What Is It?

The final chapter of the sea bound series has all the characters reunited and ready to have there loose story ends woven into a still frayed Jolly Roger. The title speaks more of the end of an era than the map, though both are represented. Just as promised in the last film, Norrington (Jack Davenport) has teamed up with Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) to destroy all the pirates and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), is leading the crew of the Black Pearl to retrieve Jack Sparrow (please excuse me, Captain Jack Sparrow) (Johnny Depp) from Davy Jones Locker. As promised in the ads, they save Jack right off and then get to the fighting.

How Was It?

The last installment had a decent story but seemed a bit flat with action and performance. This time around the action and performances are really wonderful, which is almost enough to carry the dismal attempt at a story. The line that summed up this film was “Do you think he plans it all out before hand or do you think he’s just making it up as he goes along?” This could have been directed at the film makers as much as Captain Jack Sparrow.

You begin to wonder if the development of this film was simply eaves dropping on a group of teens saying things such as “dude, it would be, like, so cool if she just grew, like, super huge… oh yah yah yah and then she could, like, turn into, like, a million billion crabs! Dude that’s cool!” but the joke is, they are right, it is very cool. Ideas like two pirate ships, gunning it out from there apposing corners in a whirl pool is just pure big budget brilliance.

Still, the lack of a solid story insures that the journey to next action sequence is now just a dull tour through a thematic wasteland. And where the supernatural in the other films was used as posts to hang slightly veiled commentaries on human greed and lust, they are now little more than make shift mooring rings to keep the convoluted plot from going to far a drift. The only time the super natural elements even matter to the story (spoiler) is when the film makers kill off major characters for the shock value and then bring them back to life for the sole purpose of keeping the wide eyed spectator happy.

(Then there was just some nonsense about Jack talking to imaginary versions of himself. I think one Johnny Deep performance is more than enough to fill the screen.)

Is It Good For Kids?

I think there was another meeting where some one said “This is the last one, so we no longer have to make it so that families feel comfortable enough to come back to another one.” This then gives way to things like a crusty Jack removing and licking his own brain and (spoiler) a marriage consummation where we see the lady in a long shirt and one boot and the gentleman kissing her knee. (Ok, that would not be that bad, they are married, except the sensuality of the kiss coupled with the lady’s “pleased” reaction make it something that many parents will be uncomfortable sharing with their children.)

I don’t think there is anything “sinful” about the violence or the sexuality in this film, but even if the other two installments were perfectly fine for your children, you will still want to examine this one and judge it on it’s own merits.

You can get a complete break down of what is on the screen at screenit.com.

What about Spiritual issues.

This is the biggest down fall of this installment. Where the others gave quite Biblical explanations of the make believe supernatural, this one just plays with the elements with no thought to their meanings. Then death is played with to the point where it becomes a non-issue. Death is the point where you meet your final judgement, to be welcomed in or sent away. The last two movies held onto that, even when judgement was preceded by a 100 year stint before the mast of the flying Dutchman. The new “he’s dead, no he isn’t” story line, not only creates spiritual confusion, it takes away all the punch and importance of a human life ending.

Then there are the pirates themselves. The other movies seemed to suggest that maybe some one learned something about honor and right and wrong. Here debauchery is celebrated at the end instead of Honor causing even pirates to rise above it all.

(Spoiler) The other sad message in the film is the romanticizing of a marriage that at the end literally amounts to the husband and wife only seeing each other once every 10 years. Though it is moving to see a woman who is willing to accept so little of her husband to be able to get any of him, it seems just cruel of him to take advantage of such emotion. Marriage here is reduced to a one day in 10 year rendezvous. Though the movie seems to imply this will go on forever, only one character is immortal, thus he will get, at most, a weeks worth of time with this woman, while he is demanding the sacrifice of her entire life for his pleasure.

What is your recommendation?

There are the building blocks of a fun summer movie here, though they are teetering on one another. This is not “Return of the King” where we have had two films to build a plot and are now able to have the final battle for the whole film. This story is autonomous of the other two and simply the further adventures of the same characters. If you have a big screen and a decent sound system, there is nothing here that can’t wait for DVD, but still it’s not the brilliantly acted movie fun, with a touch of real meaning, that the first film was. As much as I longed to see these characters again, I wish they had stopped while they were ahead.

Earlier this week I almost made my brain explode. I watched Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (no, that in itself wouldn’t have done the trick)… and then, the next evening, I saw The History Boys. From loud, complicated, essentially dumb SFX-travaganza to smart Brit drama in about 24 hours – it’s enough to give you a bad case of the cinematic bends.

At World’s End (or Pirates of the Caribbean III: Why does everything have to be a trilogy?) is undoubtedly a fine-looking film. The visual effects, by and large, are amazing, and the film’s visually inventive to boot. There are sights to behold that I’d never seen before on screen, and the digital artistry on Davy Jones’ betentacled head and face is quite amazing.

