Six Feet Under – Quarta Temporada

Episódio 3 – Parallel Play

Continua com uma configuração muito mal resolvida essa quarta temporada de Six Feet Under. Os personagens continuam ótimos e os atores também, mas a trama simplesmente não sai do lugar – o que é estranho, já que inventaram diversas situações diferentes e inúmeros personagens novos. Talvez seja por isso mesmo que não funcione como deveria: atira para todos os lados querendo causar efeito e não chega a lugar algum. Parallel Play tem alguns momentos interessantes – como o desfecho ao som de Lucky, do Radiohead – mas é uma pena que nada seja tão bom como poderia ser. É tudo raso.

Új dizájn van, untam a régit. Még várható a jövőben ezzel kapcsolatosan kisérletezés. Amúgy szerintem ez jobb.

Ezt a Six Feet Under klippet most találtam. Eddig mi a faszért nem hallottam róla? Lényegtelen. Annak ellenére, hogy a jelenlegi zenebuzeranciám az electrohoz meg a drum and bass-hez köthető, de azért a régi korszakomból, ami leginkább a metálhoz kapcsolható, azért szemmel követek (vagyis izé… inkább füllel) egy-két bandát. Ilyen pl. a Six Fett Under, ami a zenén kívül Chris Barnes-ről híres. Tudtommal vendégeskedett a Cannibal Corpse -ban is, jellegzetes hangásáról, hátborzongató hörgéseiről, beteg szövegeiről, és a méltán hírhedt (híres?) zimbie-look-ról híres, ami tulajdon képpen (az előbb felsoroltakon kívül) a védjegye. Enjoy!

You’d be forgiven at the moment for thinking we were nearing the end of a decade. The interwebs have been awash of late with more countdowns, best ofs, top tens and general reminiscences of the 2000’s then you could poke a digital stick at. Suddenly everybody is a critic, and while some of the countdowns have been insightful and thought-provoking, others have been….well, like this one. For the nostalgic, these countdowns are practically memory-heaven. But for those who don’t buy into that sort of stuff, it gets a little tiring. So, what better than to list some of the best (and worst) ‘best-of’ lists currently clogging up cyber-space?

Pitchfork: P2K

Over the past months American music site Pitchfork have taken an in-depth look at the decade in music. Way back in the dark ages of 2001 the site barely existed, but since then has grown to be one of the most formidable online music news and reviews sites on the net. Not only does P2K count down the best albums, songs and music videos, it also features a series of essays detailing some of the more interesting developments in music over the past ten years. Of particular note is the ‘Decade in Indie’ and the social history of the mp3.

Highlights
Best Album: Radiohead- Kid A
Best Song: Outkast- B.O.B.

Paste Magazine: The 25 best Album Covers

Slightly more obscure is Paste magazine’s countdown of the best album covers. It has been argued that as digital sales boom and physical CD sales decline, the quality of modern album art is going steadily downhill (as this cover would seem to prove). Regardless, Paste have put together an interesting countdown, which includes the likes of The Flaming Lips, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire and Lil Wayne. Whoever decided to award Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone cover as number 1 though needs to go back and re-take primary school art classes.

Highlights
Number 1: Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
Number 2: Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion (and rightly so)

The A.V. Club: The 30 best TV Shows

The problem with critics is often that their views on what is ‘good’ differs from the majority of the viewing public. Which is a shame, but it’s also the reason why most of the shows on the A.V. Club’s list of best TV shows of the decade have either ended or been cancelled. Still, it’s a formidable list. The top 3 (The Wire, Arrested Development and the Sopranos) are undoubtedly some of the finest productions since television’s inception, let alone in this decade. Other notable shows include Mad Men, Lost and The West Wing, just scraping in at number 30. The best part of this countdown though is the shitfight in the comments as to what constitutes a ‘decade’. Hilarious.

Highlights
Number 1: The Wire
Number 15: Veronica Mars
Number 22: Six Feet Under

News.com.au: Moment of the Decade

Oh, News.com.au. Purveyor of fine, quality journalism. Not content with simply telling Middle Australia what the best bits of the noughties were, good old Rupert has gone and encouraged everyone to name their own favourites! For anyone that’s ever read the comments to any article on the site, that should be enough to click your way on over. In case you need any more incentive though, today’s category is ‘Killers, Haters, Tools: Choose the Villian of the decade’. Apparently Kyle Sandilands and John Mayer are in the same league as Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Who would have thought? The fun doesn’t stop there. Oh no siree, it doesn’t. For you creative types, you can even have a go at naming what the next decade should be called! An issue of utmost importance, of course. Seriously, the sooner this site becomes paid-only, the better.

Lowlights
Pop Culture
Money
Sex & Life
…actually, just spend a good 15 minutes trawling through the site. It’ll make your day.

Times Online: The 100 Best Movies of the Noughties

Slightly more classy news outlet Times Online went all out and counted down the top 100 cinematic releases of the decade. With everything from political drama Milk to Roman-epic Gladiator to comedy Knocked Up, the list does well to cater for everyone…up until the odd choice of The Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum at number 2 (So really it should have been the best 101 movies). And Team America World Police in the top 5? You must be joking.

