I Need You So Much Closer

I randomly came across Transatlanticism by Death Cab on shuffle today and it immediately reminded me of Six Feet Under. Even though the moment in this scene is drug-induced, there's something so special and real about it. This (phenomenally-cast) group of misfits, sitting around, contemplating the meaning of 'it' all. The atmosphere the Death Cab song creates literally mesmerizes you into a dream-like state, till you can't really tell if they're on drugs or you are. It's sort of beautiful.



It got me thinking about how when you hear certain songs, they automatically make you think of a movie or TV show you heard it on. I love that about music, the way it reminds you of different moments in your life, connecting you to memories of the same emotions you may have felt when you first saw or did something that you love.

This is Not the Little Red Riding Hood I Remember

Warner Bros. Pictures.

This is not the Little Red Riding Hood I remember. With a super-steamy trailer and up-and-comer Amanda Seyfried playing the red-caped heroine, this one's getting filed under guilty-pleasure. I'm actually starting to like watching Amanda Seyfried on-screen, she's grown on me through her time on the addictive HBO series Big Love. But I think I can safely say she'll never be as hilarious as she was in Mean Girls! ("I think I have ESPN." 'Nuff said.)

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, (let's hope this is a little more Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown, and a little less Twilight), you can see the obvious parallels between this and Twilight - the werewolves, the temptation of other-worldly passion. It also looks very teenage-melodrama and angst-y, which seems to be Hardwicke's specialty. But I don't know if I'd complain in Amanda's position, since it looks like whoever the wolf ends up being, casting pretty much guarantees he's swoon-worthy. Vulture's Willa Paskin explains it perfectly, that Hardwicke's "using a fairy tale as an allegory of sexual maturity, and a creature of legend to explore the age-old question, what do you do when your boyfriend's a monster and you're super-hot for him anyway?" I do love modern interpretations of fairy tales and stories, though, getting to see a different side to a story you already know by heart, plus the casting looks absolutely scrumptious. Either way, this takes fairy tales to a whole other level. Definitely leave the kids at home though.

'I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world' - Baz Luhrmann takes on The Great Gatsby!

Profilekiss.com

It's official! Carey Mulligan has signed on to play spoiled little rich girl Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's rendition of the classic American novel, The Great Gatsby. Since the rumors started, I've been hoping they'd pick her for this role, craving to see more of her since her phenomenal performances in An Education and Never Let Me Go.

Now before you start recalling the torture of reading this book in high school, let me add that the role of Jay Gatsby is being filled by Leo Dicaprio. Swoon. And Nick Carraway (although who really cares after you have Leo) will be played by Tobey Maguire. Although it may have been a bit much to grasp in high school, this novel had all the elements of a great drama: love, betrayal, jealousy, misconception... Ok, now it sounds more like an everyday episode of General Hospital.

Perfect timing for this film adaptation, with Boardwalk Empire getting us all warm and fuzzy over the 1920s and prohibition era (as some of you may already know, Gatsby is a bootlegger!). The clothes, the music, all of it is so intriguing and addictive to watch, to be completely drawn into. Plus, Baz Luhrmann (with the exception of the torturous mistake that was Australia) is a genius, having made two of my favorite movies, Moulin Rouge, and the only rendition of Romeo + Juliet that I can actually sit through. He's already proven to be capable of staying true to the themes of classic literature, but we'll definitely be in for some of his signature flash and pizazz. And of course his great taste in music - both Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge have two of the best soundtracks of any film.

Weeds - My On-again, Off-again Boyfriend's moving to Copenhagen

Showtime

Weeds has always been like an on-again, off-again boyfriend of mine that I just can't seem to leave, no matter how bad it gets. Sure, when it's good it's really good. But, as season 4 began, my attraction to the story fizzled, and the Botwin family’s move from Agrestic to Ren Mar became a long-distance relationship I just couldn't handle - so I broke it off.