If only it was in service of a better script. Remember the first entry in the Pirates franchise? It wasn’t Bergman, but it was witty and fun, which is exactly what such a film needs. Starting with the sequel Dead Man’s Chest, though, the film lost in lightness and wit what it gained in complicatedness. Not complexity, mind you, because that would mean the plot actually adds up to something and benefits the films. Nope, what we got was messy and uninteresting. failing almost completely to serve the movies’ characters.

Yes, Johnny Depp was fun in the third film, as he was in the first two, but Jack Sparrow being Jack Sparrow is simply not enough to keep me engaged for three hours. Geoffrey Rush’s Barbossa might have helped, but little was left of his wonderful scenery chewing in the original Pirates of the Caribbean. In fact, most of the actors acted their hearts out, but to no avail: the script is leaden and dull, only little better than George Lucas’ efforts in the Star Wars prequels. Honestly, Mr. Verbinski, here’s a suggestion: if you want to make a three-hour popcorn movie, give it a fun script, or don’t do it at all.

The History Boys, based on Alan Bennett’s stage play, is pretty much the opposite of Pirates of the Caribbean 3. It’s wordy and character-driven, it gives its cast a chance to shine, and it’s funny and moving. I’d never realised that Richard Griffiths did roles other than broad caricatures, but his Hector, a gay, sad English teacher with an absolute passion for his subject, is a beautifully judged, subtle performance with no trace of Uncle Vernon. However, as much as Hector’s at the heart of the film, practically every other part is as well acted and as necessary to the whole.

Bennett’s writing requires acting this good; I’ve seen amateur productions of his shorter works, and they all came across as terribly mannered and stagey. The dialogues in The History Boys are not realistic, they are stylised (as are the characters), but that doesn’t mean in any way that they feel phony. There’s a truth to all of the performances and writing that takes a bit of time to develop – during the first half-hour, I was thinking that some of the characters were a tad stereotypical, but that’s only true in the way that many people at first seem to fit certain types, and only as you get to know them they develop their individuality.

The movie’s also surprisingly good at not feeling like a filmed play. It may have a script that feels theatrical (which makes sense, given the subject matter – school is inherently theatrical and every classroom is a stage), but it doesn’t look like it wants to be on the narrowish confines of a stage (or like it desperately tries to escape those confines, which is often worse). The film breathes throughout the spaces it evokes.

The History Boys is definitely not for everyone, and if I want to be somewhat arrogant and dismissive about it, chances are that more people will like At World’s End. It’s a film that expects its audience to engage with it, intellectually and emotionally. But the effort pays off many times.

Is it That Time Already?

2012: The End of the World

October 21st, 1982. The day ‘Tron’ hit British cinema’s. It was one of the first films that featured extensive computer graphics, this news is no exception.

Tron Legacy, the sequel to the retro-style ‘Tron’, is set to hit cinema’s on December 17th, 2010, a date that is shared with the release of a live action Yogi Bear movie (I kid you not). The movie’s predecessor was a vital part of movie and gaming culture which brought the virtual world to the public’s attention. The original, starring Jeff Bridges (Tron, Starman, Iron Man) and Bruce Boxleitner (Tron, Kingdom Hearts II, Dead Space: Downfall), was a hit, making double it’s original production cost, in profit. Tron Legacy features the original cast, always a plus, along with some new stars, such as Garrett Hedlund (Eragon, Troy, Friday Night Lights), Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, Underworld, Laws Of Attraction), Olivia Wilde (Year One, The O.C, House M.D) and Beau Garrett (Fantastic Four 2, Made Of Honour, Ivory). The plotline is as follows:

Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidante (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

The film itself is created and distributed by Disney, and music will be covered by the ever famous Daft Punk. The Director, one Joseph Kosinski (Halo 3: Starry Night, Tron, Logan’s Run), and shockingly, Tron Legacy (or TR2N) has a huge budget of $300 million (£189 million), which is the highest budgeted film to date, alongside Pirates Of The Caribbean 3. So go and enjoy the trailer, I know I did.

It’s not just about living forever, Jackie. The trick is living with yourself forever.

-Captain Teague – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

It is official, I can put on my wench dress and “grab me booty” , while I await Captain Jack Sparrow in the galley. It was announced that “Pirates of the Caribbean 4″ finally has a title-”On Stranger Tides”, and will be released Summer 2011. Johnny Depp will return on screen to dazzle us all again with his pirate persona, one which we all adore and desire. Arrrgghhh!

Ahoy, I had the pleasure of meeting the entire cast, apart from Johnny Depp, as he was not scheduled to shoot any scenes that particular day, when I was on set for “At World’s End”. Captain Barbossa was incredible in person. Every single detail in his character’s make-up and costume was superb. The Black Pearl was magnificent, intimidating and intriguing. A memorable day indeed, time to prepare for its’ return…

Johnny Depp sailed in on a pirate ship to announce to fans that a new Pirates of the Carribbean film was coming in 2011. The official title is : Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

No word on whether Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly will be back.