In Brief
Number 1: Hidden
Number 16: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Number 34: Finding Nemo
Number 64: Anchorman

Well that’s about it. Some of the best (and worst) countdowns of the best (and worst) things to happen in the noughties. Of course, a quick google search will reveal thousands more best-ofs then the ones here. But really, is there much point? When it comes down to it, who gets to decide that Franz Ferdinand is better than Hot Chip? Or that Monsters, Inc. deserves to place ahead of Pan’s Labyrinth?

Perhaps the best countdown of the decade should go to Hungry Beast. They look at the ten best years of the 2000’s. You can check that out here.

]]> http://theviolethourmuse.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/deleting-the-damsel-in-the-dress-archetype/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:34:02 +0000 theviolethourmusings http://theviolethourmuse.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/deleting-the-damsel-in-the-dress-archetype/

The De-Tressed Damsel

One of my favourite TV shows of all time is ‘Six Feet Under’.  I lust to own the complete set of seasons; for now I do own the complete fifth (and final) season: Everything. Everyone. Everywhere. Ends.

‘Six Feet Under’ is rich – nay – stuffed with archetypal language, symbolic and mythic motifs and it is a gift to us that it ended complete: not like ‘Carnivale’ which had the plug pulled on it. That is a whole other blog rant.

Over the last 18-20 years, I have been journeying through mystic metaphysics, archetypes, sacred contracts, energy medicine and my teachers have been Caroline Myss, Stuart Wilde, Glynn Braddy, Julia Cameron and many, many others. 

After 11 years of exploring archetypes and working with them – battling them oft times – I have reached an interesting perspective on the Damsel archetype.   Myss writes:

Damsel (Princess)

• always beautiful, vulnerable, and in need of rescue, specifically by a Knight
• must become empowered and learn to take care of herself
• Princess is associated with romance, not distress
• Shadow Damsel accepts that women are weak and need protection

Examine your young-girl fantasies and expectations for a mate. Were you awaiting the arrival of your Knight in Shining ‘Amour’ hoping to be rescued….and disappointed that your expectations weren’t met?

It is my perspective that the Shadow Damsel is really another archetype; one identified by Stuart Wilde in his provocative book, “Grace, Gaia and the End of Days”, namely the White Shadow of the Rescuer/Healer.

What is this you say?  How can this be that somebody who is in need of rescuing can morph into a Shadow Rescuer?  It is all in the self-esteem and that, reader, is a slippery sucker of a slope.

What has this to do with ‘Six Feet Under’?  Well, everything is connected. Brenda and Nate finally got married in the first episode of the fifth season: Episode 52 – A Coat of White Primer.

Everything gets covered up; especially the cracks and the poor quality of the base materials.

My father was a Master Painter and Interior Decorator. I know about preparation.  I know things about decorating interiors.  Who woulda thunk that I could marry painting analogies into my work as a Soul-Centered Transpersonal Guide…..

 Grok the mysteries – always and in all ways.

Aah….the multi-billion dollar wedding industry. Bit like the Roman Catholic church; frocks, veils and rings to kiss……….

However, that will be a holy other rant.

Try and keep up with the cryptic clues and read between the lines.

My television is a museum piece, it will no longer work when I get it out of storage in January but I’ll keep it anyway for sentimental reasons.  We had one of those until I was pretty old, then I lived for a long, long time without one at all.  Maybe that’s why I won’t be bothering to buy one when I move into a house next year, it’s not something I need or ever really use when there is one.  Yet, to me there is nothing more amazing entertainment wise than a superbly executed, well acted, 24 episode long season of fine television.   I’m a hardcore escapist and I love movies but aside from the occasional epic, 2 hours isn’t enough to truly love a character, 900 minutes is way better.  5 0r 6 seasons of 900 minutes? Now we’re talking.

The Sopranos.  Without the Sopranos there would be no Mad Men, no True Blood, no Breaking Bad, there would be no TV drama  renaissance full stop.  God only knows what we would all be watching but it would most likely suck.  The bar was raised by about a million and TV became something else.  Not that there weren’t great shows before 1999 but nothing like this, not that level of acting, the sublime scripts, the subtle character arcs, the pace of the story, the soundtrack and the eventual conclusion, which in true style managed to just work where other shows would fail.  Who was your favorite? Mine was always Christopher.

So if you haven’t actually watched the Wire and by that I mean actually watched it not just read about it in every magazine, newspaper, blog going.  You really should.  I hate bandwagons, hate jumping on them and I managed to avoid this until season 4 was airing in the USA but when I finally succumbed it was like descending into TV heaven.  For some reason I ended up watching season 2 first and the going back to watching the first season before carrying on with the rest.  Occasionally people tell me they tried season 1 and got bored (insane) so I tell them to go watch 2 first then come back to it, I call it the ‘Charley Way’.  Actually I don’t but it works because the second season is fairly detached from the rest of the plot and then you’re hooked.  There have been so many eloquent love letters to the Wire written by all kinds of great writers since it ended last year, I don’t need to say anymore.  Google them.  Omar, who might genuinely be my favorite character in the world, is worth it.

