we present THE MALTESE FALCON, and prototypical film noir and PI film from 1941. Joining us to discuss the film, his former profession, his writing and why Dashiell Hammett is so good will be Shamus-winning author Sean Chercover. His two Chicago-based novels feature private investigator Ray Dudgeon, himself a former reporter whose commitment to taking down the bad guys sometimes disrupts his ability to compromise. The whole shebang starts at 6:30pm on Thursday, January 6 with Sean's discussion. He'll sign copies of his novels Big City, Bad Blood and Trigger City prior to the film, which he will introduce.

Here's a brief history of the film history of THE MALTESE FALCON:

One of the first hard-boiled novels to grow out of the pulp magazine tradition, The Maltese Falcon was serialized in Black Mask from September, 1929 to January, 1930 and published in proper book form by Alfred A. Knopf on Valentine’s Day, 1930. It was an instant success and went through seven printings in its first year alone. It didn’t take long for Hollywood’s newly-minted “talking pictures” to come calling. Hammett sold the rights to Warner Bros. in June of that year for $8500, and the film was in production by January, with a release date on June, 1931.

Warners turned to first-time screenwriter Brown Holmes, who later went on to pen the classic I Was a Fugitive from a Chain Gang. This first film adaptation was headlined by silent film stars Bebe Daniels as Ruth Wonderly and Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade. Although it was generally well-received, the script truncated the book down to 75 minutes of quick-paced pre-code fun. Cortez was uneven as Spade, alternately laughing at his own lines and grimacing menacingly. The character of Wilmer Cook was severely limited and Wonderly’s alternate identities (including Brigid O’Shaugnessy) were eliminated completely. The script’s major addition was the final scene, with Wonderly behind bars, where Spade pulls his last card. Surprisingly, Dashiell Hammett’s main criticism of the film (at least according to Marguerite Tazelaar in the November 12, 1933 New York Times) was that the film hewed too closely to the book. “’You need to simplify a story as much as possible when you’re going to make a picture of it,’ he said. ‘If you don’t you’ll have too many lines and so lose your full effect.’”

In 1934, producer Hal B. Wallis sent a memo to part of his production team, recommending a remake: “We made a picture from this several years ago, which was very successful, but in the picture version we only touched on the story contained in the book. I think we can get another screen play out of it by actually making the book.” What emerged, instead, was the film version furthest removed from the original tome. The script was again written by Brown Holmes, but character names were widely changed (Sam Spade to Ted Shane, Effie Perrine to Miss Murgatroyd), and actions and even genders were altered (Caspar Gutman became Madame Barabbas). The film could not, in fact, have been titled The Maltese Falcon, because the prize worth pursuing was Roland’s Trumpet.

The tone of the film was much lighter than even that of the 1931 version, possibly hoping to capitalize on the success of 1934’s The Thin Man, also based on a Dashiell Hammett novel, which was a piece that was naturally light in tone. But this effort didn’t work as it was lambasted by critics. The New York Times called it “a cynical farce of elaborate and sustained cheapness,” while Variety pints out that the film “endeavors to replace mystery with comedy, but the comedy isn’t strong enough to fill the bill.”

John Huston was already the successful screenwriter of Jezebel, Juarez, Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet, High Sierra and Sergeant York when he convinced Warner Bros. to give him a shot at directing. Howard Hawks suggested Huston take on The Maltese Falcon, as the property was currently owned by Warners and had previously been made, making it low-risk. Huston read the book and agreed. Legend has it that Huston gave the novel to his secretary and asked her to type it into screenplay form, as a sort of first draft. Jack Warner, eager to find out what Huston was doing, found the script on Huston’s desk while he was away and approved it, with very few changes from the book.

This, of course, was a large part of the success of the 1941 version, as well as its darker tone and the inimitable eye of director John Huston. The film launched the directorial career of Huston and took Humphrey Bogart to new heights, and introduced them both as forces of film noir, as Bogart went on to star in at least five other films noir before his death in 1957, and Huston directed Key Largo and The Asphalt Jungle, also films in the genre.

The Movies of 2010

2011-01-03T07:00:00.003-05:00

Well, the amount of movie watching has increased again. The tally for last year was 158 movies, and I'm pretty sure there were even more repeat viewings again as well. Maybe I should just shoot for 183 in 2011 and make sure I watch one every other day. I'm sure I'll get a great headstart in January as I prepare for The Noir Series, starting this Thursday, January 6, with THE MALTESE FALCON, introduced by special guest Sean Chercover. Check this blog and dryden.eastmanhouse.org for details.

