Has “Big Love” Nuked the Fridge?

I know this is a slightly off topic since “Big Love” is a TV series. But it’ll be on DVD soon enough. Season 4 ended last Sunday on HBO and I have just one question: What happened? “Big Love” has always been a bit out there. This season they went way out there.

For the uninitiated, “Big Love” revolves around the lives of polygamist Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) and his three wives, Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) , Nicki (Chloé Sevigny) and Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin), who hide in plain sight in a Salt Lake City suburb. Meanwhile, characters from the benign to the creepy, including Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton), the leader of Juniper Creek, the polygamist colony where Bill grew up, and Bill’s father (Bruce Dern), threaten to expose the family. Those outside forces and the domestic politics between the three “sister wives” have been the show’s driving force. But this season, the plot lines seem to be ripped from the headlines of the National Enquirer.

Here’s the brief summary: The fundamentalist Henrickson family is now a partner in an Indian casino with Barb running it. Bill himself is running for a seat on the Utah state legislature. Ex-wife Ana (Branka Katic) is pregnant with Bill’s child, while Margene is in a sham marriage with Anna’s husband, Goran (Steve Bacic), to save him from deportation. Roman Grant, now dead, is taunting son Alby (Matt Ross), whose sanity is slipping away after his gay lover, Dale (Benjamin Koldyke), commits suicide. Nicki, Roman’s daughter and the oddball of Bill’s wives, takes the opposite tack by trying to be more normal, even jettisoning her “Annie Oakley” wardrobe in an attempt to mainstream herself. Nicki’s ex-husband, J.J. Walker (Zeljko Ivanek), is involved in a plot to use IVF to incestuously impregnate his wives. And these are just the highlights There are more (and even more confusing) plot detours in the mix. And when the season finally comes to a close, Bill, while addressing his political supporters, publically comes out as a polygamist, contradicting everything he and his family been doing for the last three seasons.

The producers did everything short of having Bill strap on a helmet and fill up the shark tank. I’m really not sure where the Henricksons go from here. My fear is that next season they’ll introduce special guest sister wives like Charo and Betty White. My hope is that Pamela Ewing (Victoria Principal) will wake up and realize it was all just a very bad dream.

“Big Love” Season 4

Released: 2010

Rating: TV-MA

Length: 90 minutes

Cast: Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, Ginnifer Goodwin, Amanda Seyfried, Douglas Smith, Grace Zabriskie, Matt Ross, Harry Dean Stanton, Bruce Dern, Aaron Paul

Directors: Dan Attias, Adam Davidson, David Petrarca, David Knoller

Genre(s): Drama, Romance, Family

“Enchanted”

Hands down my favorite Amy Adams movie. In fact, she carries “Enchanted” with an unbelievably believable performance as a fairytale princess who finds herself stranded in the very unenchanted New York City. Once in the city, Giselle (Ms Adams) retains her pluck along with the rose-colored view of the world of someone who believes in happy endings. She’s rescued and reluctantly taken in by Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), a jaded divorce attorney who has no reason to believe in happy endings. But, surprise! there is a happy ending. However, this modern twist on the classic Disney fairytale from Disney itself is a knowing, post-modern update. Prince Edward (James Marsden) is Giselle’s vacuous sword-wielding suitor, unable to decipher modern New York. The evil Queen’s (Susan Sarandon) henchman Nathaniel, (Timothy Spall) obediently does the Queen’s bidding but, according to a call he places to a talk-radio psychologist, he feels unappreciated. And when Giselle calls for the local critters to help with her cleaning chores, she’s greeted by New York’s own pigeons, cockroaches and sewer rats. This particular event leads to one of the film’s musical numbers and, critters aside, it’s the kind you’d expect from Disney. There are also plenty of references to other films in the Disney catalog for Disney-philes. But even if you’re not, there’s a lot to like in “Enchanted.” It may be a little “Shalit-esque,” but I found it enchanting. My tweet: Enchanted-When an evil stepmother strands her in New York City, Disney Princess Amy Adams makes it her own magic kingdom. 8.5 (out of 10)

Other Amy Adams movies worth a look: Julie & Julia, Doubt

“Enchanted”

Released: 2007

Rating: PG

Length: 108 minutes

Cast: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel

Director: Kevin Lima

Genre(s): Comedy, Romance, Adventure

“Stranger than Fiction”

