Burton & Depp’s “Shadows” of the Night

The 1966-71 horror/soap opera Dark Shadows has a legion of loyal fans who remember running home from school to watch the series featuring vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) interacting with werewolves, ghosts and witches. It was a little different from your typical daytime drama. He became something of a teen idol among female fans, along with Quentin Collins, played by David Selby. Many DS devotees attend conventions, write fan fiction, and purchase books, DVDs & memorabilia related to the series. The show also spawned two films: 1970’s House of Dark Shadows, and 1971’s Night of Dark Shadows. A short-lived primetime revival aired on NBC in 1991, and a pilot for another version was produced in 2004 by The WB network, but never aired.

Director Tim Burton & actor Johnny Depp are among those who loved the series when they were younger, and now they’ve teamed up to produce a big budget movie version of the show. Depp stars as Barnabas, who’s the son of a wealthy family that owns a successful fishing business in 18^th century Maine. He has a fling with a servant named Angelique, but later rejects her. This turns out to be a mistake, as Angelique is a witch. She curses him & his family. His parents are killed; his true love Josette commits suicide, and Barnabas is turned into a vampire, and locked inside a coffin & buried for 200 years. In 1972, some construction workers end up releasing him, and he’s thrust into a strange new world of hippies, television and….The Carpenters.

Barnabas seeks out his descendants, and helps them revive the failing family business. Of course, he has to deal with his vampiric side, and asks for aid from the family’s hard drinking psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman. He also must battle a familiar and devilish enemy: Angelique, who is now the head of a rival company. She wants to have Barnabas for herself…or kill him & destroy the Collins legacy. Their love/hate relationship, played out in some sexy scenes, is one of the highlights of the film. There are real sparks between them, and Depp and Eva Green (as Angelique) have great chemistry.

Our vampire hero isn’t the only weird member of the Collins family: some of the others seem to have a peculiar side as well, including Jonny Lee Miller as Roger Collins, the materialistic brother of tough matriarch Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her daughter Carolyn, a sulky teen who has some funny interactions with Barnabas. And then there’s Victoria Winters, the family governess, who bears a striking resemblance to Barnabas’ lost love Josette. In a way, Barnabas' family is as eccentric as he is, and he's right at home in their world, even if he doesn't quite understand it.

Burton & Depp mine a lot of comedy from Barnabas’ fish out of water reactions to modern society. There’s some witty dialogue and quirky humor, typical of a Burton movie. The film looks great, with excellent production design & costumes, and there’s good use of period music & a flavorful score by Danny Elfman as well. But some of the scenes (especially the showdown between Barnabas & Angelique at the conclusion) recall other supernatural comedies like Burton’s own Beetlejuice (1988) or George Miller’s The Witches of Eastwick (1987). There’s a sense of déjà vu that settles over the film, and it’s not quite as strong as some of the earlier Burton/Depp collaborations. The script's tone wavers a bit, trying to find a balance between being funny and truly scary. Also, a third act revelation about one of the characters seems kind of tacked on, and too quickly & easily explained away.

But the actors are wonderful; Depp turns in a funny, offbeat (and slightly menacing) performance as Barnabas; Green is fantastic as Angelique, chewing the scenery with wild abandon. The rest of the cast, including Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley, Helena Bonham Carter, and Chloe Grace-Moretz, have a great deal of fun with their roles. There’s a very brief cameo in the party scene by four stars of the original series: Selby, Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott, and Frid, who passed away recently. And rocker Alice Cooper appears as himself.

There was concern among DS fans when the first trailer for this film was released; it was clear that Burton wasn’t going to match the serious tone of the TV series. Many felt this version wouldn't honor the show. Despite its flaws, the script by Seth Grahame-Smith (who also wrote the book & forthcoming film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) has some nice nods to the series, and spoofs the original material in a gentle, endearing way. While this may not be their best film together, Dark Shadows (2012) is worth a look for DS fans, and for those who enjoy the work of Burton & Depp. And if you remember racing home to watch the original (or seeing the reruns, or the original films on late night TV), you may find yourself smiling a bit. Remember..."My name is Victoria Winters...."