25th Hour (2002)
99 River Street (1953) - 2X
2012 (2009)
Across the Bridge (1957)
Alphabet Killer (2008)
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
American Grindhouse (2010)
Angel Face (1952)
Arctic Tale (2007)
Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Avatar (2009)
Back to the Future (1985)
Batman: The Movie (1966)
Because I Said So (2007)
Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Big Fan (2009)
Big House, USA (1955)
Big Steal (1949) - 2X
Black Narcissus (1947)
Blind Side (2009)
Boys Are Back (2009)
Brooklyn Bridge (1981)
Brooklyn's Finest (2010)
Buck Privates (1941)
Burglar, The (1957)
Caught (1949)
Chad Hanna (1940)
Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (192
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939)
Closer (2004)
Coogan's Bluff (1968)
Cop Hater (1958)
Cop Out (2010)
Corvette Summer (1978)
Counterplot (1959)
Crazy Heart (2009)
Crime Against Joe (1956)
Crossfire (1947) - 2X
Daisy Kenyon (1947)
Dance With Me, Henry (1956)
Dark Crystal (1982)
Dark Mirror (1946)
David Goodis...To a Pulp (2010) - 4X
Day the Earth Stood Still (2009)
Dead Zone (1983)
Despicable Me (2010)
Devil Makes Three (1952)
Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947)
Dodesukaden (1970)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Down These Mean Streets a Man Must Go (1969)
Due Date (2010)
Duel at Silver Creek (1952)
Duplicity (2009)
Earthworm Tractors (1936)
Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Everybody's Fine (2009)
Expendables (2010)
Finding Neverland (2004) - 2X
Flaming Star (1960)
Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2009) - 2X
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
Goonies (1985)
Gun Crazy (1950) - 2X
Gun Runners (1958)
Hamlet (1996)
Hangover (2009)
Harlan County, USA (1976)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Hell is for Heroes (1962)
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Huckleberry Finn (1920)
Hurt Locker (2009)
I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
Inception (2010)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Julie and Julia (2009)
Karate Kid (2010)
Killers (1946)
Killers (1964)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Kiss of Death (1947) - 3X
Knight & Day (2010)
Last Airbender (2010)
Laura (1944) - 3X
Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1998)
Lifeboat (1944)
Lineup (1958)
Lonesome (1928)
Macao (1952)
MacGruber (2010)
Madadayo (1993)
Madigan (1968)
Maltese Falcon (1931) - 2X
Maltese Falcon (1941)
Matter of Life and Death (1946)
Margie (1946)
Metropolis (1927)
Mister 880 (1950)
My Name is Julia Ross (1945)
New Frontier (1939)
Night Moves (1975)
No Country for Old Men (2007) - 2X
Nora Prentiss (1947)
Peeping Tom (1960)
Planet 51 (2009)
Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) - 2X
Private Hell 36 (1954)
Proposal, The (2009)
Ray (2004)
Reckless Moment (1949)
Red Shoes (1948)
Return of the Jedi (1983)
Riff-Raff (1936)
Rocketeer (1991)
Rogue Cop (1954)
Scarlet Street (1945)
Shadowing the Third Man (2004)
Shooter (2007)
Shootist (1976)
Shutter Island (2010)
So Dark the Night (1946)
Somewhere in the Night (1946)
State of Play (2010)
Stone (2010)
Street of Chance (1942)
Sunrise (1927)
Superman: The Movie (1978)
Superman 2 (1980)
Superman III (1983)
Tale of Two Worlds (1921)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Third Man (1949)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Throne of Blood (1957)
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Thunderheart (1992)
To Have and Have Not (1944)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Try and Get Me! (1950)
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
Up in the Air (2009)
Valentine's Day (2010)
Vicki (1953)
When the Clock Strikes (1961) - 2X
Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) - 3X
Whtie Christmas (1954)
White Desert (1925)
White Heat (1949) - 3X
White Lightning (1973)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Weekend TV: Life 1.9

2011-01-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reece investigate the murder of a transient young woman and run afoul of IAD, a suspicious man and his son, and a delivery man that loves cats.

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.7

2011-01-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!
The MC starts making their way to Belfast, but they have to deal with a little problem with the Mayans first, and Gemma complicates matters, as usual.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 5

2010-12-31T07:00:00.008-05:00

5. Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), Fringe - FOX

Olivia used to be the sane one, the square charged with looking after the psychotic Walter Bishop and his globe-trotting criminalistic gad of a son, Peter Bishop. Until this year, when it became clear that Walter's experiments on her when she was a child changed her fundamentally, giving her the ability to travel safely between realities. Then, after she rescued Peter, Walternate switched Olivias, sending theirs to our world, and keeping ours. Following a little psychological adjustment, our Olivia was convinced she belonged on the other side, and their Olivia was sent to spy on this world. Suddenly, we had two Olivias, both hiding their true selves under fear of death, each one exploring the duality of their own existence and comparing themselves against what might have been. And in the end, the reason for Olivia's travel to the other side, her burgeoning love for Peter, is betrayed when he falls in love with the other Olivia.

4. Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), Lost - ABC

Jack was Lost. From the moment his eyeball first appeared on-screen in 2004, we were following his arc - on the island, before and after, through time and beyond. The final part of his arc, from his acceptance that he couldn't control everything to the acceptance of his destined role to the ultimate acceptance of the inevitable, Jack's journey was the most sublime. Although we might never find ourselves running from the law (Kate and Sawyer) or walking again for the first time (Locke) or pregnant with ideas of giving up the child (Claire), Jack was lost in the most universal way, within himself.

3. Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal), Sons of Anarchy - FX

Although Jax is the main character of the show, and Clay is the presumable villain of the piece, Gemma's Lady MacBeth is the character that keeps it all together, in all ways good and bad. The sins of her past, which may come back to affect everyone's future, were motivated by the same thing that motivates her today: her own rationalized version of family. Yet when her real family (read: Dad, played by Hal Holbrook)intrudes on her life, she softens and shows sides of vulnerability she'd never be allowed to show with the MC. She is the person everyone comes to for advice at the same time as being a main reason everyone is in trouble. She'll use her own rape to bring family together if she has to, but she'll wait for her own time to do it.

2. Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), Justified - FX

I can't help but be a Walt Goggins fan since his role as "Downtown" Brown in MAJOR LEAUGE - BACK TO THE MINORS. Oh, and there was that whole "The Shield" thing. But the role of Boyd seemed to be tailor-made to fit him. He uses the same smooth, calculated drawl whether he's shooting one of his aryan brothers, blowing up a church with an RPG, forgiving the man who shot and almost killed him, converting hill-dwelling criminals to God, or renouncing his own father. Goggins plays everything straight, letting on nothing, and leaving us to take everything at face value when all the other characters in the show and all our instincts tell us differently. He is charming enough to bring us into his confidence, but also capable of the kind of violence that scares us, and this is what makes him fascinating.

1. Hank Dolworth (Donal Logue), Terriers - FX

The real crime of 2010 television is that we'll never get to spend another hour with Hank. He was one of the most fully-realized realistic portrayals of male angst in recent memory. What was revealed throughout the course of the series and in flashback was that Hank was a cop with a drinking problem. If that was all there was, it wouldn't be much. But what we saw of Hank in the series was that he also had a defensive streak, especially when it came to his wife, that, combined with the drinking, caused him to make bad decisions. He was also sick of seeing rich people buy their way out of trouble. All of this combined to make him lose his job and ultimately his wife, driving him into AA. But at the start of the series, in recovery, he's still fighting for the little guy as an unlicensed PI, with an ex-con under his wing as a partner, trying to get his life back. When his wife tells him she's re-marrying and selling the house, his impulsive nostalgic side buys the house on the last big job he did for a crook. For all this good that he's trying to do, taking on the big guys brings trouble, and Hank gets stuck in a place where it's him or them. The scene in episode 12 where he hugs his sobbing wife and says, simply, "I'm sorry" holds so many layers of subtlety that the emotion comes in waves off of the screen. My favorite show of 2010? Possibly. My favorite character? Definitely.

- - - - -

So, for a little post-game wrap-up, I've got some stats for you. I cheated with three ties, meaning there were 28 characters on my top 25 list. 8 came from FX, 10 from NBC, 3 from ABC, 3 from FOX, 3 from SciFi and 1 from the CW. None from CBS, although Barney Stinson was short-listed. 9 of the 28 were women, which impressed myself. And the list is tilted toward drama, as that is my main interest. My friends make me laugh, I don't need TV for that. And obviously, I don't have a chance to watch some of the best shows on TV. I'd love to be watching Treme, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Breaking Bad and Mad Men, just to name a few. But either way, I don't think I'd be welcome at the People's Choice Awards.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 4

2010-12-30T07:00:00.009-05:00

10. John Locke (Terry O’Quinn), Lost - ABC

John Locke is another character that was dead for the entire season this year, but reliving his journey as a wheelchair-bound man lusting for life had greater impact after we had gotten to know him for four (or five?) seasons. When he landed at LAX after skipping his conference, only to be refused a walkabout because of his condition, then to have his luggage lost, and ultimately fired for missing the conference was heartbreaking. Then he gets to come home to the wonderful Katey Sagal, who loves him no matter what and rekindles hope within him, enough to follow the possibility that Jack might be able to make him whole again, only to be ready to pass on to the other side. Wonderful acting by Terry O'Quinn in a most unique role.

9. Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), Friday Night Lights - NBC

This year Matt decided to follow his artistic dreams, which meant quite literally abandoning his longtime girlfriend and finding himself in Chicago. By the time he realized it wasn't all it was cracked up to be without her and went back to Texas to invite her along, she had moved on. While he was home, he got the news that his father was killed overseas, bringing up all the issues he had over his own abandonment, coupled with the pressure of seeing his father as a hero, contrary to his own personal experience.

8. Clarice Willow (Polly Walker), Caprica - SciFi

Clarice was the leader of a secret monotheistic sect, the Soldiers of the One, existing on Caprica. Constantly doing battle with the militaristic arm of the sect over the hearts and minds of the youth, her aim was to convert them with the power of words. But her focus changed once she was introduced to Zoe Graystone, from whom she learned about virtual reality and the possibility of transferring consciousness beyond life expectancy, without end. She called this The Apotheosis and saw it as a way of guaranteeing life after death with monotheism, giving people the ability to not only see Heaven, but to pick their own form when they're gone, essentially eliminating faith and replacing it with a timeshare sales pitch. A fascinating exploration of just how far religion can be sold as a commodity.

