Tom and I got married on October 10th, 2008. Since we were racing to beat the clock before the election, we did a small wedding ceremony at the Van Nuys Courthouse in Los Angeles. The reception was the following day at our friend's Susan's apartment in our building.
I am waiting to get pictures from my friends of the actual ceremony. Enclosed are pictures before the wedding and then at the reception. Enjoy!
Hey, blog! Long time, I know. I've been keeping busy, including starting a new blog with my friend Sue. It's called The Sidecar, where we are doing some pop culture commentary and highlighting some goofy things. I'll be reblogging some of my posts here on this blog.
Today I watched Atlas Shrugged Pt. 1, and reviewed it on The Sidecar (I'll reblog here in a bit). But as I watched the film, I live-tweeted it. Here are some my choice comments:
A man in a trenchcoat watches a poorly shot debate on TV and leaves a $5 tip. That generous a tip? He must be a socialist. #atlastweetspt1
For the actors, this movie's directorial style is straight-up Objectivism: don't look to me, direct yourselves! #atlastweetspt1
One benefit: Rearden looks great with his shirt off. Atlas can shrug as much as he wants with lats like that. #atlastweetspt1
Dagny is wearing the best women's pantsuit you can buy at Target. Or the wardrobe people hate her. One of the two. #atlastweetspt1
SPOILER ALERT: Dagny & Rearden do it. If he was truly selfish in a Rand-ian way, he won't give her an orgasm. #atlastweetspt1
At first blush, it's easy to tag Dee Rees' new film Pariah as "this year's Precious." Both films deal with African-American teen girls in New York with difficult mothers played by comediennes. But while Precious is as sublte as a carpet bombing, Pariah is sublime. It tells the story of Alike (played with quiet authority by Adepero Oduye), a 17 year old girl in Brooklyn who is slowly coming out as a lesbian... to everyone but her family. Her best friend Laura (the excellent Pernell Walker) is out as well and way more comfortable in her skin. Her conservative, church-going mom Audrey is struggling to keep her marriage alive with her workaholic husband while pushing back against her daughter embracing her identity.
Now, I know this all sounds heavy. There are a lot of meaty topics being discussed in Pariah, but it all fits the story. Director Rees balances out all the characters very well while keeping the focus on Alike. There's a certain generosity to all the characters in Pariah: no one's the villian, no one's the saint. Even the supporting characters are fully-fleshed out. While the story easily could have fallen into melodramatic cliches or easy ways out, it goes the most logical route (There's one scene in particular between Laura and her mother that is just outstanding).
The acting in Pariah is spot-on; everything feels authentic and lived in. Adepero Oduye is just wonderful, but the surprise in the film is Kim Wayans as Alike's disapproving mother Audrey. I've been a fan of Wayans since In Living Color, and her work here is excellent. You understand exactly where Audrey is coming from the whole way through; you get her very quickly, and that has a lot to do with Wayans' portrayl.
On the technical level, Pariah is gorgeous. It won the Cinematography Award at this year's Sundance Festival for a reason. The opening scene at a nightclub is breathtaking. The film moves very well, and the music is great. This is one of those movies that fires on all cylanders, which makes me sad that it's not getting more attention this award season. Definitely see this movie. Look, if you don't trust me, trust its 98% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Pariah is a great film.
The Screen Actors Guild gives out awards every year. Every year, they randomly select a small amout of the 100,000 members of the union to be on the Nominating Committee, who is charged with coming up with the nominations for the awards. Then, after the nominations are announced, then the entire body of the union gets to vote on the awards. Well, after 11 years in the union, I've been selected to be in the Nominating Committee. And, as you can imagine, I'm pretty psyched. And I'm also wicked busy.