Ok.  I don’t even know where to start with this one.  I think about it almost every day, I still look in the mirror and get upset that my eyebrows will never be like Sherilyn Fenn, that I will never be like her at all *sob*.  My entire aesthetic has been distorted and designed by watching this show, I’m STILL desperate to live in the Pacific Northwest.  Hearing the theme tune is like a call to arms for dreaminess, owls are awesome, BOB still terrifies me as much as he did when I was 11 and watched it for the first time on late night TV, Agent Cooper is still my dream man, I don’t even care that it gets ridiculous in season 2.  Essentially it’s my favorite show ever and I was going to write something intelligent about why.  Fail.

Six Feet Under.  There is a point with TV shows, usually around season 3 when they start to get a bit silly (excluding my first 2 selections) and this really happened with SFU.  I’m about to go and re-watch it starting from the pilot and I think it’s been long enough for me to forget exactly why that was.  Obviously it was never bad enough for me to stop watching or for those characters to stop being so special or for me to not cry for about a day when it ended.  Recently I’ve come across a lot of people who have never even seen it, especially since the success of Dexter (I’m afraid Michael C. Hall will always be David in my mind) and True Blood, how is that possible?  I’m always happy as larry when I find people who loved it as much as I did.  Favorite character? Brenda, of course but Ruth a close second.

♥

So I guess that’s a top 4.  I could go on but after that the ordering becomes hazy and I can’t decide whether Northern Exposure comes before or after Arrested Development or if I miss Dead Like Me more than Carnivale.  Or if House is my favorite medical drama or whether I have enough guts to say in public that in all honesty Grey’s Anatomy probably is.  Or if True Blood is going to be more of a classic than Mad Men or if 30 Rock might just be the best thing that ever happened to me.

ADDICT.

(proud)

♥

]]> http://hannapernilla.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/bloody-wednesday/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:50:33 +0000 hannapernilla http://hannapernilla.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/bloody-wednesday/

Jag tänker inte gå in på måndags so called maratonlopp där jag kom absolut jävla sist. Istället ska jag publicera min önskelista för i år. Och det kan vara min bästa någonsin. Jag menar, den här är ju iallafall överkomlig. Ni ska se lapparna jag brukar spika upp home in the by flera månader innan do-date. Ojoj, mina föräldrar har inte haft det lätt. Tur att önskningar är gratis, men här kommer alltså min önskelista, den materialistiska varianten: 

TILL TOMTEN:

• Pjäxor till slalomskidorna
• Skidjacka
• Falkfilmerna
• Six feet under säsong 1
• Humanity armband 
• Presentkort på någon inredningsbutik (Lagerhouse, IKEA)
• Presentkort på någon klädaffär (Nelly, HM, Gina Tricot)
• Långfärdsskriller
• Muminkoppar
• Presentkort på tatuering eller piercing
• Massage för mina onda onda nacke och rygg
• Nya glasögon. (Kanske dags att inse, när man knappt ser något i kameran längre) 
• Frisörschampoo och balsam
• Piece of Cake, kokboken av hon tv-kocken Leila
• Sällskapsspel, ex. Med andra ord eller rappakalja
• Nya googles

Sehr schönes Verpackungsdesign – DVD Box Six Feet Under. Zu bestellen unter: www…

Hail Headbanguers do Metal Militia!

Essa semana estamos todos na espectativa do show mais esperado do ano, o do AC/DC. E aqui na Hora do Chefe também rola o som dos Australianos, contudo numa versão mais agressiva – como sempre!

O Mini-especial dessa semana conta com 6 musicas do AC/DC com a interpretação do Six Feet Under, banda do ex-vocal do Cannibal Corpse – Chris Barnes. Algumas ficaram bem fodas, já outras ficaram mais ou menos, mas é sempre valido conferir!!!

Outra diferença nesse especial é que ele vai no primeiro bloco e não no segundo, afinal não é nenhum mistério e muita gente já deve ter ouvido essas versões.

 O Track List é:

1 – Hells Bells
2 – Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution
3 – TNT
4 – Shoot To Thrill 
5 – Giving The Dog a Bone 
6 – Back in Black 

Ouçam lá e comentem aqui!!!

E daqui a pouco eu volto com outros dois post: O Set List provavel do show (pra não perder o costume) e um comentário, polemico, a respeito da abertura do show do Twisted Sisters.

Chefe 

Presented by Fabien and Clement

Presentation :
It is an American television drama series created by Alan Ball. Six feet under deals with a family that managed a funeral service. But the father dies in a car accident and it is at that time that the problems begin.