Lukas Eggen

But just for the name. We all know how i feel about nature and being outside.

Curse of the Black Pearl

[Click]

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Dead Man’s Chest

[Click]

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At World’s End

[Click]

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Thank you for watching.

…^^

[Credits to Youtube Users.]

Information about the 4th sequel: CLICK HERE.

Updated! Click: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Directed by: Gore Verbinski

Produced by: Jerry Bruckheimer

Written by:
Ted Elliott
Terry Rossio

Starring:

Johnny Depp
Keira Knightley
Orlando Bloom
Chow Yun-Fat
Geoffrey Rush
Bill Nighy
Naomie Harris
Tom Hollander
Stellan Skarsgård
Jack Davenport

Music by: Hans Zimmer

Cinematography: Dariusz Wolski

Editing by:

Stephen E. Rivkin
Arthur Schmidt
Craig Wood

Distributed by:

Walt Disney Pictures
Buena Vista Pictures

Release date(s):

May 24, 2007 (US)
May 24, 2007 (UK)

Running time: 168 min.

Country: United States

Language: English

Budget: $300 million

Gross revenue: $960,996,492

Preceded by: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Trailer:

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Movie proper:

[Credits to Youtube Users.]

Tracklist
1. Pirates, Day One, 4:56AM
2. Marry Me
3. The Heart Of Davy Jones
4. Lord Cutler Beckett
5. Jack’s Theme Bare Bones Demo
Hans Zimmer Piano Demo from Dead Man’s Chest
6. Hoist The Colours Suite
7. The Pirate Lord Of Singapore
8. Just Good Business

ต้องบอกกันก่อนว่าเพลงในอัลบั้มนี้อยู่ใน CD พิเศษสำหรับผู้ที่ซื้อ Pirates Of The Caribbean Soundtrack แบบ Treasure Box เท่านั้นนะครับ (ซึ่งผมซื้อแยกแล้วก็เลยไม่มีโอกาสได้หามาครอบครองเพราะถ้าจะซื้อใหม่คงจนกันพอดี)
ที่จริงเพลงในอัลบั้มนี้มีมากกว่า 8 เพลงแต่เพลงที่เหลือเป็นแบบ Remix ซึ่งแหล่งที่ผมหาโหลดมาไม่ได้ใส่ไว้นะครับ (แต่ก็ไม่ค่อยจำเป็นเท่าไหร่ด้วย)
ในอัลบั้มนี้ Hans Zimmer ได้ปล่อยเพลงที่ไม่มีโอกาสได้ใส่ในอัลบั้มที่วางจำหน่ายทั่วไป ถ้าใครยังไม่จุใจกับสามอัลบั้มที่แล้ว เราลองมาดูอัลบั้มนี้กันเลย
เพลงแรก Pirates, Day One, 4:56AM เป็นเพลงต้นฉบับ He’s A Pirate กับดนตรีจังหวะคึกคักสุดเก๋ที่คุ้นเคยกันในภาคแรก เพลงมีท่อนตอนท้ายที่ฟังแล้วอาจทำให้นึกถึงเพลง Too Many Notes, Not Enough Rest ในอัลบั้ม Drop Zone ของ Zimmer เองด้วย แต่คราวนี้มาในรูปแบบดนตรีออเคสตร้าที่ทรงพลังกว่า (แต่เพราะความเหมือนกันเกินไปนี้จึงอาจเป็นเหตุที่ Zimmer เลือกตัดท่อนนี้ออก)
Marry Me เป็นการเรียบเรียงเลิฟธีมจากภาคสามเข้ากับดนตรีใหม่(ซึ่งถูกใช้ในฉาก Jack พา Elizabeth หนีออกจากเรือ Flying Dutchman + ไม่มีในอัลบั้มภาคสามที่วางจำหน่าย)และเพลง Up Is Down โดยมีความยาวถึง 11 นาที สำหรับผมยกให้เพลงนี้สุดยอดและคลาสสิคที่สุดในอัลบั้มนี้แล้ว
Lord Cutler Beckett เพลงธีมของตัวร้ายสุดเท่ห์กับดนตรีออเคสตร้าผสมซินธิไซเซอร์อันหนักแน่น
Jack’s Theme Bare Bones Demo เป็นเดโมของเพลง Jack Sparrow ในภาคสอง ซึ่งเล่นด้วยเปียโนตลอดเพลง
Hoist The Colours Suite เป็นเพลงชุดที่ปรากฏใน End Credit ของภาคสามต่อจาก Drink Up Me Hearties เพลงนี้เล่นกันดนตรีทำนองเดียว(คือ Hoist The Colours) แต่มีความหลากหลายในการบรรเลงที่หนักแน่นขึ้นเรื่อยๆรวมถึงการใช้คอรัสสร้างความฮึกเหิม
The Pirate Lord Of Singapore เป็นเพลงที่ใช้เครื่องดนตรีจีนผสมกับออเคสตร้าได้อย่างลงตัว ใครฟังเพลง Singapore แล้วยังได้บรรยากาศแบบจีนๆไม่เต็มที่ ผมขอแนะนำเพลงนี้ให้คุณลองฟังอย่างยิ่ง
Just Good Business เป็นการเรียบเรียงเพลง Lord Cutler Beckett ใหม่ในจังหวะที่ระทึกและยิ่งใหญ่ขึ้น เดิมเพลงนี้ถูกวางให้ใช้ในฉากรบตอนท้ายของภาคสามก่อนที่จะถูกยกเลิกไป
ถ้าใครชอบอัลบั้ม Pirates of the Caribbean ทุกภาค ผมขอแนะนำให้เก็บเพลงเหล่านี้ซึ่งเติมเต็มอารมณ์ส่วนที่หายไปในอัลบั้มก่อนไว้ด้วยครับ