I've been working on a new Spike show -- Flip Men, Tuesday nights at 10:30pm, check it out! -- which has been taking up a lot of my time. I'm also taking classes with Steppenwolf, which is awesome and kicking my butt in all the right ways. That eats up time too. So, in my meager downtime, I've been seeing movies. The above picture shows the amount of screeners I currently have at home right now. I'm due to get more in the mail too. I'm also going to a lot of screenings as well, and those are gobbling up time too. I've become a movie-watching machine lately.
Of what I've seen so far, my three favorites (in alphabetical order) are Albert Nobbs, Beginners, and Bridesmaids. All three are must-sees for different reasons: Albert Nobbs is a great little film showing a rich world of gender-bending Irish women fighting against poverty, Beginners is an assured film that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure, and Bridesmaids is a hilarious film that has way more going for it than you think. While I'm not surprised that both Albert Nobbs and Beginners are getting the awards push, the fact that Universal is doing the same for Bridesmaids just makes me smile. It comes across at first like a gross-out goofy comedy, but at the heart of it Bridesmaids is really sweet and sharp movie about how we sell ourselves too short and how we have to be better people. Its screenplay is one of the most well-constructed pieces of writing I've come across in a long time, and the acting is just amazing. All around. Comedy tends to get the short-shrift during awards season, so the fact that Bridesmaids is getting any love this time of year says something.
Out of all the movies featured in the above picture, I've seen only seven of them. I also have at least 7 more screenings I have to go to. I have to watch everything and put my votes in by December 12th. So, if you e-mail me and I don't get back to you promptly, it's because I'm either working on a TV show, working on my acting, or seeing and evaluating movies. Send help.
[PS. Since I'm an avid rule follower, all of my screeners are not leaving my apartment building, will not be posted onto the web, and will not be sold by me. I like my union and I'd like to stay in it, thank you very much]
A little while ago, one of my favorite actors Nathan Fillion did an inteview with one of my favorite magazines Entertainment Weekly about how the Science Channel has acquired the reruns his Joss Whedon sci-fi western show Firefly. Now here's the money quote:
If Castle had its series finale tomorrow and Fox said to you and Joss: “We screwed up, let’s try doing Firefly again.” Would you do it? Yes. Yes. I would examine very closely Fox’s reasoning — I’m a little gun-shy. If I got $300 million from the California Lottery, the first thing I would do is buy the rights to Firefly, make it on my own, and distribute it on the Internet.
Well, this comment has sent the rabid Firefly fans into a complete and utter tizzy, trying to raise money so Fillion can buy the show. Now, avid readers of Jeez Jon know that I'm a big Joss Whedon fan. I have every season of Buffy on DVD, along with Angel and, yes, Firefly and the follow-up film Serenity. I'll watch reruns of Buffy on Logo even though I have them pretty much memorized by now. I have Buffy the Vampire Slayer scripts, figurines, games (video, board and role-playing varieties) and memorabilia. Hell, I even read for Joss Whedon for the initial pilot of Firefly (for the role of Man #2, who was later cut out, btw. Oh, and I didn't get the role.) I liked Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. I'm all about Whedon and his vision. So, I am just going to say it:
Guys, Firefly is done. Let it go.
It ran its course. Did the show end before its time? Maybe. Was it finding its way towards the last few episodes? Yes. Did the damn show stop airing over seven freaking years ago? Yes. So let it go. Stop trying to make Firefly happen.
When it comes to my pop culture franchises, I do think that there are some that thrive on longevity and others that don't. Some properties really do well with reinvention (Batman, Star Trek and the Bond series come to mind). Others are a set story that has to, you know, END at a certain time. Maybe because they're both based on a finite number of books, the Lord of the Rings movies and the Harry Potter films are good examples of letting things run their course. JK Rowling did such a good job wrapping up Harry's story at the end of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows that I don't need another book telling me what Harry's been up to since. I mean, do any of us think that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull really answered any unanswered questions about Indy? Seriously?