7. Britt Pollack (Michael Raymond James), Terriers - FX

Britt was the younger and lighter of the pair of unlicensed detectives at the center of Terriers. Even still, he was the burglar trying to make good, not only by allowing himself to be taken under the wing of an ex-cop in order to do right, but also by committing himself to his veterinarian-student girlfriend Katie. The trouble with trying to do good is that life is inherently contrary, and will throw bad at you no matter what you do. So even as his investigations lead him to break the law again, have his life threatened and get thrown in jail, he maintains his optimism. His rooftop proposal to Katie was the most romantic moment of the year, especially considering that we knew what Katie had done. The heartbreak was felt even deeper because we had been complicit in keeping Katie's secret, and when she told Britt, it was too much for him, and he pushed everything away. Even though the series ended with a question, we get the feeling that Britt maintains his optimism and will make the right choice for everyone.

6. Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), Justified - FX

Raylan is the Elmore Leonard-based character at the center of Justified. A US Marshall with a clear moral code and enough violence inside him to back it up, he's gotten in more than a little trouble with those higher up. As punishment, he was assigned to Kentucky, from whence he came. The theme of the show is less "You can't go home again" than "Who would want to?" Raylan left behind an ex-wife and a life intimately connected with crime, including a father who always had a crooked angle and friends who now blow up churches with rocket launchers, primarily as distraction for bank jobs. His wife has a new man and his new woman shot her old man. Raylan gets intimately involved in stopping the drug trade as he puts his old friend in jail, a local sheriff turns out to be corrupt, and the drug dealer he shot in Miami has friends with long arms. The long, patient road to the violent finale made us wonder where he would draw the line to protect the two women he had brought into this world.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 3

2010-12-29T07:00:00.006-05:00

15. Eric Taylor/Tami Taylor (Kyle Chandler/Connie Britton), Friday Night Lights - NBC

The Taylors have been the West Wing of family and education for four seasons now, the kind of people that are too good to be true, but stand as realistic portrayals of the best possibilities nonetheless. Even as Eric is forced from his old job, he finds purpose in his new one, guiding players facing difficult situations on a daily basis. By the end of the season, Tami had gone through the same fate, following her charge of providing the best possible information for a young girl who had gotten pregnant. Together, as parents, they face the prospects of raising a teenage daughter and all the problems that entails, including heartbreak, sexual awakening, and the dawn of poor choices. It is no surprise that this couple has been under the guiding hand of Jason Katims, the same man that has brought us another realistic couple on Parenthood.

14. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), 30 Rock - NBC

Alec Baldwin has long been a favorite, but his portrayal of the self-important stuffed shirt at NBC/KableTown continues to be the role of his career. Jack's ability to skewer what is wrong with right-wing jingoistic capitalism gone wild while remaining both lovable and vulnerable is a bit of a miracle. His love triangle with Julianne Moore and Elizabeth Banks has been a high point, as has his playing off his parents, Alan Alda and Elaine Strich.

13. Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), Fringe - FOX

Fringe has been a show I've just sort of stuck with until 2010. That's when the big reveal came, that Peter is not of this world, but of an alternate Earth where everyone here exists, just a little bit different. This wasn't, of course, revealing to us, the viewers, as we've known for a while now, but when the actual moment came, and we saw Walter go over not only to save the other Peter, but to bring him back so that he didn't have to say goodbye, it was even better than we had imagined. And Peter's dilemma about where he belonged was complicated not only by his consideration of the natural order of things, but that he now had two fathers to follow, how Walter's actions affected his mother's state of mind, his growing feelings for Olivia, as well as falling in love with the wrong one, or was he just falling in love with the right one with the wrong body, and does it make a difference? Fringe this year has taken a huge step forward, and Peter is a large part.

12. Zoe Graystone (Alessandra Torresani), Caprica - SciFi

Zoe has been dead for much of the run of Caprica, but it's her "avatar," an amalgam of data, attitudes, interests and emotions that has the drive to keep on living. Zoe, a typically TV rebellious teen, a genius caught up in religious zealotry, is an unwitting victim in terrorist attack, but her extensive use and programming in a virtual reality has created an AI presence within the system that gets tranferred into an external hard-drive and married with a military robot prototype, essentially making her the first Cylon. Caught between un-dead human and re-born computer program, she still finds ways to manipulate those around her, have bouts of nostalgic human longing and kick some ass in the process.

11. Adam Braverman/Kristina Braverman (Peter Krause/Monica Potter), Parenthood - NBC

Adam and Kristina are the most realistic parenting couple on television, even if their situation is extraordinary. They have a normal (read: problematic) teenage daughter, as well as a pubescent son with Aspberger's Syndrome that doesn't yet know his diagnosis. But the most extraordinary thing about this couple is how real it feels. Despite the hyperbolic TV drama, every word that comes out of their mouths feels real, from the over-compensation to the daily scheduling difficulties to the need to have time not only alone, but to themselves. The conflict within and without, and the constant nature of it, all give viewers reassurance that not only is this normal, but there can be love, support and happiness interwoven with the vagaries of life.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 2

2010-12-28T07:00:00.009-05:00

20. Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Lost - ABC

Sawyer, once he seemed to have come to terms with himself, settled down and found love, had it ripped away from him, and we had to wait 8 months to find out what the fallout would be. Then he had his love given back to him only to immediately have it ripped away again. His vengeance turned into action, and nearly self-sacrifice on the sub, only to be given a leadership role on the island. His reunion with Juliet in the sideways portions was unlikely but sweet, and deserving for the guy that was always going to end up on the losing side of love.

19. Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), 30 Rock - NBC

My favorite comedy yields my favorite funny lady. It's hard to distinguish Fey from her character at this point. The comedy on the show is not only satirical and absurd, but "meta" as the kids like to say, to the point of confusion. Did you know Tina's birthname is Liz? Well, Elizabeth. Anyway, Liz Lemon's absurd foibles and inability to cope not only put my problems in perspective, but the keep me laughing in numerous ways. And she always has the coolest ex-boyfriends, from Dean Winters to Jon Hamm to Jason Sudeikis to, possibly, Matt Damon.

18. Sarah Braverman (Lauren Graham), Parenthood - NBC

The Braverman clan is divided into the "good kids" - Adam and Julia - and the "bad kids" - Crosby and Sarah. Both have children out of wedlock, but it's Sarah that's having the tougher time of it. Not only are her kids teens, but she's desperately trying to keep them from making the same mistakes she's made, even as she insists on continuing to make them. Sarah's struggle to maintain her identity in the face of, and in spite of, having children is something that all parents can understand. What I truly appreciate about the character is that it allows me to empathize with a situation I would never be able to fully envision, much as the first season of Sex and the City did.

17. Steph Dolworth (Karina Logue), Terriers - FX

Steph came on the scene about a third of the way into Terriers and established herself not only as a way to deepen Hank's character, but as wonderful character in her own right. Blessed with a genius-level intellect and cursed with the inability to function in society, her escape from the care facility and subsequent B&E squatting at her brother's house gave Hank and Britt a caustic foil, while moving the major plot along and giving us a key glimpse into Hank's protective nature, which underlay the show's entire premise.

16. Art Mullen (Nick Searcy), Justified - FX

If there is one entry on this list that is motivated by a single reason, it is this one. Nick Searcy took what might have been a standard-issue "police captain" part and imbued it with surprising depth. His normal, steady cadence signaled a man who was used to maintaining order in a calm and methodical way, but it also underscored the passion in the character, because when Art exploded, he exploded, giving real emotion and heft to this man who loved and respected his job, without just going through the motions.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 1

2010-12-27T07:00:00.014-05:00

My posts on my favorite TV of the decade last year proved popular, so I wanted to do something again this year. But I don't watch as many shows as some. And I don't have access to all the stations, and I can't bring myself to watch everything, especially as I have other interests. So instead of breaking it down by show, I thought it might be fun to break it down by character, the people that keep me coming back to the shows I do watch, over and over. Before we get started, let me say that I realize there are several things that go into creating a character, and I think my choices reflect all of them, whether it be the writing, the theme and direction of the show, or the performance of the actor. Or, in the best cases, all three.

Warning: Spoilers will be included.

25. Vince Howard/Luke Cafferty (Michael B. Jordan/Matt Lauria), Friday Night Lights - NBC
In Dillon, Texas, football is everything - a way of life, how you are judged, and the key to moving on. And in Friday Night Lights, it seems everything is geared toward the weekly game. So when the town is divided between two high schools, the affluent Dillon and the low-rent East Dillon, the players not only have to deal with their own team and its issues, but they have to contend with competition in their own town. And on this show, it's never that simple, as everyone brings their own baggage as well. Vince lives in "the projects" of Dillon and his mom is hooked on drugs. There is temptation personified in the form of his friends who have chosen crime, but Vince finds hope in football, and in Coach Taylor. Luke is a farm kid, practically stolen from Dillon, who knows what he wants, which is out. He's willing to give up just about anything to get it, including his own health. Add in an unwanted pregnancy, and you have two fine additions to an already excellent cast.

24. Joseph Adama (Esai Morales), Caprica - SciFi

I refuse to spell it the other way. In this show that was nothing like its predecessor, and likely never given a chance because of that fact, Morales shone as the father who lost a daughter, and the man caught between two worlds, the "dirt-eating" organized crime of Tauron, and the clean, straight future of Caprica. His grief transformed his life, leading him away from his son (who would eventually command Galactica) and into worlds both familiar (that of his brother's criminal ties) and unfamiliar (turning himself into a digital avatar to pursue his daughter's fate. I'll grant you that there may be some Godfather/ Blood In, Blood Out fondness for the character, but it was stilled executed well.

23. Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary), Rescue Me - FX

This show, one of my favorites, has seen better days. But Tommy is still one of the most watchable characters on TV. His path to redemption (or not?) is still fascinating, if a bit repetitive, and also echoes some of the classic noir characters of the post-war period in the way that they reacted to the aftermath. 9/11 was Tommy's World War 2, and he's still trying to come to terms with it. The final season next year is leading up to the 10th anniversary of that fateful event, and I will be on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how Tommy makes out.

22. Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), The Vampire Diaries - CW

Caught between competing schoolgirl fantasies (that of the brooding, cold, emotionless vampires that the right woman can imbue with passion and that of the hot-blooded, impulsive werewolves that the right woman can tame and civilize), Damon is the vampire caught in the middle, a good fit for no woman, the outsider, the exception that, of course, not only proves the rule, but creates his own troubled persona that needs fixing by the right woman. But at least he's fun.

