Channeling Bruce

I can't believe that I haven't written about this season's version of "American Horror Story: Coven" before now. Because holy hot hell, this show is on fire (literally) this season. 

I suppose because they are the most visible, I should start by talking about the cast. I don't know a director who wouldn't gladly give up a yank of hair or a few drops of blood to work with any and all of the amazing actors who've ever been a part of this show, but this cast in particular is... well, a director's wet dream. 

First off, there's the returning ensemble, headed by the astonishing Jessica Lange as the 'Supreme' Salem witch, Fiona and last season's star, Sarah Paulson as her daughter, Cordelia. Season one's burn victim (the highly underrated character actor Denis O'Hare) is back, this time as a cross-dressing, tongueless, necrophiliac version of Riff-Raff along with Taissa Farmiga as Zoe, the obvious 'Supreme-in-Waiting;' Lily Rabe as the Stevie Nicks-obsessed healer Misty; Jamie Brewer as a telepath with Downs; Evan Peters as the Teenage Frankenstein Frat Boy with rage issues and the glorious Frances Conroy in crazy flowing costumes, cat's eye spectacles and a crimped-to-death ginger fright-wig, as Fiona's mortal enemy Myrtle. 

As if that wasn't enough, add Academy Award winner Kathy Bates as the most vile woman in the history of New Orleans who has been cursed with eternal life by Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett!); Academy Award nominee Gabourey Sidibe as a 'Human Voodoo Doll;' Emma Roberts as a Pyrokenetic; gay imp Leslie Jordan as a member of the coven's High Council and Patti Freakin' Lupone as the holier-than-thou Uber-Christian new neighbor... Every director in Hollywood should be pounding on Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck's door, begging on their knees and offering up blood sacrifices to direct an episode of this show.

Of course, the best cast and director in the world mean little if the writing isn't up to snuff. Season One was daring and amazing and creepy and sexy and fairly linear, with glimpses into the past to fill in the gaps while maintaining a fairly singular plot. Season two, on the other hand -- while still amazing -- was a bit all over the place, taking on too many subjects for one story. There was alien abduction; sadistic nuns; demonic possession; Nazi experiments; lesbian empowerment and two serial killers!

'Coven' marks a return to the more focused story line of season one, this time telling the story of an old rivalry between witches forced to move south from Salem and the Voodoo witches who followed, soon after. Fiona is the headmistress of a witch boarding school, run in her long absence by Cordelia. When Zoe (Farmiga) is brought to the school after killing her boyfriend with sex, Fiona returns and all sorts of hell breaks loose. This season's writing team has just amped it up again, giving these incredible actors some powerful scenes and unironic (unless it needs to be) genre dialog.

Which brings me to why this post is titled "Channeling Bruce."  

SPOILERS AHEAD 

Last week's Halloween episode ended with Cordelia having acid thrown in her eyes at a bar while the school was surrounded by zombies raised by Marie in revenge for the death of the minotaur Bastian.  This week, while Fiona waited at the hospital for word on Cordelia, Zoe stepped up and took control at the school. And as Fiona was wandering the hospital and resurrecting a dead child for another grieving mother, Zoe took up a chainsaw and went nuts on the zombies, channeling Bruce Campbell in his most gloriously blood-covered glee and all I could think was "Zoe went Ash on AHS!" Too much?

Holy crap, I almost forgot about Danny Huston! Keep the brilliance coming, boys! So glad that FX has already announced Season 4!  I can think of a certain East Coast legend they could explore...

If you aren't watching "American Horror Story: Coven," you're missing some truly extraordinary television. Forgive me for repeating myself, but I really want to see what happens when other genres take up AHS' 'repertory' format. And I really can't wait to see what other powerhouse actors show up for Season 4!

More, anon.
Prospero

I Used to Like Clint Eastwood

As we have previously established, Uncle P is old. Old enough to remember when actor/director Clint Eastwood was hot. Seriously. In those Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns and on "Rawhide?" Damn! Hell, even in Unforgiven. I have not watched his current wife's 'reality' show on the E! network (though I generally loathe those kinds of programs), so it's been a while since I've seen him.