Hans Zimmer – Pirates of the Caribbean Suite
Part 1

http://up2u.in.th/index.php/files/get/-mLBHrC2o4/potc-cd4-1.rar
Part 2

http://up2u.in.th/index.php/files/get/lRSrRtNKtU/potc-cd4-2.rar
(MP3 / Bitrate 320 kbps)

Tracklist
1. Hoist The Colours
2. Singapore
3. At Wit’s End
4. Multiple Jacks
5. Up Is Down
6. I See Dead People In Boats
7. The Brethren Court
8. Parlay
9. Calypso
10. What Shall We Die For
11. I Don’t Think Now Is The Best
12. One Day
13. Drink Up Me Hearties

สำหรับงานเพลงในภาคที่สามและเป็นภาคสุดท้ายของ Pirates of the Caribbean ยังคงได้ Hans Zimmer มาเป็นคอมโพเซอร์ทำงานต่อจากภาคที่แล้ว
ลักษณะของเครื่องดนตรีที่ใช้คงไม่ต้องพูดอะไรมากเพราะใช้ไม่ต่างจากภาคที่แล้วเลย แต่ภาคนี้แน่นอน Hans Zimmer ได้แต่งเพลงแนวใหม่ๆ(ตามองค์ประกอบใหมาในหนัง)ให้เราได้ทึ่งกว่าครั้งที่แล้วแน่นอน
เปิดอัลบั้มด้วยธีมโจรสลัดใหม่สำหรับภาคนี้โดยเฉพาะ Hoist The Colours สั้นๆแต่โดดเด่นด้วยดนตรีและคอรัสที่ฟังแล้วฮึกเหิม โดยเฉพาะวลี “Never Shall We Die” ธีมนี้ยังมีบทบาทอีกในเพลง What Shall We Die For กับคอรัสที่ยิ่งใหญ่กว่า เป็นเพลงประกาศศึกที่ทรงพลังไม่ใช้น้อย
อีกธีมที่เป็นจุดเด่นของอัลบั้ม คือ เลิฟธีมใหม่ของ Will และ Elizabeth อันหวานซึ้งด้วยเสียงเครื่องสายและเครื่องเป่า ซึ่ง Hans Zimmer ได้นำไปประยุกต์ใช้ในหลายเพลงซึ่งให้อารมณ์ต่างกันไป เช่น At Wit’s End กับอารมณ์แห่งการผจญภัย เพลงนี้ยังได้นำธีมของ Davy Jones มาใช้ช่วงกลางเพลงก่อนที่นะต่อด้วยคอรัสและเพอคัสชั่นอันดุดัน เพลงนี้ถูกใช้ในหนังตอนนี้เรือ Black Pearl ตกลงไปสู่อีกโลกหนึ่งเพื่อตามหา Jack Sparrow นั่นเอง, I See Dead People In Boats เปิดตัวด้วยเลิฟธีมเบาๆต่อด้วยดนตรีสุดหม่นแล้วระทึกสะเทือนใจในช่วงท้าย
One Day เริ่มต้นด้วยดนตรีแห่งชัยชนะ แล้วต่อเลิฟธีมในเวอร์ชั่นที่สมบูรณ์ที่สุด บอกเล่าเรื่องราวของ Will และ Elizabeth ในตอนจบได้อย่างดี
องค์ประกอบใหม่ของอัลบั้ม คือ ดนตรีจีน เนื่องจากหนังมีฉากสิงค์โปร์และโจรสลัดจีนอยู่ด้วย ซึ่งดนตรีแนวนี้มีให้ฟังกันเล็กน้อยใน Singapore ที่เริ่มต้นด้วยดนตรีเอื่อยแบบจีนๆในช่วงแรกแล้วจึงค่อยๆเพิ่มความดีกรีความมันส์ช่วงกลางเพลงด้วยเพอคัสชั่น ในช่วงท้ายของเพลงยังได้ใส่เพลงธีมเปิดตัว Jack Sparrow มาให้ด้วย
ส่วนองค์ประกอบใหม่ที่แปลกแหวกแนวกว่าพวก ได้แก่ Multiple Jacks ที่ฟังดูพิลึก ด้วยดนตรีแบบเวิ้งว้างที่แฝงอารมณ์ขัน ซึ่งเคล็ดลับภายใต้อารมณ์ขันของเพลงนี้คือเสียงจากซินธิไซเซอร์และสายไวโอลินเสียดสีกับเลื่อยนั่นเอง(โอ้ว!)
Parlay กับดนตรีที่ออกแนวคาวบอย ซึ่งเพลงนี้ผู้กำกับ Gore Verbinski ลงทุนเล่นกีตาร์ไฟฟ้าในจังหวะสุดเท่ห์ด้วยตนเองเสียด้วย
ในส่วนของดนตรีออเคสตร้ามันส์ๆ ได้แก่ Up Is Down กับดนตรีจังหวะสนุกสนานแฝงอารมณ์แอ็คชั่นนิดๆซึ่งเครื่องสายและเพอคัสชั่นคือส่วนที่เด่นที่สุดในเพลงนี้
Calypso เป็นดนตรีทีดัดแปลงมาจาก Tia Dalma เพลงนี้มีจุดเด่น คือ คอรัสอันยิ่งใหญ่และน่าเกรงขามช่วงกลางเพลง
อีกเพลงหนึ่งที่โดดเด่นที่สุดในอัลบั้ม(และมีความยาวที่สุด) I Don’t Think Now Is The Best เป็นการนำธีมต่างๆจากภาคนี้และภาคที่แล้วมาเรียบเรียงใหม่ให้กลายเป็นเพลงสำหรับฉาก Epic Battle ได้อย่างดี บรรเลงออเคสตร้าแบบใส่ไม่ยั้งและคอรัสทรงพลัง แต่ก็ยังแอบใส่เลิฟธีมหวานๆในบางช่วงด้วย
อัลบั้มปิดท้ายด้วยเพลง Drink Up Me Hearties ที่เราจะได้ฟัง He’s A Pirate กันอีกครั้งที่เวอร์ชั่นที่บรรเลงต่อด้วยดนตรีใหม่จากภาคนี้ คือ Up Is Down และ One Day ตามลำดับ เป็นการปิดเรื่องราวของหนังโจรสลัดไตรภาคอย่างสมบูรณ์
อีกหนึ่งผลงานคุณภาพจาก Hans Zimmer ยิ่งถ้าคุณติดตามสองอัลบั้มก่อนหน้านี้แล้ว คุณไม่มีข้ออ้างที่จะพลาดอัลบั้มด้วยประการทั้งปวง