21. Dan Stark (Bradley Whitford), The Good Guys - FOX

His mustache might be a throwback to the 80s, but his attitude is all awesome. Dan Stark exemplifies the go-get-'em cops gumption of Hunter or Baretta, but pairs it with a self-reflexive nod to the absurd. Add to that a legion of hilarious quotes ("Partner blood. It's thicker than brother blood. It's like a meat sauce."; "That guy's not a metal worker. He's a ninja."; "Wait a minute. You mean I don't get to touch a woman? And I get some typing in? Two of my least favorite things."; "They say if you love something, you should set it free. Then hunt it down."), and you've got an extremely watchable character.

Weekend TV: Life 1.8

2010-12-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Crews and Reece investigate the murder of a polygamist spy. Meanwhile, Crews tracks Ames to a meeting only days before he winds up dead.

There isn't much in the way of transgressive action for our noir protagonist, or the darkness that he has found within himself, outside of some extra-curricular stalking. But there is a zen recording that bookends the episode and provides excellent insight into both Charlie's thought process and one of the basic tenets of the noir protagonist: that there is little difference between the criminal and those who walk the straight and narrow. The text goes something like this:

"We are none of us alone.
Even as we exhale, it is inhaled by others.
The light that shines upon me shines upon my neighbor as well.
In this way, everything is connected to everything else.
In this way, I am connected to my friend even as I am connected to my enemy.
In this way, there is no difference between me and my friend.
In this way, there is no difference between me and my enemy.
We are none of us alone."

And here is the back bookend, which I think works better:

Weekend TV: Human Target 2.6

2010-12-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, well, if this show hasn't already jumped the shark, several rows of teeth are nipping at its heels with this episode. The team is hired to protect a family threatened by computer hackers. Unfortunately, it's Christmastime (ooohh) and the family lives in Suburbia (Hell on Earth) and they all lead lives like 11th-tier AMERICAN BEAUTY knockoffs (oooohhhh boooyyyy). How will our fish out of water fare? With groan-inducing dialogue and situations, and saccharine messages far afield from the dark soul-searching the show began with, this feels much more NCIS than the HUMAN TARGET I fell in love with. Not to mention the shootout at the mall (really?) that ends in a non-ending as the bad guys are defeated, but not, as far as I can tell, caught, which doesn't really seem to solve anything, but the episode needs to end anyway.

Don't worry, I won't be bothering you with this show any more. Instead, I'll be eagerly awaiting the February premieres of JUSTIFIED and THE CHICAGO CODE.

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.6

2010-12-25T20:21:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas! The Sons are tapped for cash after the Canadian tracker keeps their deposit and the Mayan patch-over jumps Juice. Looking for a way to get to Belfast, they enter a partnership previously unthinkable. Meanwhile, Jax's secret plan starts taking unexpected turns when Gemma is fed a new story to tell the cops about the murders.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.13

2010-12-25T07:00:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas!
My first gift to you is the SERIES finale of the excellent television show TERRIERS. That's right, despite the quality of the show, it will not be coming back. I give FX credit for sticking with it, giving it a chance to grow an audience, but the loss will be felt. If you want to read more about TERRIERS, make sure to stay tuned to this blog next week.

In this episode, all the threads come together, with Gretchen, Stephanie, Laura and Maggie all making appearances. Britt's still trying to stay out of jail and Hank's still trying to save his life. Discoveries are made and new enemies emerge, and the only way out for Hank is to stop it all.

The Best Television of 2010

2010-12-21T08:26:00.003-05:00

The AV Club has posted their top 25 television series of the year, and it might be of particular note to readers of this blog that both JUSTIFIED and TERRIERS, FX shows that I have championed right here on this blog, were included in the list. There were also a total of 6 shows that you may be hearing about more next week, if you follow this blog. To read the whole article, click here.

Weekend TV: Human Target 2.5

2010-12-19T15:34:00.002-05:00

Well, the deterioration of HUMAN TARGET continues as the characters shift from the shadows where they hide to the floor-length windows and paychecks. In this episode, one wonders if the old Chance would even show up for someone who hadn't paid. And I know the old Guerrero would have just walked away when faced with a paycheck, instead of just being ornery and quirky. Oh, I suppose it's not a bad show, it's just not what I've come to expect from the brand.

Weekend TV: Life 1.7

2010-12-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate a hate crime at a gas station that (of course) turns out not to be what it seems on the surface. Sarah Clarke of "24" fame guest stars.

Our glimpse of noir in this episode comes in Charlie's pursuit of the central mystery. He's found a way to access the Department's private files, but he needs to needs to circuvent laws and departmental regulations to do it. Luckily, his pursuit of vengeance overrides such trivialities.

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.5

2010-12-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

With Gemma in the hospital, the federal DA is going back on his deal, which means she's looking at serious time in jail. Jax turns to an unlikely source for a solution. The Tellers find the truth out about Abel, and the MC discovers a drug base for the Mayans. Fans of THE SHIELD will be happy to see a cameo by David Marciano as The Chicken Man.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.12

2010-12-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

The penultimate episode returns to the land scam that started everything. Hank and Laura are putting together the clues, while Britt considers a deal with the devil. Gretchen and Jason are back, as well as Maggie, and Katie asks for Gretchen's advice.