A Time Trip Through Star Trek's Universe

I grew up a fan of the original Star Trek, which I discovered, like many others, in syndicated reruns. It was fun when original novels based on the series began being published in the 70s and 80s. Prior to the successful movies and spinoff series, these novels were the only way you got to experience new adventures of the Enterprise crew. Around the time of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Pocket Books acquired the license to publish material based on the series, and expanded the scope of the books as sequel films and new TV spinoffs were released. Unlike Bantam Books, who published the previous series of novels, Pocket played around a lot with the established canon, and published stories from all eras of the various movies & shows.

I hadn’t picked up a Trek novel in a few years when I recently came across Christopher L. Bennett’s Forgotten History in the bookstore. It’s an enjoyable time travel story that stars the crew of the original USS Enterprise. The novel also features the two Department of Temporal Investigations Agents who were introduced in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Trials and Tribbleations,” in which the DS9 characters interacted with Kirk & company during the events of the “The Trouble With Tribbles.” This time, a mysterious ship that bears the warp signature of the original USS Enterprise appears, along with a temporal anomaly, deep in Federation territory. But its hull markings identify it as Timeship Two. What’s going on? And what does this all have to do with Kirk, who’s no favorite of the DTI for his many infractions regarding time travel and interfering with established timelines.

From that setup it’s a dizzying ride through the Trek universe, with references to many of the classic era series and movies (and a few other Pocket Books adventures), and some cameos by familiar faces from Star Trek history. As Agents Lucsly & Dulmur try to figure out what’s going on, we also get an inside look at the formation of the Department of Temporal Investigations, and see how the Federation tried to regulate time travel. Bennett is clearly a fan; he even references episodes of the Trek Animated series of the 70s.  The author also includes a helpful afterword that details all the episodes and books he’s referenced in the novel. By the way, Agents Lucsly & Dulmur’s names are anagrams for Agents Mulder & Scully from The X-Files, a little in-joke on the part of the DS9 writers.

If you’re an aficionado of Star Trek, this is a fun read which will leave you smiling as you recall some of the original episodes & movies featured here. While Bennett has authored a previous “Department of Temporal Investigations” novel entitled Watching The Clock, it’s not necessary to read that one to enjoy Forgotten History, which stands just fine on its own. He really gives you a sense of the rich tapestry that classic Trek established for all its follow-ups.  I highly recommend Mr. Bennett’s time travel adventure, even if you haven’t picked up a Trek novel in a while, or if you haven’t read one of the books. This one really is for the fans.

The Avengers: Fantastic Superhero Action, Joss Whedon Style

Joss Whedon’s The Avengers is a terrific superhero film. There may have been some doubt in fan circles if a film featuring Marvel Comics’ premier super team could be pulled off, but this is an entertaining, action-filled movie. Marvel has done a fine job in the last few years of bringing various superheroes to the screen in individual films (the two Iron Man movies, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk) while subtly tying them together with cameos and in-jokes, so that viewers can see the heroes exist in the same shared universe. The Avengers is the payoff, the knockout punch, if you will, of all that groundwork. And bringing in Whedon (best known for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel TV series), to write & direct the project was a very, very smart move.

The villain here is Loki, who was prominently featured in Thor (2011). This time the Thunder God’s evil half brother has teamed up with an alien race to obtain a powerful object  called The Tesseract, (better known the Cosmic Cube to all you comic fans out there), and to use its power to….what else…. rule the world!  Nick Fury, the head of the super-secret organization known as SHIELD (Samuel L. Jackson, getting more screen time than he has in any of the previous movies) brings together a disparate team of heroes to fight the menace. Some are reluctant, some aren’t, but everyone seems to question if this group can function as a team. The roll call includes Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), archer/soldier Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and superspy/assassin The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). And of course, there’s the big green guy: The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, taking over the role from Ed Norton), who’s the uncontrollable wild card in the equation.