Characters :
Peter Krause as Nathaniel Samuel “Nate” Fisher Jr.
Michael C. Hall as David James Fisher
Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher
Lauren Ambrose as Claire Simone Fisher
Richard Jenkins as Nathaniel Samuel Fisher Sr.
Freddy Rodriguez as Federico Diaz
Mathew St. Patrick as Keith Charles
Rachel Griffiths as Brenda Chenowith

My opinion :
Six Feet Under is a depressing series. In the first episode, I notice that this family is a disaster. They live in the middle of deaths because the family manages a funeral service, the father is killed in a car accident, the daughter is a drug-addict, the first oldest son has a weight on his shoulders because this family relies on him in the difficult moments, the second oldest son is homosexual and he doesn’t wish to show it, and the mother was unfaithful  to her husband.

But it is funny because it is very exaggerated. I don’t know how they can follow to live in these conditions.

So if you are depressed or that you wish to put an end at your life, then I advise you to watch this series and you will see that your life isn’t so terrible.

My Mark :
12/20

Aaron Sorkin, mannen som tok allmenndannelse til et nytt internasjonalt nivå med tv-serien The West Wing, skal i gang med en ny tv-serie så snart Facebook-filmen hans er i klippen. Denne nye tv-serien skal foregå backstage på en – ja det stemmer – tv-serie.

“I’m going to be starting on a new TV series” when filming is done on the upcoming movie “The Social Network,” the Sorkin-penned account of the founding of Facebook directed by David Fincher, he says. “It’s going to be what turns out to be the third in the trilogy of TV shows that take place behind the scenes of a TV show, but this will be a different kind of TV show. That’s all I can let out of the bag right now.”

Sorkin said he “hopes” to reunite on the project with at least some of the actors he’s worked with previously. “If you’re a writer, when you’re find an actor like Josh Malina, Felicity Huffman, Brad Whitford, Matt Perry, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, all these great actors that I’ve worked with, you just want to stick them in your pocket and work with them forever, so I hope so.” He also expects to be working with director and longtime collaborator Tommy Schlamme “for sure.”

Alan Ball, en annen av mine tv-serie-helter gikk fra tidvis geniale Six Feet Under til vampyrserien True Blood. Der Six Feet Under var preget av dyp menneskekunnskap, er True Blood fascinerende, men ikke så mye mer. Grunnlagsmaterialet er altså med på å bestemme kvaliteten også på det svært begavede mennesker skaper. West Wing hadde autentisiteten og tyngden av verdens mest fascinerende og inflytelsesrike politiske apparat som grunnlag. Det blir spennende å se om kulissene til en tv-serie gir Sorkin nok luft under vingene.

Jeśli nie oglądałaś/oglądałeś Six Feet Under (a masz taki zamiar) możesz nie chcieć psuć sobie przyjemności poniższym klipem.

Spalić wszystkie rzeczy. Słuchać w kółko OK Computer. Fotografować. It’s gonna be a glorious day.
Odgrzewam stare seriale a one odgrzewają stare emocje.

La nouvelle, “Les sous-titres, ces pédagogues” sur le site de Radio-Canada mentionne qu’il peut être judicieux de regarder un film dans la langue étrangère que l’on veut apprendre… en mettant les sous-titres dans cette langue et non en français (en fait, ne pas visionner le film ou lire la légende dans notre langue maternelle). Ceci faciliterait grandement notre compréhension de la langue: Cool, isn’t it? Que legal, nao sabia isso! Eh bien, c’est justement ce que je faisais. Et que je fais encore, que ces films soient en anglais ou en portugais.

Déjà, en me clanchant les Saisons 1-2-3 de la fameuse série américaine Six Feet Under, je sens que j’ai fait des progrès. Mais oups… cette série est remplie de gros mots (f***, f***ing f***). Bah, c’est une façon d’apprendre la vraie langue parlée, le dit slang. À tout le moins, je ne parlerais pas comme un prof d’anglais!

Côté portugais, je me suis rapportée une série de films du Brésil. Évidemment, je regarde encore à l’occasion l’excellent Citade de Deus (City of God en version anglaise ou encore Cité de Dieu en français) du réalisateur Fernando Mireilles ou encore le très violent – mais excellent – Tropa de Elite (Elite Troup / Troupe d’élite) pour familiariser mes oreilles avec le portugais chantant, typique du Brésil.

From Six Feet Under: George before the ECT

ECT is sometimes an enigma. We’ve all heard of ’shock treatments,’ but we’ve never really seen how it’s really done. Most of us just conjure up an image a la ‘Cuckoo’s Next,’ and even when the procedure’’s been explained verbally, it’s practically impossible to understand how it’s done. So, when a recent television program ’shows’ a scene containing ECT, it intrigues me.

One such episode is from the HBO drama ‘Six Feet Under,’ entitled “A Coat of White Primer.” George, Ruth’s husband, has depressive psychosis and is taken to a psychiatric hospital after secluding himself in his makeshift ‘bomb shelter.’ When medication fails to work, George and his doctor decide that ECT is the next option. When the family members are told of this plan, his daughter asks back, “Shock treatments?” The doctor tries to assure her that it’s not what she thinks it is, as George says, “nothing is working.”