When a show I like (or franchise) wraps things up, I mentally put them away. Yes, I like to revisit them but I'm not itching to have them continue past their creative expiration date. I felt Joss did such a fantastic job wrapping up both Buffy and Angel that I find both of their follow-upcomics to be... superfluous. I mentally put all those characters away a long time ago; I don't need to know nor care that Buffy is leading an army in Scotland or Dawn is a giant or Willow and Amy are fighting again. Blah blah blah, I don't care, I'm done. They were done when the shows ended. The show's over, folks. Move on. Same thing with Firefly; it was a fun show while it was on but it's over. It's been over for A LONG TIME. Go elsewhere.
Which is why I'm rather nervous about Scre4m; I'm a huge fan of the Scream trilogy (as evidenced by my glowing post about Scream 3) so the last thing I really want to do is revisit the series and have my memories tarnished by a slapdash rehash of the first three films. I am looking forward to seeing the movie, as I'm curious to see what they do with the characters or it could easily end up being Scream 4 And the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And none of us want that.
One of the best Christmas presents I received as a teenager was the graphic novel of Alan Moore's Watchmen. A pretty imaginative take on alternative history, the story takes place in 1985 in a world where costume superheroes exist... and because of them, Richard Nixon is still President. I had stopped collecting comics a few years beforehand, and as a high school junior, this twisted take on superheroes weighed heavily on my mind. The graphic novel is dense, brutal, and unsparing in its take on how man can be so inhumane and in all the depravity of life, there are bright spots.
When the film version came out last year, I was very excited. I saw it with Tom and some friends at the shmancy Arclight Cinema in Hollywood, and I was pretty impressed. At times, director Zach Snyder uses the graphic novel as a storyboard, replicating Moore's book frame-by-frame. This slavish attention to the material is also Snyder's downfall, as the film is too long, too ponderous and a bit overly purple for its own good. Snyder also shows that he's not an actors' director; some of the actors acquit themselves well (Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earl Haley both come to mind) and some others really don't (I'm looking in your direction, Matthew Goode and Malin Akerman). But overall, the film's potency does win out in the end. It's not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but its strengths outweigh its weaknesses.
One of these strengths is the portrayal of the nuclear-powered Dr. Manhattan. Here's a snippet of how mild-mannered physicist Jon Osterman (exquisitely played by Billy Crudup) became the world's most powerful man:
Watching the movie for a second time on Blu-Ray this weekend, Dr. Manhattan's backstory -- done in a non-linear style that reflects Manhattan's new perception of time -- is the most effective and affecting portion of the film. Not only is it beautiful to behold, it's heart-wrenching as well. The film Watchmen is definitely worth seeing (and keeping for some great visuals and fantastic scene work) but it serves itself best as a companion piece to the graphic novel. I suggest you read it first, then see it. You may not love it, but it will stay with you.
I'm three weeks into my new job and I'm loving it. It's a lot of work and a good chunk of hours, but after my 5 month stint in the land of unemployment, I'll take it with a big smile on my face. This is why I haven't been around the blog very much. But trust me when I say things are chugging along fine.
While I haven't seen "Inception" yet, I did see The Kids Are All Right. Run, don't walk:
Basically, all of Tyler Perry's films (mostly based on his very successful plays) are melodramas in the classic sense. The good guys are good, the bad guys are bad. Staying true to your roots is good; being bougie and uptight and looking down on people in the ghetto is bad. In most of his films is his character Madea, a large grandmother in Atlanta who smokes pot, shoots guns, has a police record and won't go to church. She's also the main font of wisdom in all Tyler Perry films. Since it's also a drag performance, the presence of Madea is usually the comic relief as well. I'm guessing the mythological reference is on purpose, but in this case "Madea" is short for "My Dear". Got that?
The structure of a Tyler Perry film goes like this:
A member of Madea's large extended family is either married to someone Evil or is engaged to marry someone Evil.
Said Evil Person is shallow, materialistic, and very snobby. Also said Evil Person is pretty obvious in his/her Evil Tendencies.
The main female character will be bitter and angry due to how men have treated her in the past.