Hans Zimmer – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Part1

http://up2u.in.th/index.php/files/get/sKg_1WBPSx/potc-awe-1.rar

Part2
http://up2u.in.th/index.php/files/get/2ZuYoMSRWG/potc-awe-2.rar
(MP3 ริปด้วยโปรแกรมWMP / Bitrate 320 kbps)

* Including Bonus Track From Trailer: X-Ray Dog – Dark Empire 2.0 (Remix) (MP3 / Bitrate 256 kbps) *

Johnny Depp

Jay A. Fernandez and Borys Kit – HollywoodReporter.com

Are you ready to see Jack Sparrow swashbuckle his way through a big, flashy musical number?

Choreographer-turned-director Rob Marshall is in talks to take the wheel of the massive “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise from director Gore Verbinski. Disney and series producer Jerry Bruckheimer have been eager to set sail on a fourth installment with star Johnny Depp back in his bandanna as Sparrow as early as next year.

Verbinski, with scripts from Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, directed the first three films to $2.67 billion in worldwide grosses (the last, “At World’s End,” was released in 2007). When he exited the franchise in April, the studio immediately sought a fresh take to continue the pirate voyage on a potentially smaller scale. (The last two pictures cost north of $400 million, together.)

Marshall, who is finishing up the Weinstein Co. musical “Nine” for a November release, is not an obvious choice for a loud action-and-mayhem tentpole. But presumably, if he can corral the singing, acting and dancing talents of Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren and Stacy Ferguson, he can handle cannon battles, funny monkeys and angry natives.

The CAA-repped Marshall has directed the films “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Chicago,” which won six Oscars, including best picture, in 2002.

Pirates of the Carribbean, and its sequels “Dead’s Man Chest” and “At World’s End” have become some of the most successful films of all time.  Now, Oren Aviv, Disney’s Head of Production has confirmed that a fourth film is not only on the way, but plans to shoot next April and May. 

“We’re going to shoot ‘Pirates 4′ in April and May of next year,” Aviv said,  ”We are going to release it hopefully in 2011 is the plan.” He said that this time they would only be doing one movie this time that would “hopefully be the first of another trilogy.”