Let me first say that I like Will Ferrell. You might even consider me a fan. “Blades of Glory,” great. “Talladega Nights,” terrific. “Elf,” a delight. But “Stranger than Fiction,” just okay. The difference? As Howard Crick, the main character in “Stranger than Fiction,” Ferrell’s essentially playing himself. And sorry, but he’s not that interesting an actor. It makes me wonder if he can carry a movie when not in character or doing broad comedy. If you don’t agree, rent “Melinda, Melinda.” It’s painful to watch Ferrell do his Woody Allen impersonation. Or look at the dismal box office for “Land of the Lost.” The other thing about “Stranger than Fiction” is that I liked the idea more than the movie itself. It's a pretty standard story about "living like you were dying" but with a high concept twist. I can just imagine the pitch: “The main character realizes he’s the character in the book, a la ‘The Truman Show.’” And “Stranger” tries to get all metaphysical like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Being John Malkovich” but lacks their wit, charm and inventiveness. So while watching "Stranger" I couldn’t keep from thinking about those other movies and wondering how much better this one could have been. Which earned it this tweet: Stranger than Fiction-This Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman-esque movie suffers from not being attached to Spike Jonze or Charlie Kaufman. 6.5 (out of 10)

“Stranger than Fiction”

Released: 2006

Rating: PG-13

Length: 113 minutes

Cast: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman

Director: Marc Forster

Genre(s): Comedy, Fantasy

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966)

I know this isn’t a movie. But it is available on Netflix, so it’s worth a word. I have to admit, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is my must-see Christmas cartoon. Chuck Jones of Warner Brothers/Bugs Bunny/“What’s Opera, Doc?” fame lends his hand at bringing Dr. Seuss’s story about the fall and rise of the green grouch to life. And frankly, this animated TV show manages to pack more entertainment into a half hour than Ron Howard and Jim Carrey had in their bloated, live-action version. Partly because the story hews closely to the book – the only major addition are the musical numbers (including, “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch,” sung by Thurl Ravenscroft, a.k.a. Tony the Tiger in the Frosted Flakes commercials) – and Boris Karloff’s pitch-perfect narration. Seuss manages to teach a Dickens-worthy lesson about the spirit of Christmas without being preachy or syrupy, while Jones manages to add his special touch without getting in the way. The result of their collaboration is a cure for even the biggest holiday grump. My tweet: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)-Dr Seuss & Chuck Jones believe even hardened cynics can be redeemed. Dick Cheney, are you watching? 10 (out of 10) Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my hands on a trailer or promo for the show, so here is one of my favorite scenes:

Other holiday movies worth watching: “A Christmas Story” and “Elf”

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

Released: 1966

Rating: NR

Length: 26 minutes

Cast: Boris Karloff, Thurl Ravenscroft, June Foray

Director: Chuck Jones

Genre(s): Children's Fantasy, Fantasy Comedy, Holiday

“Elf”

Around this time of year, there’s an endless parade of saccharine-sweet holiday movies trying to tug at your heartstrings. Fortunately “Elf” is one of the few that won't leave you with sugar shock. Most of credit for that goes to Will Ferrell’s charming portrayal of Buddy the elf. (More on that later) As a baby, Buddy crawls into Santa’s (Ed Asner) sack unnoticed and ends up at the North Pole. Raised by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) as his own, Buddy grows up to be a misfit who towers over the other elves and doesn’t have their knack for building toys. When he’s told that his real father (James Caan) lives in New York City, Buddy sets off to find his roots. And that’s where the real fun begins. As an actor, Will Ferrell excels at playing clueless characters and Buddy provides him with the perfect conduit to channel his inner doofus. There’s such a wide-eyed innocence about Ferrell’s performance, that you truly believe Buddy is experiencing the City’s “charms” for the first time. And after a rough start in the Big Apple, Buddy manages to win over his stepbrother (Daniel Tay), get the girl (Zooey Deschanel), change his father’s heart and save Christmas. All that earns “Elf” a place on the nice list. Not just because of what the movie does, but because of the way it does it. My tweet: Elf-Hollywood retelling of SNL alum Will Ferrell’s first visit to New York City. 7.5 (out of 10)

Another holiday movie you might enjoy: “A Christmas Story”
Another Will Ferrell movie you might enjoy: “Blades of Glory”

“Elf”