The male romantic lead will be handsome, artistic... and completely chaste. No, you read that right.
Bitter woman will do an act of violence against the Evil Person.
An older woman will lecture people about Jesus, and that older person is usually Cicely Tyson.
I've decided to take advantage of some downtime I have and try a fun film experiment. I have not seen a single Tyler Perry movie. (His cameo in Star Trek so doesn't count.) His films have grossed almost half a billion dollars at the box office (!) and even more in DVD sales and rentals. So, it's about time I gave his films a whirl. Over the next week or so, I'm watching 4 of his films, and I'm going to live-tweet them as I watch. I'm doing a full blog post afterwards, but if you want to experience the movies as I do, my Twitter handle is jeezjon (go figure), and I'm using the hashtag #tylerperrysjeezjon so you can search just for that.
Oh, and I already started yesterday on Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Here are a few of my choice comments:
Ahh, we start with a semi-Gershwin tune over
downtown Atlanta. It's like "Gone With the Wind" without the burning. [link]
The villanous husband makes a reincarnation joke.
So against Jesus... [link]
Madea flips out and screams "WIRE HANGER!!!" Tyler
Perry says he's only single cuz he hasn't met the right lady. Uh-huh. [link]
Apparently Madea can apparently conjure a chainsaw
out of thin air. No wonder these movies are popular: she's a witch! [link]
You know job hunt is not going well when you are
circling want ads listening to Anita Baker. [link]
Shemar: "When you really love someone, you really
can't be friends." He just wants a Bad Romance, then? [link]
Looking back on it now, I really wish I had seen V For Vendetta in a theater. I have only seen in at home on my telly (as the Brits say), and even on that small-ish screen, the film absolutely pops. Based on Alan Moore's graphic novel of the same name, Vendetta is set in a dystopian England some 50-ish years in the future where an arch-conservative totalitarian regime is in control of the country. This regime, led by the High Chancellor (played expertly well by John Hurt), came to power due to a series of terrorist attacks. Due to all of this, England has a strict curfew, homosexuality is illegal, and the citizens are always being watched.
After setting the stage, our ingenue Evie (played very ably by Natalie Portman) sneaks out during curfew to meet up with her boss. Below, Evie bumps into some of the scuzzy secret police who try to rape her. Then, out of the dark, emerges a man in a mask.
His name? V. His raison d'etre? Taking down the High Chancellor's government, in a very violent manner. All the while, the Chief Inspector (The Crying Game's Stephen Rea) is trying to put the pieces together of how V is tied into the High Chancellor and the terrorist attacks that happened many years ago. V's actions are... very extreme and yes, he can easily be called a terrorist. As he ramps up his attacks on the government, the High Chancellor responds.
Coming out in 2005 in the height of the War in Iraq and well into George Bush's 2nd term, V For Vendetta resonated with a lot of people... and became pretty controversial. The film clearly puts the audience with V, showing all his actions as justified. So, is he a freedom fighter? Or is he a terrorist? Is V correct? Back when I first saw this, I would answer "Hell yes, he's in the right." And I'd still say the same now. With obvious nods to 1984 and the fascistic symbolism, this version of England is a ultra-right-wing nightmare, which scared the bejeezus out of a lot of us lefties back in 2005. With the Patriot Act and warrantless wiretapping and demonizing all things Islam, V For Vendetta was a fun-house mirror of our worst fears for our own country at the time. Now a mere 4 years later, that kind of future world does seem less likely. While we are dealing with the worst financial crisis to hit the world since the Great Depression, we are more positive now then we were back then. And frankly, I can't see many tea party activists quoting V in their rallies, can you?
What really hooks me into the movie every time, though, is Natalie Portman. Ever since I saw her in The Professional, I've been a fan. I think she's a damn good actress, and here she shines. While Portman's British accent is a bit generic at times, her performance is pitch-perfect. You see Evie's growth in the film, from being a regular girl into a politicized
agent. And since we never see V's face in the film (spoiler!), it's through Portman's performance that we get to see the human side of V.