You can read more of the interview here:  http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=57429

Lukas Eggen

Horiwood’s Top 10 Posts Today  in Hollywood are:

1. 21 STARS RESPOND TO MICHAEL JACKSON’S PASSING

2. DIVA SIDEKICK AMBER ROSE

3. USHER TALKS ABOUT HOW MICHAEL JACKSON PAVED THE WAY FOR PEOPLE LIKE BARACK OABAM AND OPRAH FOR MAINSTREAM AUDIENCES

4. WHITNEY HOUSTON’S TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON

5. BLOW SHARKS DISCOVERED IN MEXICO

6. TWILIGHT’S 3 MILLION DVD’S SOLD IN FIRST DAY

7. TWO COVERS SAY ROBERT PATTINSON & KRISTEN STEWART ARE OBSESSED AND DATING

8. JERMAINE JACKSON’S STATEMENT ON BROTHER MICHAEL’S DEATH

9. BROOKE SHIELDS MOURNS HER FRIEND MICHAEL JACKSON’S PASSING

10. WILL I AM’S MICHAEL JACKSON DEATH TRIBUTE

BONUS POST: BEYONCE’S I AM TOUR – SET LIST!

Horiwood’s Top 10 posts as ranked by our worldwide audience today, here in Hollywood on Horiwood.Com looks like this:

1. QUOTE OF THE DAY 1: MEGAN FOX ON OLIVIA WILDE 

2. TWILIGHT’S BRAND EXPANDS INTO VAMPIRE COSMETICS: LIP VENOM 5 LIP GLOSS HITS THE MARKET

3. TWO COVERS SAY ROBERT PATTINSON & KRISTEN STEWART ARE OBSESSED AND DATING

4. TWILIGHT’S 3 MILLION DVD’S SOLD IN FIRST DAY

5. KEVIN & JODI KREIDER SAY STOP WATCHING GOSSELIN GOOP

6. HIGH HOPES AT THE BOX OFFICE FOR TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

7. FHM’S TOP 50 SEXIEST WOMEN IN THE WORLD ARE… 

8. GOSSELIN GOOP: 10 THINGS ABOUT THE JON & KATE PLUS 8 SHOW 

9. SIMON COWELL CONTINUES TO EXPLOIT SUSAN BOYLE’S CELEBRITY: X FACTOR 

10. TWILIGHT WEDNESDAY: TWILIGHT & NEW MOON POSTS ON HORIWOOD.COM 6.24.09

The top ranking posts on Horiwood.Com here in Hollywood were mainly Jon & Kate Gosselin related. Wow! HORIWOOD’S TOP 10 POSTS TODAY ARE:

1. LIE-CENSED TO PRINT MONEY: JON & KATE GOSSELIN GET PAID $75,000 PER EPISODE

2. QUOTE OF THE DAY 1: MEGAN FOX ON OLIVIA WILDE

3. AUNT JULIE BLOGS ABOUT JON & KATE GOSSELIN’S CONSTRUCTED REALITY

4. IS LADY GAGA’S BOYFRIEND, JOHNNY MARKOUDAKIS, ADAM LAMBERT’S TWIN BROTHER?

5. TWILIGHT’S 3 MILLION DVD’S SOLD IN FIRST DAY

6. GOSSELIN GOOP: 10 THINGS ABOUT THE JON & KATE PLUS 8 SHOW

7. SIMON COWELL CONTINUES TO EXPLOIT SUSAN BOYLE’S CELEBRITY: X FACTOR

8. TWO COVERS SAY ROBERT PATTINSON & KRISTEN STEWART ARE OBSESSED AND DATING

9. FARRAH FAWCETT & RYAN O’NEIL ARE TO WED

10. KEVIN & JODI KREIDER SAY STOP WATCHING GOSSELIN GOOP

“At World’s End”

June 15th, 2009

To signal the end of the world, there are various signs of the apocalypse, things which let you know that doom is imminent. To signal the end of a season of Greek, though, you know that Casey and Cappie are about to become intertwined, Rusty will face some sort of crisis, and some sort of major fraternity/sorority event will take place.

However, what always impresses me about Greek is how the various parts all come together in such a way that feels far more organic than it has any right to, and with greater meaning than one would expect the show to aspire to. Sure, the episode had its comic subplot (Rusty and Dale’s altered purity pledge), but for the most part it tackles the fates of the siblings Cartwright with just the right amount of interconnectivity, and with perhaps the show’s most focused lens yet in terms of sidelining supporting players.

Combined with tying up a few loose ends, “At World’s End” isn’t the end for this show by a long shot, but it takes the episode’s theme and runs with it to the point of really encapsulating where these characters sit within the world of Cyprus-Rhodes university. And although there aren’t too many “critics” covering the show on a regular basis, it also proves how a combination of cultural relevance and self-awareness have made this without question the strongest teen-focused dramedy on the air.

The episode is essentially a take on the whole desert island scenario: if you were trapped on a desert island, or at the end of the world, who would you want to be there with you? For Casey, this question has her pondering between Cappie and Max, while for Rusty it has him choosing between an admittedly sudden academic struggle and spending time with Jordan. Even Ashley gets into the act, as backed up against the wall and facing expulsion she is forced to fight for her life against Frannie, who similarly finds herself facing the realization that she’s recreated the end of the world beyond the walls of the IKI house. Throw in the aptly themed “End of the World” party, all influenced by the opening Art History lecture, and we have ourselves a theme.