The scene changes to George having ECT. The camera shows the Thymatron machine, the actual device used for ECT (unless it’s for me, since they use the sine-wave machine on me…). Nothing looks painful. The only image that shows any pain is of Ruth, who looks obviously distraught and stressed out from months of trying to help and support her husband.

In general, I think the way this show decided to capture someone (and by extention, his/her family) dealing with ECT is depicted fairly accurately. My actual ECT room looks a lot less alone since other patients are lined up on beds next to mine. The emotions that arises surrounding the ECT is well captured. In fact, there’s another episode where George has started on maintenance treatments and is talking about it with Billy, a character with bipolar disorder. Here’s the dialogue:

[Billy and George Sibley are talking on the porch. Billy is sneaking a beer.]

George Sibley: So, you stopped taking them? Just like that?

Billy: Yep.

George Sibley: How do you feel?

Billy: I feel a little tingly. That’s about it. What do they got you on these days?

George Sibley: Well they just switched me from Lithium to Tophranil…

Billy: Oh.

George Sibley: … in between the shock treatments.

Billy: What are those like?

George Sibley: Honestly, I don’t know. I go in. They put me on a bed. They give me some oxygen. They say, “You’re going to feel a little prick in your hand.” That always makes me laugh. And then the next thing I know I wake up with the worst headache I’ve had in my life.

Billy: You think it’s helping?

George Sibley: I think that, as Émile Coué used to say, “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.” But not everyone agrees.

Billy: Yeah. It’s hard to get your shit together with someone watching all the time.

George Sibley: Hmm, yeah it is. But when no one is watching, then where are you? Where the fuck are you then?

I think the matter-of-fact tone in the way George talks is pretty much how I’ve eventually begun to feel about the treatments. I really appreciate this dialogue because, to me, it somehow knew to show that the ECT patients themselves begin to feel a lot less uncomfortable in talking about ECT–because we know the routine by this point. The sense of nervousness  and, dare I say, horror, in our voices in the beginning has diminished. Other conversations show that the people around George are the ones who are very concerned about his decision to have more ECT.

There’s some sense of sensationalism that comes along with television shows, but I appreciate how ‘Six Feet Under’ decided to depict mental illness in general and what it’s like to go through electroconvulsive therapy, for both the patient and the people around the patient.

Lyric time again. This is from a metal band called Six Feet Under. I just rediscovered how great the imagery is in their video for this song. I’ll include the lyrics here — they’re pretty good — but it’s the video which says it all quite well for American culture. Very reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s movie The Wall. But NOT the music — just turn off the volume and watch the video.

I’d rather die than to live in this fucked world
Mr. President I’m not here to do your dirty work
Alone, I think I’m fighting a losing battle
Worth dying . . . not for oil

NO WAR

Amerika the brutal

Listen, it’s a fucking joke and they make you believe it on the TV
That’s how they deceive you
I watch and I listen and I question their reasons
You know what? I don’t fuckin’ believe ‘em

NO WAR

Amerika the brutal

When I want to know the future I look into the past
I think of my best friend and his stories of Vietnam
And now I got a cousin fighting in Iraq, and I want her coming back
I’m not afraid to speak my own mind
I don’t use the first amendment to hide behind
I’m guaranteed that freedom, I’m born with that right
And for that I’m ready to fight
I’d rather die than to live in this fucked world
Fake president, I’m not here to do your dirty work
Alone, I think I’m fighting this losing battle . . . worth dying?

Not for oil!

NO WAR

Amerika the brutal

I’m not at all sure how I feel about True Blood. Alan Ball = Brilliant. But I don’t really enjoy the ride. Confounded, mostly. Evan Rachel Wood (above) plays Sophie-Anne Leclerq – the vampire queen. First appearing in the episode Frenzy – and in that swim suit. A Norma Kamali. Specifically, the Jersey collection.

Πριν ξεκινησω τα πρώτα επισόδεια του πρώτου κύκλου της σειράς, έβλεπα σειρές σαν το Grey’s Anatomy και το Desperate Housewives σαν το καλύτερο τηλεοπτικό υλικό που έχει να δείξει η τηλεόραση σήμερα. Γρήγορα άλλαξα γνώμη μετά από την παρακολούθηση λίγων μόνο επεισοδίων της εξαιρετικής σειράς Six Feet Under. Νομίζω είναι πολύ κρίμα που δεν την έβλεπα όταν προβαλλόταν και στην τηλεόραση αλλά κάλλιο αργά παρά ποτέ (δεν λένε?)!