Made by the Wachowski brothers, V for Vendetta has a great look to it. I picked it up on Blu-Ray using a birthday present gift card from a buddy, and I'm very glad I did. Check it out sometime: love it or hate it... it sure is pretty.
Recently, I followed my curiosity and watched the documentary Loose Change 9/11, which challenges the notion of what we think about the tragedy of September 11th. And lemme tell you... the film's kinda awful. The central thesis of the film is that there is no way a rag-tag set of terrorists with planes could take down the World Trade Center, and that a rocket of some sort flew into the Pentagon. I won't bother trying to debunk of the film 'cause plenty of other people havedoneitwaybetterthanIcould. While I completely disagreed with the filmmakers assessment of what happened on 9/11, I was also dismayed by how they put this movie together. The voiceover is slapdash and overbearing, the editing is choppy, the music is very irritating and jarring. This meandering film doesn't move well at all, and feels way longer than it's hour and a half running time.
Sitting through Loose Change 9/11 made me kinda mad because I love documentaries. I really do dig them. I like using film as a medium to explore subcultures, make points, expose elements and crimes, make us smile... and cry. The best documentaries are immensely entertaining and engrossing films. So using this as a jumping off point, here are some documentaries that, in my humble opinion, you definitely must see.
When doing agit-prop, the guys from Loose Change 9/11 can take a page from the master. This is Michael Moore's best film (with Sicko running a close second) 'cause it works as a great exploration of guns in our culture and our politics. Moore's sarcasm and analysis go hand-in-hand here, especially when exploring the culture of fear that is used to help scare us Americans into submission. A must.
An excellent film exposing closeted gay politicians who act against the LGBT community, Outrage not only explores these politicians but also the mindset as to why they would act this way. Director Kirby Dick let me down with his meandering This Film Is Not Yet Rated, but he delivered here. Big time. Spend an hour-and-a-half watching this film and you will walk away pissed, educated and yes, outraged.
David LaChappelle's exploration of krumping is a feast for the eyes and the ears. Rize goes into the history of this (relatively) recent dance movement and the people who live it and love it. You will be tapping your feet while watching it and be amazed at the level of talent.
Darkon is all about a group of LARP'ers in North Carolina. Yes, it's nerdy. Yes, it's rather arcane and a bit silly, but this is a great even-handed expose into why these people love to dress up once a month and sling fake swords around a forest preserve. And the camera work on this film is excellent.
This film exposes the world of competitive Scrabble players. Oh yes, you read that right. This is hilarious, touching and impressive. Super entertaining. No, seriously.
One of the most intense documentaries I've ever seen, Red Without Blue is about a set of identical twins from Montana who had a seemingly typical life. The movie starts with them as adults, with one of them wanting a sex change. The film then delves into their rather horrific history and how their intimate relationship as twin siblings was both a blessing and a curse. A harrowing experience and not to be missed.
On the flip side, the title of Small Town Gay Bar is a bit of a misnomer; it's about TWO small town gay bars, one in Alabama and the other in Mississippi. The film not only explores how these little bars in the middle of nowhere not only serve as a beacon and calling place for the LGBT people in those areas but also the community reaction to them. One of the most fascinating interviews is actually with Fred Phelps, founder of GodHatesFags.com (no, I'm not linking to them) whose office is not very far from one of the bars profiled. A very uplifting and honest film.
Paris is Burning is one of the first documentaries I ever remember seeing. I distinctly remember going to downtown Chicago in the summer of 1991 with some friends and seeing it at the Fine Arts Theater. If you haven't seen Paris is Burning and was wondering where both voguing and RuPaul come from, stop what you're doing and watch this already.
I can go on and on. I think from this point forward, I'll profile one documentary a month. People need to watch more documentaries; they are a great window into our ever-changing world, and if I can help shed some light on some awesome documentaries, then I would really have done some good here.
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