Last night, however,  Mr. Eastwood was the much bally-hooed "Surprise Guest" at the Republican National Convention, where he proceeded to ramble on to a empty chair for nearly 12 minutes (he had been given 5) and nearly caused Twitter to break down. If you haven't seen it, here it is:

Honestly, if any other 82 year-old had been caught talking to an inanimate object in public for 12 minutes, they would have been sent to a home. Still, I don't understand how an avowed Hollywood liberal (as illustrated in the graphic above) can support a platform of homophobia, misogyny and science-denial. Is this what happens after one turns 75? Does one suddenly change political parties and lose all sense of fashion at the same time? If that's the case, then please shoot me when (and if) I turn 70.  Better dead than poorly-dressed and ill-informed (or something like that). Oh - and no matter how old I am, if you ever see me with a comb-over, you have my permission to slap me as hard you can (hopefully dislodging the comb-over in the process).

I can only hope that dementia has set in. It's the only explanation for Eastwood's behavior last night that makes any sense to me. Of course, maybe someone slipped him some acid just before he went on. 

The whole thing makes me tired, angry and sad.

More, anon.
Prospero

Disappointment Mixed with Joy

What an oddly dichotic day.

First, as I am sure you know by now, the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8. I don't understand why they would do this. This is the same court that ruled it Unconstitutional to deny same-sex marriage in the first place. I cried when I read the decision. Then I heard some activist say something on the evening news that made me feel a little better: "No civil rights issue has ever been defeated, before. No civil rights issue will ever be defeated." As our President continues to back peddle on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the idiots in CA fall to pressure from the religious right, I am comforted by the fact that at least 5 states now allow same-sex marriage. That's 10%. And that's what the LGBT community is estimated to be (though I think it's probably a low-ball estimate). So this year it's 10%. Next year, it may be 12% or 15%. Soon, maybe not today or tomorrow, it will be 100%.

Then, I went to rehearsal for "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told," our first since the holiday weekend break. There I was pleasantly surprised to see that my cast had not only actually worked on trying to memorize (they have until Monday to be off-book), but were ready to play, experiment and grow in their roles. It's always a joy to work with fearless actors who are willing to take the extra step and invent business and shtick on the fly, and I am lucky enough to have found 9 who are not only willing to do so, but more than capable of it.

So - a dichotomy of a day. Bad news, supplanted by a good rehearsal. If this show opens just one pair of eyes; if it opens up one heart; if it lessens one person's misunderstanding, then I will consider it a job well-done. If my cast keeps going in the same direction, I can't see us not doing that.

Once again, tickets to the James Tolin Memorial Fund's 7th Annual AIDS Fundraiser featuring Paul Rudnick's "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" are available by visiting http://www.jtmf.org/; http://www.kelseyatmccc.org/ or by calling the Kelsey Theatre box office at 609-570-3333. If you cannot attend, but want to help, you secure donation via PayPal can be made at http://www.jtmf.org/. Or your Silent Auction donation can be sent by contacting Event Coordinator Tracy Antozesski at jtmf@verizon.net. Past Silent Auction donors have included the Home Shopping Network; Comcast; Mr. Robin Williams; the cast of ABC's "Desperate Housewives;" Miele Appliances; Simon and Schuster; Ms. Carol Burnett and Broadway Cares.

More, anon.