Love for the Sons!

2010-12-14T15:29:00.003-05:00

In a surprise announcement for anyone NOT watching SONS OF ANARCHY every week, Katey Sagal got a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Gemma Teller in the series. Hulu.com has only gotten me 1/3 of the way through the season, but Gemma is truly the glue that holds this show together, for better and for worse. For more, read at film.com.

And for more SONS content, tune in weekends and the last week of the year on this blog.

Weekend TV: Human Target 2.4

2010-12-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

Oh boy. Of the four episodes this season, only one has been centered around a mission for money, and that was the premiere. In episode 2, the team had to rescue Chance's friend, in the third episode, it was the thief's friend, and now it's Ilsa's friend that needs rescuing, from a South American cartel that for some reason didn't just kill the woman. Where's the Chance we knew and loved? Why is he offering Baptiste a job? What has money done to him?

Weekend TV: Life 1.6

2010-12-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Reese gets an indication from here AA meeting that one of the other addicts is a rapist. Meanwhile, Crews gets to know a little more about Bobby and the Bank of LA shootout.

Weekend TV: Sons of Anarchy 3.4

2010-12-11T20:43:00.002-05:00

It's back! On hulu.com, that is...
As the MC plans on skipping bail and tracking Abel to Canada, they meet up with Gemma and Tara, who have their own problems to clean up. Meanwhile, Happy, Bobby and Piney take a detour to supply some meds and wind up in shootout.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.11

2010-12-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hank gets a visit from the reporter he saved, who may just have the answer to the case that ended Hank's police career, and his marriage. Britt tries to recover from his breakup with Katie, but finds it difficult.

The Sad News - Terriers Cancelled

2010-12-07T09:25:00.004-05:00

It become official yesterday. Despite my e-mail to FX executives promising to get a standard cable package if they renewed the series, they still decided to end it after only a single season. I'm very sad to see this one go. I was blown away by the depth of the characters and the quality of the writing. I've already decided what I'm going to do with the final week of the year on this blog, and there may be more for me to say about TERRIERS. But stay tuned, as the final three episodes will be featured on the Weekend TV segments of the blog. Enjoy it while it's here.

The Futon Critic

Weekend TV: Life 1.5

2010-12-05T17:29:00.002-05:00

I felt really bad for not getting a LIFE post up last week, and if it were the will of the long afternoon nap, I wouldn't get one up today, either. The opening of this episode reminds me of the original LETHAL WEAPON, with a young woman falling through the air, only to smash the top of a car. The woman in this episode wears angel's wings, as if she fell from heaven. Crews and Reese's investigation leads them to a Russian gangster (the fantastic Garrett Dillahunt, probably most widely seen in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, but also great in this year's WINTER'S BONE), who has some insight for Charlie in his larger search.

Charlie again drops his goody-goody facade when he decides to protect the lawyer who freed him from prison. Her new client attacks her and Charlie tracks him down through contacts, and a little coersion:

When he catches up to the new client, he symbolically removes his badge and gun before he beats him, and provides a bookend to his line in the previous scene, about not being a cop right now.

What's really interesting about these two scenes is that they bring into question whether Charlie is truly using his zen teachings to cope with life, or if it's just a convenient excuse to see the world the way he wants to see it. The framing of Charlie in the mirror seems to suggest that he has identified this problem and needs to work on a little more self-awareness to find out.

Here's the whole episode:

Weekend TV: Human Target 2.3

2010-12-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Uh oh. We're seeing the first signs of strain in the new season of HUMAN TARGET. Remember last week when I said the scenes with the young thief seem forced? Well, now she's the focus of an episode where she gets in trouble and needs Chance's help to get her out. Not only is Chance not protection-for-hire (the concept of the series) for the second week in a row, but this woman he picked up is playing the damsel-in-distress early on. When Chance risked his neck for Winston or Guerrero, it's because he had a long history with them. But he just met this woman! And not only is she a female that needs to be rescued, we also get her stripped-down and oiled-up in her cat burglar capacity (Complete with close-ups of writhing bodies in tight places. Sigh.) I retain hope that this is a momentary blip, but I'm keeping my eyes wide open.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.10

2010-12-04T08:49:00.003-05:00

The day has finally come: Gretchen is getting married. Hank is torn; he both wants to be there and wants to ignore it completely. Either way, he wants to drink. Britt's wardrobe malfunction provides an excuse for Hank to drop by, but he gets distracted by the deepening mystery of the hotel project. Meanwhile, talking about their own impending wedding, Britt finds out about Katie's deep, dark secret.

New Posts

2010-12-02T08:46:00.003-05:00

I realize that I've been a bit sparse with posts lately. Hopefully this will prove worthwhile when the Noir Series comes around in January. I'm dedicating a lot of time to the program notes that accompany the films, the introductions that precede the films, and the interviews with my special guests for the series: Sean Chercover, Shannon Clute, Megan Abbott, and Charles Benoit. I'll make sure to give you peeks as they come up, but I hope these posts will suffice until I get everything sorted out.