Το κεντρικό θέμα της σειράς είναι γενικά ο θάνατος, πως τον αντιμετωπίζουμε στην γη και πως υποκρίνονται ότι δεν υπάρχει στην Αμερική. Ένα τέτοιο θέμα για σειρά φυσικά δύσκολα θα έπαιρνε το πράσινο φως για την προβολή, όμως ευτυχώς υπάρχει και η καλωδιακή τηλεόραση εκεί και φτιάχνουν και τίποτα παραπάνω από καλό. Με τις καλύτερες προδιαγραφές σε cast (Michael C. Hall [ο σημερινός "Ντέξτερ"], Peter Krauss, Frances Conroy και φυσικά Lauren Ambrose), δημιουργό (Alan Ball [ο δημιουργος του American Beauty και του True Blood]), σκηνοθέτες (συνήθως έναν διαφορετικό ανά επεισόδιο) και ένα κεντρικό θέμα που δύσκολα απασχολεί την τηλεόραση, δημιουργήθηκε ένα σίριαλ που ανέβασε τον πήχη ΠΟΛΥ ψηλά. Η σειρά παίχτηκε και στην Ελλάδα (περιέργως) από το Star Channel (ποιο αλλο?) υπό τον ανέμπνευστο τίτλο “Γραφείο Τελετών Φίσερ”.

Η σειρά διαδραματίζεται στην Αμερική και αφορά μια οικογένεια που τα τελευταια 35 χρόνια λειτουργεί ένα γραφείο τελετών. Ο πατέρας (Nathaniel Sr. Fischer) πεθαίνει από το πρώτο επεισόδιο, και εκεί είναι βασικά που ξεκινά όλη η ιστορία, η μητέρα (Ruth) είναι ένα control freak, ο μεγαλύτερος γιος (Nate) είναι αυτος που ειχε δραπευτεύσει από την φρικαλέα κατάσταση που λέγεται Οικογένεια και ζούσε στο Seattle μέχρι που ξέμεινε στο σπίτι που μεγάλωσε μετά την κηδεία αφού ο πατέρας του αφήνει και στους 2 γιους του το γραφείο κηδειών. Ο δεύτερος γιος (David) είναι αφιερωμένος στην δουλειά από μικρό παιδί και κρυφά ομοφυλόφιλος (μοιαζει τρομακτικα στη μαμα του παρ’ολο που η ιδια εχει αδυναμια στον πρωτοτοκο) και τελευταια (και καλυτερη) η μικρή κόρη (Claire), ένα 17χρονο freak που μισεί τους πάντες και τα πάντα.

Θεωρητικά εγώ θα έπρεπε να είχα αδυναμία στον David και να τον ξεχώριζα όμως από τις πρώτες κιόλας σκηνές ήμουν σίγουρος ότι θα αγαπησω περισσότερο από όλους την Claire. Δεν είχα άδικο γιατι επί 5 σεζόν που κράτησε η σειρά η Claire ήταν ο εαυτός μου σε γυναικείο ρόλο. Η Lauren Ambrose που την υποδυεται έκανε ΕΞΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΗ δουλεια και πραγματικά σαν χαρακτήρας η Claire μου κεντρισέ το ενδιαφέρον περισσότερο από κάθε ρόλο που εχω δει στη ζωή μου.

Δεν πρόκειται για μια σειρά όπως τις υπόλοιπες και δεν θα έπρεπε κανείς να περιμένει απίστευτο σασπένς και κλαμα απαραίτητα σε κάθε επεισόδιο. Είναι μια σειρά που στην ουσία μπορεί να σε κάνει να ταυτιστείς, που έχει ΚΑΙ την καθημερινότητα μέσα, που χαρίζει τις καλύτερες ατάκες ρόλων που μπορεί να ευχηθεί ένας ηθοποιός, που σου δινει τροφή για σκέψη και σε κάνει να γελάς με το ιδιαίτερο μαύρο χιούμορ της. Είναι αρκετά ωμή, σαρκαστική και ρεαλιστική.

Στο πέρασμα των επεισοδίων και των κύκλων παρατηρούμε τον κάθε χαρακτήρα να πολεμάει με την ιδέα του θανάτου, τη ζωή του και το μέλλον του ισότιμα (δεν υπάρχει πρωταγωνιστής) καθως και πραγματα που κατα τη διαρκεια της ζωής τους τους σημαδεύουν, λάθη που τα μεγαλοποιούν (όλοι το κανουμε) και περαστικοί που δεν είναι απαραίτητο να τους αλλαξουν τη ζωή (κατι που εκτιμησα πολυ!). Κατα τη διαρκεια των κύκλων παρατηρησα άψογα πλάνα. Υπηρξαν πλάνα που με έκαναν να δακρύσω χωρίς να λένε τίποτα. Υπήρξαν πλάνα που έλεγαν τα πάντα χωρίς μία γραμή από λόγια.

Νομιζω είναι κάτι που προτείνω στους ΠΑΝΤΕΣ να δουν διοτι πιστεύω ότι και το μεγαλύτερο ζώον του πλανήτη θα το έβρισκε ενδιαφέρον. Το τελευταίο επεισόδιο της σειράς (εκεί που όλα τελειώνουν) είναι για μένα ό,τι καλύτερο έχω δει οπτικά. Προσωπικά μου άλλαξε τον τρόπο σκέψης, με έκανε να κλάψω όσο δεν έχω κλάψει ΠΟΤΕ στη ζωή μου, μονοπώλησε τις σκέψεις μου για το υπόλοιπο της εβδομαδας και με έκλεισε μέσα στο σπίτι για 3 συνεχόμενες μέρες. Ακόμα το σκέφτομαι συχνά. Αξιζει να δεις ΟΛΟΥΣ τους κυκλους για το τελικό επεισόδιο και μόνο!