In true comic book fashion, the heroes battle each other (and their own demons), before coming together to battle Loki and his alien forces in a fantastic action sequence. Whedon juggles the group of heroes well, giving everyone a fair amount of screen time.  If you’re familiar with Whedon’s previous work on Buffy and Angel, as well as his comics work on titles like Astonishing X-Men, it’s no surprise that he presents the team as a sort of dysfunctional family, who have to get past their own issues and work together to defeat the villains. There’s also a lot of great dialogue & some wonderful humor in the film, another Whedon trademark.  Tom Hiddleston is satisfyingly creepy as the evil & manipulative Loki, and the supporting cast features Cobie Smulders as SHIELD agent Maria Hill, Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson (seen in some of the previous films), Stellan Skarsgard (in his role from Thor) and Gwyneth Paltrow, reprising her role from the Iron Man films.

Even if you’re not familiar with the comic book characters, you’ll be able to enjoy the snappy dialogue, wonderful special effects, solid performances & amazing action sequences. This is fantastic film-making at its best, and finely crafted popcorn entertainment. Whedon and his cast & crew have done a superlative job. The Avengers is one of the best superhero films ever, and it will be interesting to see where the Marvel heroes will be taken next, in the already planned individual sequels to their own films, and the now promised sequel to this one. A couple of additional notes: as with many of the previous Marvel movies, make sure you stay until the end of the credits for a couple of additional surprises. And while I viewed the film in 3-D, it’s not absolutely essential, as the movie was re-processed for (not shot in) 3-D, so it will play just fine in two dimensions.

A "Power Pop 15" Playlist

A playlist of fifteen power pop tunes for you to explore. This isn’t a complete overview of the genre or its artists, just a sampler of some personal favorites. Feel free to add comments or your own suggestions below:

1.    Matthew Sweet – I’ve Been Waiting. A wonderful ballad from his classic album Girlfriend (1991). A great record from start to finish; there's not a bad song on the disc.

2.    Cheap Trick – Come On, Come On. You could pick any number of songs from this band for a list like this, but check out this number from In Color (1977), which has turned up on a couple of power pop compilations.

3.    The Orange Humble Band – Down In Your Dreams from Assorted Creams (1997). A supergroup featuring Mitch Easter (a producer for bands like REM & Marshall Crenshaw), Ken Stringfellow of The Posies and Daryl Mather of The Someloves. The song is one of the highlights of this excellent album.

4.    Badfinger -  No Matter What from No Dice (1970). One of the best power pop songs from one of the greatest power pop bands ever.

5.    Jellyfish - All I Want is Everything. Queen meets Cheap Trick meets The Beatles on this track from the pop-tastic Bellybutton (1990).

6.    Nazz – Open My Eyes from Nazz (1968). Todd Rundgren’s early band rocks this track with some blazing guitar and swirling vocals and production. Recently covered by The Bangles on their 2011 release, Sweetheart of The Sun, which was produced by none other than Matthew Sweet.

7.    The Merrymakers - April’s Fool. These power pop masters from Sweden only released two albums, but they’re both fine examples of the genre. This song (featuring Abba-esque keyboards and Beatlesque harmonies) is a highlight of their 2nd release, Bubblegun (1997). Co-leader David Myhr just released his solo debut, Soundshine (for more on The Merrymakers & Myhr, see reviews elsewhere on this blog).

8.    Raspberries – Go All The Way from Raspberries (1972). Eric Carmen & the boys plead with their girl, to…well….go all the way on this classic tune.

9.    Will & The Bushmen – Book Of Love. Led by Nashville based singer-songwriter Will Kimbrough, this group has a nice alternative-ish, jangly 80s sound. This song can be found on 1989’s Will & The Bushmen.

10.  Big Star - When My Baby’s Beside Me from #1 Record (1972). Alex Chilton (a former member of The Box Tops) along with Chris Bell and Jody Stephens, practically perfected the modern power pop sound with this record.

11.  Brendan Benson - A Whole Lot Better. A member of the Raconteurs alongside Jack White, Benson has also been turning out wonderful pop/rock solo albums since 1996. This is the rocking first track from from 2009's fine album My Old, Familiar Friend. Benson just released his latest disc, What Kind of World, this past week.

12.  Fountains of Wayne - Someone To Love. These guys been making great music since they formed in the mid 90s,  and are best known for their Cars-influenced hit Stacy’s Mom. This fantastic tune is from 2007’s Traffic & Weather.