Prospero

Best Performances in a Fantasy Film

Fantasy, as previously discussed, can encompass a wide range of characters, worlds, powers and superpowers. They can be light and funny, or dark and deadly serious. The best Fantasy films are the ones tha take us away from the real world, even if only for a few hours, and make us believe in their universes' rules. And the best of those feature all kinds of wonderful performances from some pretty terrific actors. I have to warn you that there are no clear winners here. So, in no particular order, my choices for Best Performances in a Fantasy Film:

object width="425" height="344">Arguably Tim Burton’s second best film (Ed Wood retains that title), Edward Scissorhands is the ultimate outsider movie. When peppy suburban Avon lady Peg (the always delightful Dianne Weist) finds Edward (Depp) living alone in the ruins of a creepy mansion, she brings him home and sets about introducing him to society. Edward soon becomes a neighborhood celebrity, designing garden topiaries and cutting custom coiffures. Along the way, he falls in love with Peg's daughter, Kim (Winona Ryder). Through a series of misadventures, naïve Edward is turned upon by the very folks who embraced him and he retreats back where he started, living alone with his art. Depp barely says 20 words in this movie, but his eyes say it all, and we can’t help but fall in love with sad, soulful Edward.

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Michelle Pfieffer for Batman Returns:

Talk about sex appeal! Putting an entirely new spin on the role, Pfieffer is simply electrifying as Catwoman in Tim Burton’s 1992 sequel to Batman. Sporting an S&M-inspired pleather suit complete with steel claws and whip, Pfieffer imbues Selina Kyle/Catwoman with the same conflicted qualities of her lover/nemesis, Bruce Wayne/Batman, making her one o fthe most fscinating characters in the franchise. Plus, ya gotta love all that duality! Sexy, funny and over-the-top, Pfieffer’s take on the iconic villainess manages to make us all forget about Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt.

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Christian Bale for The Prestige:

The always amazing Christopher Nolan directed this period piece about rival magicians who will go to almost any lengths to create the world’s greatest illusion. It’s a fascinating tale of revenge and jealousy and real magic and features a terrific little cameo by David Bowie as “mad scientist” Nikolai Tesla. But it’s the performances of it’s two leading men that really make this picture. Hugh Jackman (X-Men) is the man obsessed with learning his rival’s trick, and Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) is the rival with a secret he’ll never reveal, even if it means losing his life. The first time I saw this film, my sympathies went to Jackman’s character. But a second viewing found me changing my mind (not something I do often, when it comes to movies). Bale has been known to piss me off (American Psycho) but his performance here is so subtly nuanced, one can’t help but admire his skill as one of modern film’s best actors.

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Judy Garland for The Wizard of Oz:

Bizarrely, that clip was the best quality I could find, despite the somewhat distracting subtitles (which I believe may be Portuguese – please correct me if you know better). Who today didn’t grow up with The Wizard of Oz? When I was a kid, it was on CBS once a year, usually around Easter, and it was a huge treat to which my sister and I both looked forward every year (yeah, yeah… get the “Friend of Dorothy” jokes out of the way, now). This film is iconic across cultures and nearly every American child has seen it dozens, if not hundreds, of times. Garland was really too old for the part, and a second choice at that (can you imagine Shirley Temple? Yeuch!), but she made the role her own. Watching The Wizard of Oz is seeing Garland before all the bad stuff happened and her personal optimism shines through to Dorothy Gale, the little girl from Kansas who is whisked away to a magical world so unlike her own. Certainly an apt allegory for the life of Frances Gumm, herself.

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Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight:

Too much has been said, already. The performance speaks for itself.

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Michelle Pfieffer for Stardust:

Pfieffer makes this list again because of her hilarious performance as the witch Lamia in the big screen version of Neil Gaimon’s fairy tale for grown-ups. Once beautiful, the vain Lamia and her sisters have become whithered hags, subsisting on the last bits of the heart of a long-ago fallen star. When another star (Clare Danes) falls, Lamia takes the last of the heart and restores herself in an effort to catch her. The catch is, every time Lamia uses her magic, she ages a little bit. And Pfieffer is clearly enjoying herself here, reacting to every liver spot and sagging boob to hilarious effect. A terrific comedic performance that deserves recognition.

