February 8, 2010
Syracuse, NY – I went to Planet Fitness after work. It was crowded. Almost every piece of cardio equipment was occupied. I was lucky enough to get the last free elliptical. I was halfway through my workout when a big guy walked by. I adjusted my headphones, grabbed the handles and stared at the TV. Moments later, a huge whiff of fart smacked me in the face. My mouth was open.
I regained my appetite by the time I got home. I threw some chicken on the George Foreman, warmed up leftover veggies and made some couscous. For entertainment I watched Family Guy on Hulu.com. The episode was called “Dial Meg for Murder.”
In one scene, Meg has just gotten home after spending time in jail. She has tattoos and muscles. To show off her toughness, she beats up Peter. He takes some hits to the face and falls to the floor. I thought it was all over until Meg dragged him to the stairs, puts his open mouth on the corner of the last step and stomped. Even though it was a cartoon, I cringed.
The whole scene reminded me of American History X, the 1998 cult classic that defined the curb stomp. Despite the gratuitous violence, the film was excellent. I’m not going to sum up; that wouldn’t do it justice. I will say that 20-40% of the film followed Neo-Nazi Danny Vinyard, played by Edward Norton, in jail. These scenes reminded me of a New Yorker article on Mickey Mouse.
A New York Times article “After Mickey’s Makeover, Less Mr. Nice Guy,” by Brooks Barnes, was inspiration for Paul Rudnick’s “Modern Mickey,” a hilarious take on Mickey Mouse’s new look. In a satirical memo to the Disney Board of Directors, Rudnick offered “a few tweaks” to Mickey’s face lift. Here’s two of them,
—Once Mickey is in the maximum-security prison, how about if he gets a crude tattoo of Jesus wearing the white gloves?
—In the scene where Mickey tries therapy, we love it when Mickey tells his rhino shrink, “I grew up behind the walls of a one-room hellhole in the ghetto. It was infested with filth and vermin, including my cousins.” But we question the moment when Mickey breaks down sobbing and howls, “It’s true! They used my mother to test hair coloring!”
Check out the article. On the other hand, that Family Guy episode was a bit disturbing and over the top. Now that I think about it, I’m sure Seth MacFarlane used “American History X” as inspiration for the scene (aha moment).
- east coast paper boy
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Tags: After Mickey’s Makeover, aha moment, american history x, Brooks Barnes, cardio equipment, comedy, couscous, cult classic, curb stomp, dial meg for murder, disney, edward norton, elliptical, family guy, farted, fox, funny, george forman, gym, hulu.com, humor, Less Mr. Nice Guy, meg, mickey mouse, modern, modern mickey, new mickey, new york, new york times, ny, ny times, paul rudnick, peter, planet fitness, seth macfarlane, syracuse, the new yorker, working out
February 7, 2010
Syracuse, NY –Death row* was the name of the infamous record label founded by Suge Knight and Dr. Dre. It’s also the name of a song by Judas Priest. In “The Life of David Gale,” death row is what David Gale is on.
Academy Award winning actor and Old Vic director Kevin Spacey plays Gale, a University of Austin college professor and anti-capital punishment (death row) activist. Laura Linney plays Constance Harraway, an activist and friend of Gale’s. After being accused of rape, Gale lost his job, wife and kid. Dejected and alone, Harraway took him in. Everything was hunky-dory until Gale was framed for murdering Harraway. Journalist Bitsey Bloom, played by Kate Winslet, was called to write Gale’s story as he sat on death row.
Despite dismal reviews, I thought the film was pretty entertaining. Spacey and Winslet had some strong performances. Seeing Spacey behind bars reminded me of when he played John Doe in David Fincher’s “Se7en.” Spacey was eerily calm and calculated (in “Se7en” more than “Gale”). As the film climaxes, Winslet was a bit melodramatic. Otherwise, she was poised through most of the film. Linney was also very good. There is one scene, after another prisoner was executed, where she really shows off her acting chops. This New York native can really turn it on. The same could not be said about director Alan Parker, editor Gerry Hambling or Alex and Jake Parker, in charge of the music.
Every time a car scene was shown, the music never fit. It was too uplifting, ethereal. Every time a transition to a flashback was made, some distracting windmill effect was used. A straight cut would have sufficed.
The story was the foundation of this film. “The Life of David Gale” was a thrilling who done it that featured a solid cast and riveting ending. A lot of critics got caught up with all the death row noise and politics. Don’t get distracted by the din.
- east coast paper boy
*Death Row Records, to be exact.
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Tags: new york, syracuse, movie review, ny, london, england, uk, film, kevin spacey, the life of david gale, kate winslet, 2010, university of austin, capital punishment, death row, ethereal, music, david fincher, john doe, seven, se7en, editor, gerry hambling, din, 7, judas priest, death row records, suge knight, dr. dre, who done it, laura linney, old vic