13.  L.E.O. – Distracted from Alpacas Orgling (2006). A group of indie music stars, including Mike Viola of The Candy Butchers, Andy Sturmer of Jellyfish, and singer-songwriter Bleu, formed this band to pay tribute to the sound & style of Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra. The album sounds like a cross between ELO & The Traveling Wilburys (crossed with a bit of rockabilly) and is a fun listen.

14.  Marshall Crenshaw – For Her Love from Field Day (1983). A standout song from Crenshaw’s underrated sophomore disc.

15.  Bill Lloyd – Lisa Anne. Best known as half of the country duo Foster & Lloyd, Bill has also recorded some fine pop/rock albums as a solo artist. This is one of the best tracks from Feeling The Elephant (1986).

The Hunger Games: A Heroine Emerges In A Bleak Future World

Bestselling books are often adapted into movies, and fans of the novels always await the film versions of their favorites with some trepidation. The literary success of author Suzanne Collins‘ Hunger Games trilogy virtually assured there would be a movie adaptation, especially after the box office hits in the Harry Potter and Twilight film franchises. The Hunger Games is set in a post apocalyptic future, where North America is now called Panem. The country is separated into 12 districts, ruled by the rich & elite from an area known as The Capitol. As punishment for a rebellion by the districts, an annual event called The Hunger Games is held. Each district must send one boy and one girl, aged 12-18 (chosen via lottery) to participate in a contest of skill & survival. The event is televised, and only one participant can emerge the victor of the competition. To win, you must kill or be killed.

The film follows Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar nominated for 2010’s Winter’s Bone) as she volunteers to take the place of her younger sister in the games.  Along with Peeta Meelark (Josh Hutcherson), the boy chosen from her district, she travels to The Capitol and is prepared for the games by a previous winner, Haymitch Abernathy (well portrayed by Woody Harrleson) as well as an assortment of other advisors. The reality TV genre is pointedly satirized, as each contestant is interviewed prior to the start of the games, and competes for “sponsors,” who will provide them with supplies during the competition. There’s also a healthy amount of bets placed on the contestants during the show, based on their skills, likability and the ratings they’re given during training.

Once the competition begins, Katniss must face the fact that she may have to kill to win the day. Peeta reveals that he has feelings for her, which further complicates her decision about how to proceed. We follow her and the other contestants, as some form temporary alliances in order to survive longer, and others are killed outright. Katniss even befriends a young contestant named Rue. Those running the games also throw several extra challenges in the way of the contestants during the games. While trying to stay alive and avoid needless killing, Katniss becomes something more than a mere competitor. But her choices may have long ranging consequences.

Director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) and cinematographer Tom Stern (with the rest of the crew) do a wonderful job creating the look of the bleak future these characters inhabit. This is an unflinching, brutal world, and little choice is left to the “have-nots” but to do what the wealthy ask of them. There’s a real emotional resonance to Katniss’ journey, captured in the excellent screenplay by Ross, Billy Ray and author Collins. Lawrence fully embodies the Katniss of the novel, and the supporting cast is perfect, including Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, the TV interviewer and host of The Hunger Games, and Donald Sutherland, smoothly evil as The President.

The story has true depth & emotional resonance amidst the action elements, and there are well-drawn characters & interesting situations. While the film can’t quite capture Katniss’ inner monologue (which is such an integral & evocative part of the novel) the movie truly is an effective adaptation of the book. Jennifer Lawrence is a star to watch, and deserves all the fame the success of this film is bringing her. In fact, I also recommend Winter’s Bone, if you haven’t seen it; that film is also well worth watching, and Lawrence is excellent in it. As for The Hunger Games, there are already plans to film the second & third novels in the trilogy, and I look forward to seeing them. Even if you’re not a fan of science fiction or fantasy, I think you’ll enjoy The Hunger Games.

Time Traveling With Stephen King

What would you do if you could change horrible events that occurred in the past?  That’s the intriguing premise behind Stephen King’s excellent novel, 11/22/63. Jake Epping is a high school teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine. He’s teaching a GED course, and one of his students, Harry Dunning, writes a heartbreaking essay about “the day that changed my life,” for a class assignment. Harry’s a learning impaired janitor who works at the high school. His essay talks about night his father killed his mother and siblings with a hammer and wounded Harry.  Jake is touched by the story, and befriends the man.


