Disc Reviews

I have seen an incredible number of independent horror films that are either shot in or around the woods. The setting makes sense for budget purposes: you are able to create a mysterious, brooding atmosphere for absolutely no cost. These films were produced even before The Blair Witch Project made the aesthetic popular in 1999. Even I hear the call of the woods as an amateur filmmaker, but I’m careful not to give into temptation and create a guaranteed flop just so that I can have a film set “in the woods.” I may seem pessimistic, but I have been disappointed by too many of these films to understand that it is not just being “in the woods” that makes the film. For these films to succeed, you need excellent writing and an unsettling/uncanny presence of which to be afraid. As is the case with The Interior.

The film tells the story of James, a young man who recently learns he has an undisclosed, and assumed fatal, illness. In an effort to cope with this news, James shifts careers from office to manual labor, but to no avail. He finally decides to journey into the interior of British Columbia, where he begins living off of minimal supplies in a true outdoorsman fashion. However, it is not long before James begins to feel the anxieties of being alone trickle into terror, as he is soon tormented by a sickly-looking man wearing a red jacket.

Modernizing Sherlock Holmes has been a popular trend in film and television lately. We have seen two slick action film adaptations courtesy of Guy Ritchie, a contemporary BBC adaptation (Sherlock), and now there is Elementary, which transplants Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion Watson from Victorian Era England to modern New York. We might be a long way from Doyle here, but the possibilities are very intriguing. This is the season that Elementary really finds its legs.

Jonny Lee Miller’s portrayal of Holmes makes me want to start drawing comparisons to the title character in the medical drama House. Both shows surround an eccentric, drug-addicted savant who blazes beyond socially acceptable behavior to a series of “aha!” moments. Granted, said “aha!” moments are much less contrived and formulaic than they are in House. It takes a little while for the show to get its legs, but it does. The creators are clearly hoping the eccentric charm of Holmes can shoulder the burden of maintaining audience interest. Said eccentricity can come off a bit aimless at first. Sherlock has the ability examine people almost perfectly, yet the writers do not seem to have the character fully figured out, and there are too many moments where Holmes’ odd behavior seems a bit tacked on, such as when he hypnotizes himself to get through an addiction support group meeting.

It seems there is no end in sight for comic book properties being bought and turned into movies or television series. Lucifer is one of the newest additions getting the television treatment, and personally this was a title I was looking forward to.  With Tom Kapinos (Californication and Dawson’s Creek) at the helm, this seemed like it would be a good fit, though one thing did nag at me.  When you have a show called Lucifer, and it is about the devil taking a vacation on Earth, is standard television really the proper outlet for broadcast?  As a fan of Californication, I was excited to see what Kapinos would do with the material, and for the most part the show doesn’t disappoint.

When we first meet Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), he’s already been vacationing on Earth for a few years with no real desire to go back home.  He’s a ladies’ man who runs one of the hottest nightclubs in Los Angeles; who can blame him for not wanting to return home? Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) is an angel that has been tasked by God to not only look after Lucifer but to bring him back to his rightful place in Hell.  This is a struggle that stretches throughout the first season but sadly doesn’t seem to carry any weight till later on in the season as we see the two get their hands dirty as they squabble.

The First Monday in May is a documentary that traverses many worlds. It caters to mass culture but also explores the inner sanctums of high art. What is art? This is one of the questions the movie asks. In this case, it examines the ignored stepchild of high art, which is fashion and costume design. The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art languished in the basement for many years, never truly respected. Something called the Met Gala has changed all that. It is one of the most important social events of the New York City social scene. The invitation list is ruthlessly trimmed every year to only include the most glamorous and relevant celebrities. It is also one of the biggest fundraising events that the museum has. This movie is full of celebrity faces and the inside world of the likes of Lady Gaga, Cher, Jennifer Lawrence, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Rihanna, Beyonce, Jessica Chastain, Kim and Kanye, Anne Hathaway, Katy Perry, the Olson twins, Helen Mirren, Larry David, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and on and on  and on and on. It is definitely a place to be seen, and only in the very finest fashion statements possible. But the Met Gala has a purpose, and that is to bring respect to a part of the culture that is not seen as true art. The superstar editor of Vogue, Anna Wintour, is the powerhouse behind the event. The other half of the equation is Andrew Bolton, who is the current head of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The beginning of the movie covers the enormous success that Bolton had with the Savage Beauty exhibition in 2011. It was a tribute to the work of Alexander McQueen, who had hung himself in 2010. It was such a success that it was an albatross around Bolton’s neck as he tried to mount an exhibition that could possibly top it.

The First Monday in May spends much of its time following Bolton around the world as he prepares a massive new exhibit, China: Through The Looking Glass. It also follows Wintour as she presides over the massive job of both running Vogue and supervising the “Super Bowl” of the social season. Two superstar directors are also brought in, Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) to consult on the Gala, and Kar-Wai Wong (In The Mood For Love) to consult on the exhibit. There are probably more big names in this movie than any other movie you are likely to see, but in situations that would be considered behind the velvet rope.

You think your home life is screwed up? I can almost promise you that the Gallagher family has you beat in spades. If not, perhaps watching them will help you feel better about your situation. Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, Liam, and of course Frank are back with Season Six of Shameless, and it’s like they never left. That is the good thing about the series; it always feels like you can pick up right where you left off despite the several-month hiatus. This year is filled plenty of the same antics you are used to seeing by one of my favorite dysfunctional families, including illegal marriages, teenage pregnancy, and criminal mischief. After indulging in Season Six, the only thing you can say is in the words of Steve Howey, “F$8#ing Gallaghers.”

Thirty-second recap of last season: Fiona did a prison stint and almost lost custody (not to mention of the respect) of the family after becoming addicted to cocaine, and Liam almost died of an accidental overdose after getting into her stash. Lip continued to enjoyed campus life, eventually meeting and falling in love with one of his married professors (Sasha Alexander). Ian suffers a nervous breakdown and finally comes to grips with his bipolar condition. Debbie decides that she wants to have a baby with her boyfriend and goes about accomplishing her goal. Carl embraces his inner hoodlum, engages in drug running, and ends up being sent upstate. Finally, Frank finds love in the form of a terminally ill doctor who decides to go out on a bender. OK, all caught up; did it take longer than thirty seconds?