I’m not always one for theming episodes like this, but it’s smart in an ensemble quite this large and this proved to be an effective one. On the smaller level, for Frannie and Ashley, it was about advances for their characters: Ashley got to show she has a backbone without Casey (which shouldn’t have even been in question since Casey is far more indecisive, but I’ll let the show continue to pretend that’s how this relationship works), while Frannie realizes she was living a dream if she thought IKI was actually a legitimate sorority, and pretty well waves the white flag with Casey and acknowledges that she has officially outgrown Cyprus Rhodes. It’s not quite as big an exit as Frannie needs, but it was a starkly human one and in line with what we’ve seen of the character so far. I never quite despised Frannie, as I could understand much of her motivation, and in these moments where she steps down from the extremes she reveals herself to be someone capable of both rational observation and, more importantly, moving beyond the catty world of sororities.

It shows that the series itself is capable of doing the same – yes, a large portion of the episode takes place at a giant fraternity rager, but the show is intelligent about when it lets the parties be the focus and when it lets the parties turn into a setting for something larger. On some levels, the party here was just an excuse to bring everyone to one place to have things explode (Max wanting to attend to actively debate the end of the world was particularly contrived in this fashion, and Dale bringing Sheila made no sense whatsoever, but I’ll let them cheat in a few instances), but there were also more subtle impacts that resulted from it. Despite evoking the apocalypse, the show did a pretty good job of making the various decisions feel nuanced and human, which is what the show ultimately does best.

The episode was ultimately most impressive at convincing me to give Cappie and Casey a shot. It’s not that they needed to really do anything with Cappie: his self-deprecatory stance here was not a huge surprise considering his past behaviour, as his inner humanity has never really been in question to anyone who has seen his interactions with Rusty, or Dale, or Evan, or Casey, or Rebecca, or pretty well anyone. However, for Casey, I really have no patience for her romantic back and forth – I’ve said many times before that I don’t like this character, and that the show hasn’t really given me any reason to like her. However, the finale addressed this as far as the show is willing to go: by having Ashley call her out on her bouncing around (and even calling her the dreaded “F-Word,” Felicity), the show acknowledges that Casey isn’t a saint, and that her road to romantic love has not been a particularly enjoyable one for those sitting on the sidelines having to see it all happen.

That it hasn’t overwhelmed the show is impressive, but not surprising, as even here it was handled in a way that felt, if a bit accelerated, like a mature response to the situation. Sure, television cliche would have had Casey pulling an “I choose me,” or having their simultaneously exit from a KT closet cause Max to turn into a jerk and break up with her, but forcing Casey to (after Cappie plays the “I’m just a punk, don’t throw away a decent guy for me” card) make the decision to break up with Max herself, simply because she knows that she can’t hurt him. Yes, Casey should have known this months ago, and she really should have made that call as soon as she found out he gave up grad school for her, but her finally coming to her senses did feel deserved, and Grammer and Rady were strong enough to overcome my personal feelings on Casey and the storyline in general to get pretty caught up in it all.

The result was the right place to leave us on a cliffhanger: built up anticipation about Cappie visiting Casey (they weren’t very subtle pretending that was Cappie at the door instead of Frannie), then have him sitting on a roof pondering what he’d do at the end of the world, just as Casey had realized that it wasn’t Max who she’s want to be with. It’s a good moment for them to build from starting in August (honestly, weirdest season structure ever?), as it places the onus on Cappie, the character we actually care about, as opposed to generally inactive and floaty Casey. I’m not capable of being a “shipper” (however much I can get caught up in romances on other shows against my better judgment) for any of Casey’s relationships, but I want Cappie to be happy, and he certainly is in a position to do so whatever he chooses – he’s resolved his issues with Evan (who appears only twice here but seems in better spirits), and now he just has to deal with his own self-image issues, which I find far more compelling than what most love triangles or the like boil down to.

Michael Rady, of course, was always going to be leaving, so it’s no surprise that Max is going to ride off into the sunset. Chances are the very busy Rady would have left even if he hadn’t landed an apartment at Melrose Place, and the character was just too far ahead of the game for the show to move up to his pace. In his time, he served as an interesting counterpoint to Cappie both romantically and as a mentor for Rusty, and while it was never a realistic romantic pairing it was certainly amongst the most tolerable of the show’s short term romantic guest stars.