Σίγουρα η σειρά μπορεί για πολλούς να είναι καταθλιπτική ειδικά αν είναι άτομα που σαν κεντρικό φόβο της ζωής τους έχουν τον θάνατο. Προσωπικά έχοντας σαν μεγαλύτερο φόβο αυτό, μπήκα σε πολλές σκέψεις και για μέρες ήμουν υπερβολικά φορτισμένος συναισθηματικά. Φοβαμαι το θανατο και τον χαμο των γύρω μου όσο τίποτα άλλο και η σειρά με χτύπησε ακριβώς εκεί. Όμως δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ήταν μαζοχιστική η διαδικασία, κάθε άλλο. Έμαθα πολλά, σκέφτηκα ακόμα περισσότερα και μπήκα στη διαδικασία να εκτιμήσω τη στιγμή που ζω, την κάθε στιγμή, να ευχαριστήσω τη μαμά μου, να αντιμετωπίσω τις αναμνήσεις μου (κατι που με μελαγχολεί απίστευτα). Η σειρά μου έκανε καλό όντας την ίδια στιγμή διασκεδαστική.

Δεν είναι χάσιμο χρόνου. Αυτό.

Ακολουθούν τρέιλερς του κάθε κύκλου [δεν περιεχουν σπόιλερς ομως δινουν απόλυτα την τρομερή αισθητική της σειράς]

1ος κύκλος

2ος κύκλος

3ος κύκλος

4ος κύκλος

5ος κύκλος

Si può uscire dalla crisi se si è perso tutto? Spogliarsi come nella pellicola sui disoccupati di Sheffield non basta più. Ci vuole il servizio completo. Un’altra storia intorno alla famiglia Usa, aggrappata a un filo, molto particolare.

C’era una volta Full Monty, il film rivelazione di Peter Cattaneso, anno 1997, nato come produzione a basso costo, premiato da 4 nomination e un Oscar, ma soprattutto diventato un fenomeno di costume. Raccontava la storia di sei disoccupati inglesi, che nella triste Sheffield, cercavano di uscire dalla crisi più nera. Per far fronte a problemi economici e alla sensazione d’inutilità e frustrazione, tentavano un po’ goffamente l’impresa di allestire uno spettacolo di spogliarello maschile. Chi non ricorda i sei proletari folgorati dallo streap tease, che improvvisano in fila per il sussidio un provino sulle note di Hot Stuff di Donna Summer?

Hung, la serie tv che va in onda stasera su SkyUno è il nuovo Full Monty, ma stavolta si è soli, e non basta spogliarsi. Per affrontare la crisi in età adulta ci vuole il “servizio completo”.

Protagonista di Hung è un uomo maturo, divorziato, in rotta con il lavoro e con sé stesso. Per la precisione, Ray Dracker (interpretato da Thomas Jane) è un’ex-promessa del basket abbandonato dalla moglie, senza una casa, che ha perso l’affidamento dei figli, ed è insoddisfatto del proprio lavoro che consiste nel fare sottopagato l’allenatore di una squadra di college a Detroit. Un disperato quindi, ma Ray è anche bello e superdotato, appunto hung, parola col doppio significato di appeso, come Ray rispetto alla sua vita.

Il sottotitolo recita «It’s hard to make an indecent living»: è difficile condurre una vita indecente. E infatti la vita di Ray è un bollettino di guerra. C’è poco da ridere se si pensa a un insegnante di ginnastica in bancarotta che si dà alla prostituzione, ma ci si prova. Ray finisce nel più classico dei corsi motivazionali che promettono il successo e l’affermazione professionale in tempi rapidi, «Tira fuori l’imprenditore che c’è in te» recita il panel. Una suggestione che si rivela efficace, anche grazie a una sua ex Tanya (Jane Adams), incontrata allo stesso seminario. E proprio Tanya che gli aveva rimproverato di avere più cm che neuroni, sarà la sua manager.
Anche nelle note stampa, la svolta viene descritta con un linguaggio che ricorda lo storytelling aggressivo e deciso dei manager che leggono Sun Tzu: «Ray resolves to take advantage of his greatest asset, in hopes of changing his fortunes in a big way».

Hung viene prodotto dalla Hbo, che già con Six feet under e i Soprano ha affrontato la crisi della famiglia americana e dei suoi pilastri. Hung sembra il rovescio della libertà di Sex and the city e chissà se ripeterà lo stesso epocale successo. Per ora la serie in Usa è andata molto bene. «Una serie tv con le palle» ha scritto Mattia Nicoletti sul sito Moob, uno degli osservatori più interessanti sulle serie tv: «la storia di un uomo al limite costretto a compiere gesti che non avrebbe mai compiuto per rimanere a galla e attaccato anche se per un filo alla famiglia». Una storia di sopravvivenza e di cambiamento «nell’Obama post Madoff», quando i talenti tradizionali non funzionano più.

