Tuesday, March 10, 2015

(PEOPLE) "Coniver"

So you anxiously await the premiere of a new series because two of your favorite actors happen to be Viola Davis and Alfred Enoch.  Then, you watch the pilot and almost wet yourself from the incredible writing, talented cast, and suspense that's fraught with more tension than watching Kanye West approaching Beck at an awards show.  Such was the case with ABC's well-deserved hit, "How to Get Away with Murder", which - thanks to creator Peter Nowalk and co-executive producer Shonda Rhimes - brought an originality and quality to free-TV primetime rarely seen today.  

Better still, the series also blew stereotypes out of the water, and showed a healthy sex life in ALL the characters - including hypersexual gay law student Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee), whose more lustful scenes were beautifully handled not only because they were in character, but also because they were given no more and no less fanfare than those of any other character.  In short, much like in the real world, the gay people were just PEOPLE, no different in appearance, attitudes or morals than anyone else.  America, move on; we're all God's children, with the freedom to lust or love or both, irregardless of gender.  But then Connor met Oliver (Conrad Ricamora), and throughout the season, as the events of Who Killed Lila and What Really Happened to Sam also contributed to the evolving of the characters' personalities and actions, the steady growth of Connor's realizing he just might be falling in love for the first time was handled with such grace, realism, and heart, by the season finale and "the big reveal" for Coniver, their storyline had become the most emotional - the heartbeat - of the series.  That little bit of hope; the eye of the storm in the middle of all the deceit, lies, and destruction of the death - deaths - and their aftermath.  Mr. Falahee and Mr. Ricamora, hat's off to you both.

It's so great to find the terrific Viola Davis leading one of the best ensemble casts in television today.  Greater still to become a "new fan" to those in the cast I hadn't seen much of before.  Best of all, how brilliant to come across a network television series that finally depicts gay characters correctly - that is, as no different from anyone else.  Kudos, ABC and everyone at Shondaland; may you break even more molds in season two!  And Coniver ... well, thanks for delivering that strong core of humanity, amid all the chaos, that rooted the series in a reality we could all believe in.

(PEOPLE) Jussie Smollett

Marriage equality or not, many in the world - in this country - still seethe with ignorance and hate for the LGBT community ... even those in the entertainment industry who just "grin and bear" it by keeping their opinions to themselves in public. Which makes what "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett did, in coming out of the closet on "Ellen", as brave and important as it was back in the days when coming out wasn't even an option.  Kudos to you, man, and may your "keeping it real" lead to further acceptance and the change still needed, for LGBT people, both in and out of the industry.  You rock, and God Bless.

(TV) "Elementary"

With all due reverence to the incomparable Benedict Cumberbatch (whom, I swear, could probably play Wilma Flintstone in a new live-action Flintstones film, and still pull it off), even with "Sherlock" being on my list of top-favorite television series, there is no Holmes quite as revolutionary (or real) to me as the one played by Jonny Lee Miller in "Elementary".  Far beyond Sherlock's phenomenal powers of deduction and his egocentric, antisocial, not-necessarily-intentional (though it usually is) ostracizing of anyone who comes across him, the Emmy-worthy Miller plays Holmes with such intensity and humanity, as a drug addict still struggling with staying clean every day, who also grows every day as a human being thanks to his ever-strengthening relationship with Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), who's become his sounding board and best friend.  And this is probably, over all other incarnations of Sherlock Holmes, where "Elementary" stands alone; the relationship between Holmes and Watson has morphed into something equally as absorbing as any mystery or storyline the series has ever produced, while (thankfully) never, ever implying/hinting at any romantic or sexual chemistry between the two (unlike many television series, which often botch things by having the two leads "get together").  I've been there since day one, and with the series evolving from Watson playing sober companion (Holmes insisting her services are neither required or desired) to the two of them forming an equal friendship/working relationship in which they also equally rely on each other, "Elementary" remains one of the best, most smartly-written series on television - its take on the Holmes/Watson canon, even three seasons in, still as complex, engaging, and wholly real as any best-friendship should be.

(FILM) INSIDE OUT trailer # 2

NEW trailer for upcoming Pixar film Inside Out.  And it's fa-boo.

Monday, March 9, 2015

(MUSIC) "Bounce" - Boyfriend

My favorite new song. K-Pop meets 'Alice in Wonderland'; 'nuff said.  LOVE. IT.

(PEOPLE) actor KIM KANG-WOO

Over the last year, I have become completely blown away by Kim Kang-woo; have seen him in a number of films now (Hello, Schoolgirl, Tabloid Truth, The Gifted Hands, and - one of my all-time favorite films, period - Rainbow Eyes).  Hoping to work my way through what I can of his IMDB resume, Kim is an actor who always brings deep emotion to the characters he plays, making you root for them from beginning to end.  See, especially, Rainbow Eyes and The Gifted Hands (reviews of which can be found on my "QuickFlicks!" blog, listed on the links on the upper right) if you can, but anything he does has been worth watching so far, in my opinion.  One very talented guy.

KIM KANG-WOO films currently available on Netflix streaming (USA): Five Senses of Eros, Doomsday Book, The Taste of Money, The Aggressives, and Tabloid Truth.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

(FILM) Belle finds her Beast. Plus ... Gaston!