I’d say that Jordan is a pretty good addition to the cast as well right now, but the show interestingly isn’t so sure, as the episode pitted Rusty’s burgeoning social life against his academic performance. I was very glad to see the return of Dan Castellaneta (who’s always fun as the stodgy academic advisor/professor), and interested to see them dredging up this Season One storyline in an effort to put some jeopardy into Rusty’s happiness. I like the decision in the end: so many shows would have tried to create yet another romantic diversion for the two of them, but it was smart to have it be a bit more isolated to Rusty, and to never actually create that moment where the far too comfortable couple (combined name? No.) exploded or anything else. It was just about planting the seeds of doubt, and whether or not Rusty will get burned like Max did in choosing his end of the world companion, and whether he’ll get burned deciding to live today like it’s the end of the world and he has all of eternity to figure out how to turn his D into a B (If Lisa Simpson taught me anything, it’s that a D turns into a B so easily).

Considering the show comes back in just two months, it wasn’t looking to line up a huge cliffhanger or put everyone in jeopardy: Ashley was safe from expulsion once Frannie dropped the complaint, Rusty’s grade won’t completely sink him as long as he’s willing to work on it, and the KT’s two week suspension was ignored entirely. But there was just enough doubt placed about everything to leave most characters considering their position, and getting ready to act when the show returns in August. That’s a smart decision, but at the same time you want to be able to offer a little bit of closure.

Closing off the IKI side of things was one way to accomplish this, ending the major “conflict” amongst the greek system that formed the back half of this season, but the other way was through the episode’s comic diversion, which featured Dale and Calvin making an altered purity pledge to keep them from falling into temptation. I’ve always liked this combination, as I like most combinations the show puts together: it’s a very versatile cast, and Calvin and Dale are such polar opposites that they work well together on paper, and in practice work even better thanks to Clark Duke’s brilliant way of portraying Dale’s reaction to Calvin’s homosexuality. It’s that proper combination of his ability to spout the jargon without really applying it to Calvin as a person, combined with the ignorance displayed when he has convinced himself his former purity pledge brothers are sharing a bed on Fire Island to save money in this economic climate.

Here, you knew where things were going: Grant wasn’t introduced just to not become a romantic interest (although so much for his homosexuality being on the down-lo considering they’re making out at a giant rager), and Dale’s failure to keep himself in check with Sheila continues a storyline that has been fun for some one-liners if being a bit lifted directly from Duke’s bomb of a sex comedy Sex Drive (which I randomly watched last week, and is fun if too predictable). Similarly, you knew that Dale pretending to be Calvin’s boyfriend wasn’t going to last for very long (although, the fact that Grant believed it made me question his intelligence). Either way, it made for some nice comedy, and with only really positive consequences (unless we value Dale’s purity pledge, which I think isn’t really the point of his character) it kept the entire episode from getting bogged down. Calvin gets the guy, Dale makes out on the couch, and the episode wasn’t just one big crescendo without an ending.

Does Cappie go to Casey? I don’t know, and I don’t particularly care. At this point, the show has won enough of my respect for me to just let it do its thing. It’s the kind of show that will have fans who are desperate to know whether Cappie goes to see her, and who will be waiting in anticipation for that moment to happen, which is totally justified. At the same time, though, I am legitimately curious to see how the show situates itself in the year ahead, and how it takes these various storylines beyond cliffhangers or moments and keeps turning them into a really entertaining and smart dramedy. When the dialogue is clicking like it has been all season, and when the show seems to be getting more and more comfortable with its universe with each passing episode, it’s becoming a show that should have fans amongst the ABC Family audience of teen girls and amongst hardened critics alike.

It may not be the show I’d take with me to the end of the world, but it’s certainly something I’m glad to have in a non-apocalyptic one.

Cultural Observations

• Chances are I could list some favourite lines for days, but Ashley’s escalating comparison of Casey to Meredith Grey, Joey Potter and Felicity ends up getting beaten by the too clever for his own good “I LIKE the English tudor style!” from Cappie when Frannie attacks him for having it out for her house.
• I enjoyed the contrast of the Frannie-like female head of the IFC and the male who explains that 40% of the panel thought that their prank was totally rad – even authority is fun in Greek land.
• I didn’t mention it above since, again, I don’t like to dwell on my negativity towards Casey, but her manhole stunt was a simple shortcut to making her consider the end of the world/her life that was a bit too cheap but was worth it for the paramedic who treated her, who played the Janitor’s wife, Lady, on Scrubs.
• Admittedly,  enjoy Dan Castellaneta on a bad day, but he was great here as he says that Rusty will get nowhere with buttering him up but then totally falls for Rusty’s logic of his biggest mistake. Smart kid (outside of Organic Chemistry) that one is.
• I’m with Frannie: Ashley’s hat/outfit was ridiculous. I always wonder whether they start at the script level with “Ashley is wearing a ridiculous hat” or whether their wardrobe team is just really uneven and they’re forced to adjust on the fly.
• I’ve put in a question to my Chem major friend Alex about whether or not Organic Chem is actually this hard, but he’s a bit of a genius so he probably got an A like Dale did.
• Not one to miss making a classic reference that 80% of its audience won’t get, Sheila/Dale get the classic Mrs. Robinson moment from The Graduate here.
• Just to be clear: Greek “At World’s End” is superior to the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel of the same name.