Released: 2003

Rating: PG

Length: 97 minutes

Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart

Director: Jon Favreau

Genre(s): Comedy, Fantasy, Holiday

“Penelope”

This is a charming ugly ducking tale you can share with your kids because it deals with “values” themes like self-esteem and vanity. In “Penelope,” the title character (Christina Ricci) is born with the face of a pig to pay for the past sins of her wealthy family. She’s been sequestered in her family’s mansion since birth because of her appearance. Her mother (Catherine O'Hara) believes that the only way to break the curse is for Penelope to find true love. Yet despite a sizable dowry, suitor after suitor runs off once Penelope reveals the curse. (Frankly, her face is more cute than scary.) Eventually, she runs away from her overprotective parents to explore the world, makes real friends and finds the happiness that has eluded her. This being a fairytale, of course “Penelope” has a happy ending. But not without teaching a valuable lesson that that beauty and, I guess, love are more than skin deep. My Tweet belies the sweetness of the movie: Penelope-In this modern fairytale, Christina Ricci is cursed with the face of a pig. She must have really ticked off the makeup people. 7 (out of 10)

“Penelope”

Released: 2006

Rating: PG

Length: 101 minutes

Cast: Christina Ricci, Catherine O'Hara, James McAvoy, Reese Witherspoon

Director: Mark Palansky

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Fantasy

Swimming with Sharks: A different kind of buddy movie

For fans of Kevin Spacey, of which I count myself, “Swimming with Sharks” is a must see. Heck, even if you’re not a fan, it’s worth it. Spacey’s performance in this black comedy is a real treat. He plays Buddy Ackerman, a Hollywood studio executive who's expert at chewing up and spitting out assistants. (He makes Ari Gold of "Entourage" look like Mother Teresa.) And when an innocent new assistant, Guy (Frank Whaley) arrives, Buddy quickly sets his expectations for life in hell and keeps piling on the abuse until Guy can’t take it anymore. But rather than quit, Guy has other plans. This led me to tweet: Kevin Spacey plays an abusive studio executive who learns that the love you take is equal to the love you make. 8 (out ot 10) It can get a little brutal at times. But if you ever think you’ve got a bad boss, or have a revenge fantasy of your own, pop “Swimming with Sharks” into your DVD player. You’ll feel better.

"Swimming with Sharks"

Released: 1994

Rating: R

Length: 101 minutes

Cast: Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley, Michelle Forbes, Benicio Del Toro

Director: George Huang

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Thriller

“Being There”

As the old saying goes, "When you assume you make an ass out of you and me." If you'd like a demonstration, I suggest you watch "Being There." In this satire, Peter Sellers is Chance, a simple-minded gardener put out on the street when attorneys come to settle his dead employer’s estate. Up until that point, Chance has only experienced life through the television set. (And mind you, this is before 500 channels of cable, so it’s not much of a life.) Chance's fortunes change when he’s struck by a limousine carrying wealthy socialite Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine). A mumbled introduction later and Chance the gardener is rechristened Chauncey Gardiner. His well-groomed appearance, expensive clothing and reserved speaking manners compound that error by leading Eve and her politically-connected husband Benjamin (Melvyn Douglas) to assume Chance is a man of importance. So when introduced to members of the Rand’s inner circle, Chance’s simple gardening tip responses to complex questions take on the air of sage advice. From there it's only a matter of time before Chance is being courted by Washington power brokers and being groomed for greatness. All of which led me to tweet: Peter Sellers is simpleton who ends up wielding tremendous influence in the nation’s capital. This is fiction, right? 8.5 (out of 10)

"Being There"

Released: 1979

Rating: PG

Length: 130 minutes

Cast: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden

Director: Hal Ashby

Genre(s): Comedy

The Top 8 DVD Reviews (so far): “What's Up, Doc?”

Article 7 of 8

Here’s the number 2 DVD (so far) in the Top 8 countdown of the first 100 TweeterFlix DVD reviews:

What’s Up, Doc?

What I wrote on Twitter: Peter Bogdanovich’s screwball comedy is a reminder that Barbra Streisand used to be funny. I recommend she see it. 10 (out of 10) Ryan O'Neal used to be funny, too. And Madeline Kahn always was. “What’s Up, Doc?” is a throwback to the comedies of the 1940s and centers around at a hotel in San Francisco, when four identical red plaid overnight bags containing rocks, diamonds, top-secret papers and Streisand’s clothing get mixed up. There’s a great supporting cast and funny bits throughout the picture. But the chase scene alone is worth the price of admission.