Terriers Season Finale!

2010-12-01T08:30:00.003-05:00

I don't know how many of you have been following my TERRIERS posts on the weekend, or how many have started watching the show because of them. But tonight is very important to the show, as the season finale is airing tonight on FX at 10pm ET. To help prevent this episode from becoming the series finale, I would encourage everyone, fan or not, to check out the episode tonight when it airs.

The show has struggled, some say due to its promotion, but is another excellent entry in FX's series of crime dramas. If you liked any or all of THE SHIELD, RESCUE ME, OVER THERE, DAMAGES, SONS OF ANARCHY, or JUSTIFIED you should be watching this show. If you like Donal Logue of GROUNDED FOR LIFE, THE TAO OF STEVE or his second-season stint on another great crime show, LIFE, you should be watching this show. If you liked Michael Raymond-James from his stint as the bayou-drawlin' Rene Lenier on TRUE BLOOD, you should be watching this show. And, especially, if you liked the character-driven storytelling that Shwan Ryan, who is executive producer of the show, brought to THE SHIELD, or the brotherly closeness that series creator Ted Griffin brought to scripts like OCEAN'S 11 or MATCHSTICK MEN, then you should definitely be watching this show.

At least give it a shot tonight. Let's all stand together for quality programming. You scratch our backs, we'll scratch yours.

For more views, read USA Today, LA Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Digital Spy, Concord Independent Tribune, CNN, CinemaBlend, and HitFix.

And there is a special message about tonight's finale from the creative team, via HitFix.

Weekend TV: Human Target 2.2

2010-11-28T00:16:00.002-05:00

I've made the comparison between HUMAN TARGET and the CW's NIKITA before, and it's no surprise that there may be similar storylines in each, but this is a little ridiculous. Our hero (Chance, in this case), who previously was a professional assassin, assigns himself to protect the wife of one of his victims. The new boss seems to be working out pretty well, but the interaction with the young thief is a little awkward.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.9

2010-11-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

While Hank is laid up, Britt decides to take a case on his own. Meanwhile, Maggie finds out something about Jason and Hank has to decide whether or not to tell Gretchen.

Human Target Interviews

2010-11-24T12:41:00.002-05:00

In advance of tonight's Season 2, Episode 2, thefutoncritic.com has posted interviews with cast regular Chi McBride and newcomer Indira Varma. This series is called "A Few Minutes With..." and that's really all it is, but there are some interesting points, including Chi's vehemence against a certain baseball team.

Chi McBride

Indira Varma

Lincoln Lawyer Trailer

2010-11-23T08:36:00.002-05:00

The trailer for the film adaptation of Michael Connelly's THE LINCOLN LAWYER is embedded below. Watch it if you dare. I, for one, am glad I read the book as the entire movie seems to play out in the trailer. This can be death to crime fiction in any form, as the surprises are the cherry on top of the sundae, the extra bit that makes the rest even better. The same thing happened the other day when I saw the trailer for FASTER with Dwayne Johnson. For this revenge picture, he shoots 5 guys in the trailer, so, I figure I've seen the whole thing.

Weekend TV: Life 1.4

2010-11-21T09:19:00.002-05:00

Crews and Reese investigate a murder in the hills, and the only witness appears to be a homeless man that lives nearby. William Sanderson, who plays the homeless man, is one of our overlooked character actors and gives another fine performance here. He's mostly known for TV (Larry in "Newhart", Farnum in "Deadwood", Sheriff Dearborne in "True Blood") but he's also had some memorable roles in films like BLADE RUNNER, FLETCH, THE ROCKETEER, THE CLIENT, LAST MAN STANDING and GODS AND GENERALS. Not much noir character development from Crews this week, but he does put together some major clues near the end of the episode. Enjoy!

Weekend TV: Human Target 2.1

2010-11-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm cautiously optimistic about the second season. I can deal with a few changes, as long as some things stay. Like the choreography and the stunts. Like Guerrero's dark side. Like Chance's journey of redemption. The new direction is not yet clear, but this episode portends well. Chance is hunted down and found by a billionairess widow who needs protection, which has Chance and his team globe-trotting from Nepal to San Francisco to Switzerland.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.8

2010-11-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

This show is so good. You should be watching. There are five episodes currently on Hulu.com, so you can catch up before the season finale. In this episode, the past comes alive as Britt's former B&E partner sets him up to steal drugs from a jail, which prompts Hank to turn to his former police partner to get him out of Mexico, and puts Katie and her former one-night-stand in danger.

Human Target Returns!

2010-11-17T08:48:00.003-05:00

In advance of the 2nd-season premiere of HUMAN TARGET tonight (8pm, FOX), thefutoncritic.com has posted an interesting interview with star Mark Valley and new addition Indira Varma. I have to admit some trepidation hearing there is a new show-runner and a new direction, having really appreciated the first season in a throwback kind of way, but the stunts have always been great, which you know is important to me if you were here yesterday, and I have grown to like the characters. So, I may not be expecting the kind of quality you are getting on TERRIERS (are you watching yet?), but I do expect to get a good time for an hour a week, geeking out on my 80s youth.

Find the article here.