I spent yesterday afternoon chomping and stomping around Cabbagetown where hundreds of like-minded folks tested out restaurant and civilian chili. Here’s my day in photos:

couldn't find a parking spot, although the sign said otherwise

walked through a dark, tatted tunnel for the love of chili

waited on a long line to purchase a coveted orange spoon

Hold on to your spoons!

took in the masses of people and chili stands

saw the guys from Noni's with colorful glasses

they served up a chicken chili = decent

steaming chili served in pitchers

long line of chili-slingers

The Vortex had OK veggie chili

teamwork at MetroFresh

reigning champs at Fox Bros.

Six Feet Under brought hush puppies

and plopped them on top of their chili

gotta use both hands for the hungry

round one completed

time for help from the antacid

dudes looking for some heat

interesting outfit choice, guys

but I'll still eat your chili

he didn't get the chili memo

neither did porky

chili ran out quickly

at many stands

but many people were served

even the best chefs in Atlanta

Kevin Rathbun chugged a beer

and I met Kevin from Top Chef!

Honestly, none of the chili that I tried reached an awe-inspiring level but the event was super fun and the turnout was spectacular. A fun, fall day in Atlanta – come out next year!

I woke up with an unbelievable sense of melancholy this morning, and I didn’t know why. Then I remembered what I did last night.

I have no coherent thoughts, save that I love this show, quite possibly more than anything else I’ve yet encountered in my life–and I’ve loved a good deal of fiction very powerfully.

Hello and good evening friends! Hope your Friday was awesome.

After lunch this afternoon, I walked my usual 2.6 miles to pick up Miss Mina from school despite the fact that the brisk Fall temperatures were stinging my skin ever so slightly. I must remember to pick up fleece headbands and gloves for running outdoors, ASAP.

While at work, I munched on some baby carrots and drank an unpictured cup of Yerbe Mate:

Disclaimer: I apologize/invite you to skip the following tangent if you’re put off by organic food rants.

On my way home from work I made a pit stop to this natural food store that I feel ambivalent towards. It’s called “Food Liberation,” and while I appreciate that they carry rare, hard to find organic specialty foods…that place is insanely expensive. Looking at the inflated price tags of the products, I started getting riled up.

I mean no disrespect to organic food enthusiasts, but I feel that there is a lot of unneccessary hype in going totally organic. Of course, I stick to the cleanest diet possible and do believe in buying local, minimally processed, organic food when appropriate and within your means. However, let’s face it…organic produce/food is expensive, sometimes ridiculously so! For instance, when I was at “Food Liberation” and almost bought a package of dark chocolate covered goji berries, I immediately changed my mind when I noticed the $12.00 price tag. It was a tiny bag and, to me, that’s borderline robbery.

My main point is, I feel that while it’s nice to shop conciously and make your groceries green (both with vegetables and environmental consideration), it’s not always a practical or affordable option. I feel that I’m lucky to live in a country that allows me to be so picky about my food, whereas, in a vast majority of the world… a lot of people are lucky to eat one meal a day, if any at all. So while at the super expensive health food store today, I had to take a step outside and acknowledge that even organic consumption has its silliness.

I recommend you take a look at this article which contains a list of produce with the lowest/highest pesticide levels, and which are best to purchase organic.

Ok, now that I got that off my chest, I ended up picking up a package of Coconut Coated Medjool Dates and Two Tiny Dark Chocolates for dessert later tonight:

Jason came over for dinner and our last “Six Feet Under” night (we finished the series tonight)! While I’ve seen the entire series a gazillion times, it was Jason’s first time seeing the Fisher family come to an end. The finale of that show is the finest hour of television I’ve ever seen. Makes me bawl every time.

For dinner we ordered from a Mediterranean restaurant that has terrible service. After waiting over an hour and a half for dinner to arrive, I got fed up and snacked on a date because I was hungry and starting to get cranky:

Tide Me Over, Sweet Date

Dinner finally arrived, and while it was delicious, it wasn’t delicious enough to warrant the wait. Sorry, but service is as important to me as the quality of the food I eat while dining out/ordering take-out. Pyramida, I will not be dealing with you again.

On an unrelated note, here’s Jason hiding from the camera, as per usual:

You Can Hide, But While On My Couch, You Can't Run From My Camera.

Here’s my plate sitting by the warm glow of the television:

Pumpkin Mash, Some sort of Unidentifiable Brown Stuff, Greek Salad, 1/2 Pita Bread, Beef and Chicken, Rice and Lentils

The pumpkin side was really the best part of the meal, and the pita was nice and thick. Everything else was just ok, including the meat combo which included chicken, beef, and some sort of beef/lamb hybrid. I sipped an Amstel Light with everything.

Dessert was one more of the dates, and a chocolate.

It’s nearly 1:00AM, and my eyes are fighting to stay open. I have a very exciting day ahead of me tomorrow, filled with one particularly incredible food adventure in the evening. Stay tuned to find out!

What experiences have made you swear off certain restaurants due to poor quality/service?

Goodnight!