Number 3: "An Inconvenient Truth"

Number 4: "The Fog of War"

Number 5: “Splendor in the Grass”

Number 6: “Thirteen”

Number 7: “The King of Kong”

Number 8: “The Dark Knight”

Coming up next: “Fail Safe”

“What's Up, Doc?”

Released: 1972

Rating: G

Length: 94 minutes

Cast: Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendleton

Director: Peter Bogdanovich

Genre(s): Comedy, Family

Jim Jarmusch & Me: Night on Earth

Continued from “Mystery Train”

Being the mascochist that I am, I took a chance with “Night on Earth.” Roberto Benigni’s vignette is the funniest for its manic energy and outrageousness. But that’s a bit like being the coolest Osmond. This vignette, like all the others, goes on too long and has no conclusion. From Twitter: If I were a cabbie, I’d work a different shift.

Some people might say that’s the point of these Jarmusch films: to capture real life. And that’s all fine and good. But it has to be a life that’s more interesting than mine. Otherwise, I might as well just turn off the DVD player.

“Night On Earth”

Released: 1991

Rating: R

Length: 128 minutes

Cast: Gena Rowlands, Winona Ryder, Lisanne Falk, Alan Randolph Scott

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Genre(s): Comedy

Jim Jarmusch & Me: Mystery Train

Continued from “Coffee and Cigarettes”

Then “Mystery Train” arrived in my mailbox. From Twitter: A Japanese couple goes to Memphis. A liquor store is robbed. The ghost of Elvis appears. The film does have its moments. But it never comes to any conclusions. I’m not looking for everything to be wrapped neatly in the final reel. I just want a point.

Continue with “Night on Earth”

“Mystery Train”

Released: 1989

Rating: R

Length: 110 minutes

Cast: Masatoshi Nagase, Youki Kudoh, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Cinque Lee

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Genre(s): Drama

Jim Jarmusch & Me: Coffee and Cigarettes

Some of the people I know personally have been giving me flack about my treatment of Jim Jarmusch’s films. So I’d like to set the record straight. It’s not that I dislike his films. It’s more of an unlike -- they're just not my cup of tea.

Or cup of coffee in the case of “Coffee and Cigarettes.” A friend recommended it and yes, there were a couple of decent vignettes and some amusing bits. But as I said in my review on Twitter: Most were about as interesting as an afternoon at Starbucks. It felt like a collection of SNL skits that they didn’t know how to end.

Continue with “Mystery Train”

"Coffee and Cigarettes"

Released: 2003

Rating: R

Length: 96 minutes

Cast: Roberto Benigni, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Anthology

The Hoax: So would that be fiction or non-fiction?

“The Hoax” is the fascinating tale of Clifford Irving’s “authorized” autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. As the title indicates, it turns out to be a completely and masterfully fabricated sham. Along the way, Irving (Richard Gere) manages to fool the experts sent to verify his claims and it’s not until Hughes himself gets involved that Irving and his scheme start to unravel. My review from Twitter: Clifford Irving's fictitious autobiography of Howard Hughes fools everyone with the unfortunate exception of Mr. Hughes himself. 8 (out of 10)

"The Hoax"

Released: 2006

Rating: R

Length: 115 minutes

Cast: Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden, Julie Delpy

Director: Lasse Hallstrom

Genre(s): Drama, Adaptation, Period

Super Size Me: I’m lovin’ it!

"Super Size Me" is another of my all-time favorite documentaries. Here's what I wrote on Twitter: Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock tries to turn himself into Michael Moore, literally, by eating nothing but McD's for a month. 8.5 (out of 10) Sure, it’s a bit of a stunt-umentary. But it’s a good one. Morgan Spurlock is an otherwise healthy specimen. Until he decides to eat nothing but McDonald’s -- breakfast, lunch and dinner – for a month. He chronicles the physical and emotional changes with visits to doctors and various other experts as he super sizes himself with this unusual diet. And don’t forget to check out the extras. You just may think twice before driving through the golden arches.

“Super Size Me”

Released: 2003

Rating: PG-13

Length: 98 minutes

Cast: Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Lisa Ganjhu, Stephen Siegel

Director: Morgan Spurlock

Genre(s): Documentary