After giving Ren Mar a second chance, my addiction was back like I'd never stopped watching and two seasons later, I was intrigued to see where this new chapter would take the family – a new husband and baby in tow. But in typical Weeds-fashion, it all blew up in Nancy’s face as soon as there was a shred of normalcy in their lives.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve really grown to hate the selfish and destructive woman I once admired. Turns out, she was always just an attention-craved masochist, moving from one destructive relationship to the next, making sure to bring her family and friends down with her. And, did anyone else notice that Stevie (baby Avi) was missing the entire episode with not so much as a mention by Nancy. At this point, Avi's probably better off being raised by a crime lord like Esteban. Even growing up to be a spoiled, heroin-addicted teenager like his daughter would be better than the neglect Avi’s experiencing on the run. At least there'd be a nanny attending to him, instead of deeply disturbed 16-year old.

Don't get me wrong, I love the dark comedy and craziness of it all and you do have to give the show credit for one thing - it's ability to keep the audience on their toes. The latest episode was no exception, with a hat full of shocking surprises to make sure we tune in to see the finale next week. (Spoiler alert!) First off, Silas isn't a Botwin, which kind of ruins the 'perfect' relationship she had with Judah (Jeffery Dean Morgan). I always thought of him as the love of Nancy’s life and this somehow taints that, pretty much saying that she didn’t become this way because of her husband’s death, but she’s always been a mess, sleeping with crazy teachers and getting knocked up in high school.

And baby daddy Esteban is back, with Guillermo in tow, just in time for the finale. But Nancy still has season 7 to get herself into and out of even more sticky situations.

Trailer: Jane Eyre - To Mr. Rochester, with Love

aceshowbiz.com

Last summer I picked up Jane Eyre due to sheer boredom and the fact that although I’ve tried to read most classic English novels, somehow I’d missed that one. I couldn’t put it down, from beginning to end. Reading it, you are transported into a gloomy world, dark and full of secrets we can’t even imagine. The story is riveting and, as it always seems to happen, we fall madly in love with the perpetually angry and tortured ‘bad-boy’ character, Mr. Rochester.

After finishing the novel, I proceeded to find every film adaptation I could. Being a movie-obsessed person, I desperately needed something visual to relate to. Unfortunately, the Hollywood film version was just about the worst thing I’ve ever seen. With terrible casting and the tight, hour and a half condensed-story, it was a complete disaster. The BBC version was significantly better but I still have very little urge to watch it seasonally, over and over (and over) again, like I do with the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. (Oh, Mr. Darcy. Swoon.)

But coming soon for literary nerds everywhere, a new film version of Jane Eyre, releasing March 2011, starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), and the always memorable Judi Dench. As someone who loves a good period piece, I couldn't be more excited. And, from the looks of the trailer, we may finally get to see a worthy adaptation of this classic story.

Mad Men Season 4 Finale Recap - Will the disappointment never end?

AMCTV.com

Sterling-Cooper-Draper-Price had so much promise at the beginning of this season, starting up their independent firm and making a fresh start, with all principle characters in tow. But of course, Don let us down yet again while we waited for his redemption but in true Mad Men fashion, we were left shocked and of course, disappointed.

Episode Highlights:

- Megan’s amazingly calm reaction to when Sally knocked over the milkshake. I had a mental flash to all hell breaking loose if Betty had been there instead of Megan. Even Don was surprised with her composure and ability to deal with the commotion.

- Peggy got a new account, singlehandedly bringing SCDP back from the red. She's always been my favourite character to watch grow and develop into a successful copywriter. Just looking at her meeting with the Nylon company compared to Don's meeting with the American Cancer Society, it's clear that she's advancing and moving forward while Don's ideas are starting to get tired.

- Not so surprisingly, Joan kept Roger’s baby and will seemingly pass it off as her husband’s. By the way, he’s looking a lot less weak and much cuter now. Gotta love a man in a uniform. But, next to Roger’s eternal childishness and increasing uselessness, anyone looks good.

- Don’s ridiculous engagement, not to his girlfriend Faye, but to his annoying secretary, Megan. That came out of nowhere, as does pretty much everything on this show, so I don’t know why I’m even surprised at this point. We all expected more from Don, finally having found an equal in Faye, but he ended up right where he started. And he even gave Megan Anna’s recycled ring, the one the ‘real’ Don Draper gave her. What an ass.