One night, Jake is having dinner at a local diner, when the owner, Al Templeton, shares a secret with him. Back in the diner’s pantry, there’s a portal that leads to 1958, and Al’s been traveling back in time. The portal always takes you to the same moment in 1958, and when you return to the present, only two minutes has passed. Al, who has cancer, had been planning to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy by killing Lee Harvey Oswald. He’s even lived in the past for a while to gather information. But his illness is preventing him from completing the mission, and he wants Jake to do it for him. Al believes this is a pivotal moment in time, and stopping Oswald will fix a lot of things that are wrong with the world today.

Jake tries a sample trip to the past, and is amazed to find Al’s story is true. He goes on a test mission to prevent Harry’s father from killing the family, and partially succeeds. But there are consequences to his actions in the present. Still, he agrees to kill Oswald, but will have to live in 1958 under an assumed identity and await his arrival in Texas. We follow Jake as he takes a job as a teacher in a small town named Jodie, and begins a romance with a fellow faculty member. Meanwhile, the specter of Oswald, and the murder he will have to commit to change history, haunts Jake. And what if killing Oswald changes the present for the worse?

That’s the basic plotline of this well-paced, interesting and suspenseful novel. It features King’s usual well-drawn characters and realistic dialogue. It’s a bit of a change of pace for the author, though there are a few cameos from other characters from the King universe for fans. In his afterword, King cites the novel Time After Time by Jack Finney as one of his inspirations, and if you’re familiar with that classic time travel story, you’ll find much to enjoy in this book. King and his researcher, Russ Dorr, did exhaustive work looking at books, historical documents, newspaper archives and ads from the period, and King also met with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to discuss the novel, and the implications on history if Kennedy had lived. The details all feel right, and make the story that much more believable.

This is an engrossing “What If?” story about one of the most tragic events of the 20^th Century. King’s usual flair for telling a fast-paced, engrossing story with relatable characters is intact. The author has received some of the best reviews of his career for the novel, and The New York Times selected it as one of the top five fiction books of 2011. Even if you’re not a fan of King’s usual horror fare, 11/22/63 is worth reading. All the monsters here are real, and in some ways, that’s a lot scarier than Pennywise the Clown from It, or the vampires of ‘Salem’s Lot.  Highly recommended.

Myhr's “Soundshine” Swirls, Pops & Crackles Brightly

In my last post I wrote about the power pop genre, and extolled the virtues of Sweden’s The Merrymakers, and their 2^nd and final album, 1997’s Bubblegun. The former co-leader of that band, David Myhr, has now released his first solo record, Soundshine. It’s a joyful, unabashed love letter to the pop & rock of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Starting with the Beatlesque opener Never Mine, you’re awash in hummable melodies, great hooks, and sparkling arrangements. Looking for A Life, Get It Right and Cut To The Chase have an 80s flavor, with a touch of New Wave. Then there’s I Love The Feeling, which sounds like it time warped off a 70s AM radio station, and the Jeff Lynne-ish Got You Where He Wanted, one of my favorite tracks on the album.

Myhr’s love of these eras of music really pours forth on the disc. He’s not just paying tribute - he’s working his own magic on these genres and creating wonderful new music. There’s not a bad song on the record;  Don’t Say No is another 70s style song; it's an upbeat “things aren’t so bad” number. Loveblind is a joyful paean to love that practically begs you to sing along. The One is a beautiful ballad that wouldn’t sound out of place on a McCartney solo album.

The album wraps up with a trio of tunes: we go back to the 80s again with the poppy, guitar driven Wanderlust, and the alternative-ish Icy Tracks, which comes complete with a psychedelic-style fadeout. Then Myhr ends up in back in Fab Four territory with Ride Along. These are melodic, charming and most of all fun songs, played with energy, charm and joy. This is a power pop classic, and I hope Myhr will tour in the US to support the release, so we can see this material performed live. Soundshine is shimmering, catchy, summer-y pop and I highly recommend it.

Here are links to the music videos for Got You Where He Wanted  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqoCxXs9FTQ and Looking For a Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud9k1LPyz14&feature=share from Soundshine.