Now this is a holy movie trinity I can get into: Emma Watson as Belle, Luke Evans as Gaston, and Dan Stevens as The Beast for Disney's upcoming live-action musical of Beauty and the Beast.  Such a freakin' awesome cast, I wish I could buy my ticket now.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

(BOOKS) CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND - Kevin Kwan

One of the best books I was in 2013 was a backbiting, decadent, juicy bestseller called Crazy Rich Asians, the debut novel by author Kevin Kwan.  It was one of those books nobody expected to hit big, yet ended upon bestseller lists and with rave reviews (mine is posted below) - and now the sequel, in which about-to-be-married Rachel Chu shakes some $urpri$e$ out of her own family tree - releases on June 16th!  Do yourself a favor, if you haven't read Crazy Rich Asians be sure to grab up a copy in time for the sequel's release.  It made reading, for me, fun again - and for the first time, made me also wonder if being filthy, disgustingly, obscenely rich might be all that worth it, after all.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS review

Saturday, February 28, 2015

(PEOPLE) actor Ben Hardy

You are welcome.

(TV) "How to Get Away With Murder" season finale

Getting emotional here, with four of my favorite series airing their season finales in one week ... but this was the one I thought would be most "pee your pants" worthy.  Again, the mystery/court case itself, for Annalise and company - involving a pastor who's killed another pastor many thought were about to expose him - took a backseat to the biggest mystery of the entire season: Who Killed Lila?  Was it Sam, already seen as guilty and even "punished" for the crime?  Rebecca, already acquitted of the murder, but who's told so many lies, you wouldn't believe her if she said she needed to use the toilet?

True to creator Peter Nowalk's word (he also wrote the finale), we indeed found out who the killer was - and they did it right, by showing viewers instead of trying to get us to rely on what anyone said (impossible to do, as we're talking a mega-cast of mega-expert liars, here).  Not sure, for me, if the reveal was a "cheers" or "jeers" moment, but it certainly fit - and though the "shocker" that came after, in literally the final minute of the show, wasn't that big a surprise to me (it was actually what I'd been hoping would happen for many - many - episodes now), it put an excellent cap on everything that left for a very satisfying conclusion ... and, God knows, opened up a hornet's nest of questions already churning for season two.

(BOOKS) JACKABY - William Ritter

My favorite novel from last year - and one of my favorite novels, period - is available today only on Amazon Kindle for just $1.99.  Labeled a "book for young readers", if all kid or YA fiction read like this, I'd never read anything else.  Like Sherlock Holmes or Doctor Who?  Here's your chance to find out, if they could have a kid together, what their son would be like.  Brilliant book.  A+

Friday, February 27, 2015

(PEOPLE) Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015): "Adieu, Paris."

I know for many, Leonard Simon Nimoy - actor, director, writer, artist, photographer, scholar, and U.S. veteran - will always be thought of as Mr. Spock from the "Star Trek" universe.  But for me, I was enamored of him as Paris from one of my very favorite shows as a kid (and to this day), "Mission: Impossible" - a series that fired up my imagination like few did back then and, I feel, fed my earliest desires to write.  He was so smooth, so slick as Paris, and while I have never considered myself exactly a 'Trekker,' in the years since there was always something so magnetic about Nimoy - in anything he did - that I've always followed his career (he even directed my favorite of the films from the original "Trek" franchise, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home).  And though it only lasted about sixty seconds, I think it was around 1997 or so when I had the total pleasure of meeting Nimoy myself, just by chance during the intermission of a play at the Coronet Theater on La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles, when I didn't even know he was in the audience.  He was reserved yet generous, taking a stroll with his wife but still kind enough to sign an autograph and accept praise from a fan.  Will never forget it ... and just wanted to say thank you, Paris, for all those impossible missions - and impossible inspirations - you made seem possible.  May you always live long, and prosper, in a better place than this.

(TV) "Death in Paradise" series 4 finale

Sadly, another year of the BBC series "Death in Paradise" has drawn to a close.  So stoked their WILL be a series five (!) - it just always seems so long a wait!  The finale was strong, even if it did sacrifice a bit on the mystery in favor of revealing more of Humphrey and his stormy relationship with his father.  Not many television series could survive such huge shakeups of changes in the lead actors as "DiP" has in the last couple of years - but the show continues to be stronger than ever, with brilliant writing and characters that you not only grow to care deeply about, but whom you also wish you had as friends.  And this year, with sweeping camera angels revealing more of the beauty of the fictional Saint Marie island, more than ever it seems an idyllic place (well, except for all the murders) you'd probably love calling home.  One of the few television shows that, if I were stranded on a desert island, I'd want with me.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

(TV) A Match Made in Heaven (or maybe hell?)

Lady Gaga joins the cast of season five (and reveals the full title) of "American Horror Story: Hotel".  Now this is something even Armageddon couldn't keep me from watching.

(TV) "Sleepy Hollow" season finale

With a season of ups and downs, where the series faltered and lost its way for a bit, the season two finale of "Sleepy Hollow" was a happy and fulfilling - even thrilling - surprise.  Sadly, it also felt too much like a series finale; as if the writers and producers, unsure if the show was coming back for a third season, cared enough about viewers to not leave them hanging.  But fingers crossed for a season three - because this finale proved these are characters we want to stay with for a long time, yet.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

(MUSIC) "Uyir Poo"

Been following Dinesh on FB for awhile now, as he's been putting tracks together.  Love this one, so haunting.  Feels like it should be playing over the opening credits of a James Bond film.

(PEOPLE) model Chris Gustin

In case you're having a rough day.

(TV) Will & Grace, Together Again

Check out who's guest-starring on this week's episode of "The Mysteries of Laura" (Wednesday, NBC).

(MUSIC) The Best Dance Tune You Will Never Understand the Lyrics To

Warning: I am obsessed with all things Korean.  Get used to it now.