- Joan and Peggy’s bonding session where, for the first time, they actually got along. These two should’ve been friends long ago, but for some reason, Joan never accepted Peggy or anyone for that matter, as a friend. Watching them laugh over Don’s engagement was priceless and one of the best scenes of the finale!

Six Feet Under - HBO's First Family of Death

"Alan Ball's all-in-the-funeral-family drama expanded on the themes of his movie American Beauty: families keep secrets, people maintain facades, and while death may be final, life is messy." - TIME

Death is such the mystery. No one can really explain it, although there are countless theories as to where we go and what happens when we die. I recently started watching Six Feet Under, HBO’s critically acclaimed drama (and sometimes comedy) about a funeral home, and two seasons in I can honestly say I’m officially hooked. Why I suddenly developed an interest in this show now, over four years since it went off the air, I have no idea.

I have nothing really in common with a story like this on the surface. It’s like when I first got into Big Love, I was somehow so interested in the concept, although I couldn’t relate to polygamy at all. There’s a certain attraction to watching something original and out of the ordinary, something that pushes the envelope. And it's definitely an interesting and unexplored idea. How do funeral directors deal with such sadness around them on a daily basis? Do they become numb to it or does it affect the way they live their life and the choices they make.

Six Feet Under is dark and morbid, depressing to watch at times, but always compelling and incredibly well-acted, challenging us with each episode. It’s more than just about funerals, delving into spirituality, relationships, and how we react to losing people, not solely through death. And at the root of the show is the Fisher family, dysfunctional at best, but with all the elements of a traditional family structure. Except of course that the Fishers run a mortuary from their home, the father’s just died, the second son (Michael C. Hall of Dexter!) is a closet homosexual, and the mom is overbearing and uptight, yet surprisingly free-spirited at times. Visually, it plays out with flashbacks and daydream sequences that are very realistic to the way we exist, distracted by memories of people and events from our past.

I'm terrible since I need to know how it all ends before I get there but even though I already googled the series’ ending, I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. Now I know what all the fuss was about.


Frances Conroy is phenomenal in her role as the Fisher family Matriarch.

With Ryan Gosling, All Good Things (must come to an end?)

magpictures.com

What is it about Ryan Gosling that makes me swoon? He's made such a transformation since playing goofy troublemaker on the short-lived after-school show Breaker High. With success in various genres of film, from the epic and probably greatest romantic movie of my generation, The Notebook, to his critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated work in Half Nelson, and the hugely anticipated upcoming Blue Valentine, he's got quite a resume already and he's just getting started.

Despite the presence of Kirsten Dunst (who I seriously cannot stand - not even a little bit), I'm filing All Good Things under must-see. First of all, the film is unofficially based on Robert Durst, the wealthy son of New York City real estate mogul, who was suspected of killing his missing wife, but never went to court for it. With Ryan portraying what looks like a mysteriously dark and disturbed character, the movie screams suspense, right down to the background music. Plus, Ryan Gosling has proven to be extremely choosy with his movie roles, so I'm at least intrigued.


All Good Things Trailer
In theatres December 3rd, 2010

Finally! Blue Valentine Trailer - The sweetest thing.

We finally get to see the official trailer for the hugely anticipated new film starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams that played at TIFF. All we really know is that it's a love story that doesn't end well. And the trailer adds a bit of bitter-sweetness that I'm sure we'll see more of when it actually comes out. I'm not sure about the release date as yet.

Review: Buried alone with Ryan Reynolds? Only in a dream.

Intensely gripping, Ryan Reynold’s newest film, Buried, kept us on the edge of our seats from beginning to end. Each moment was unpredictable, and although I was skeptical at how Director Rodrigo Cortés would be able to keep a plot going while confined to a coffin, somehow he managed to do it marvelously. Apart from a quick 10 second shot of another face, Ryan’s is the only one we see onscreen for the entire 90+ minutes of the film (although why would anyone complain about that?!). Kudos to Ryan, though, who managed to convey the panic and terror of this kind of nightmarish situation very convincingly. Claustrophobics beware, it may be too intense for you!

Buried opens in theatres this Friday.