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Michael Clarke Duncan for The Green Mile:

Frank Darabount (The Shawshank Redemption; The Mist) is one of the few directors who (along with DePalma and Reiner) has actually managed to successfully translate the works of Stephen King to the screen. The Green Mile is one of the few movies that makes me cry every single time I see it, and that’s because of the amazing performance of Mr. Duncan as John Coffey; the gigantic, gentle and child-like miracle worker wrongly convicted of murder. Surrounded by some top notch talent such as Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Michael Morse, Michael Jeter, Patricia Clarkson and Sam Rockwell (that’s quite a pedigreed cast, folks) Duncan more than holds his own. The scene where he watches Fred and Ginger dancing gets me every time and I can't ever watch (SPOILER ALERT) the execution scene without sobbing like a little girl.

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Amy Adams for Enchanted:

Disney finally got around to poking fun at themselves with this delightful 2007 romp about a cartoon princess banished to the real world by an evil witch. The concept is cute, but it wouldn’t have worked at all without Ms Adams pitch-perfect performance as the ultimate Disney Princess, Giselle. She gets cockroaches and sewer rats to help her clean a dirty apartment and breaks into song at the drop of a hat, much to Patrick Dempsey’s consternation. Delightful stuff made all the more so thanks to the delightful Amy Adams. I dare you to watch this movie and not smile.

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Gene Wilder for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory:

Author Roald Dahl despised the 1971 version of his novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, least of all because it was financed by a candy company looking for a new way to market chocolates. Directed by Mel Stuart (his only “hit”), the movie changed the title, added weird, early 70’s pop-culture references and, as dark as some folks think it was, wasn’t nearly as dark in tone as the book. The one thing it had going for it was a balls-out go-for-broke performance by a true comedic genius. If for no other roles (and there are so many), Gene Wilder will be remembered for his neurotic mad-scientist in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein and the pan-polar chocolatier Willy Wonka. Tim Burton’s 2005 version certainly came closer in tone and story to the book and Johnny Depp’s performance is, without a doubt, weirder. But Wilder’s iconic portrayal in the original is the reason this film holds up 37 years after it was made.

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Honorable Mentions:

Sean Astin in The Lord of the Rings. We all know Frodo never would have made it to Mordor without Sam. Their ‘bromance’ is thoroughly believable thanks to Astin’s performance .

Christopher Reeve in Superman: The Movie. We believed a man could fly (and steal our hearts) when Reeve smiled that amazing smile as saved the world (and his lady love). Sigh…

Tim Curry in Legend. Curry, nearly unrecognizable beneath what must be fifty pounds or more of latex and fiberglass, is the embodiment of evil as Darkness, who plans to kill the last unicorn and banish light from the world forever. I have yet to see the Director’s Cut with the original Jerry Goldsmith score, but Curry (even with his voice electronically enhanced) easily gives this Ridley Scott oddity its most memorable performance.

Susan Sarandon in Enchanted. Clearly having the time of her life, Sarandon plays both the animated and real-world versions of the evil queen Narissa in hilariously full scene-chomping mode.

Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings and King Kong. Serkis redefines physical acting with his astonishing stop-motion performances in Peter Jackson's fantasy epics.

Child Actors

I'm not always a fan of child actors; they're usually too precocious for my taste. But every once in a while, there is a kid who stands out and makes you take notice. For example, I really love Tatum O'Neal's performance in Peter Bogdanovich's hilarious grifter comedy Paper Moon. She's spot on as a young orphan who may or may not be the biological daughter of Ryan O'Neal's conman Bible salesman. She won an Oscar for the role (and deserved it).

But I'm always a sucker for kids in peril or kids who survive the horrors to which their adult co-stars always seem to fall prey. And since I love Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy movies more than most other genres, this blog is about The Best Performances by a Child Actor in a Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie. So, without further ado, here are my choices, in no particular order:

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Patty McCormack for The Bad Seed:

In the 1950's, genetics was a relatively new science, and the debate bewteen Nature vs. Nurture was truly in its infancy. In his then terrifying play, Maxwell Anderson explored the concept in a sordid little tale about a seemingly perfect little girl who was actaully a sociopathic killer who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. Reprising her stage role for director Mervin LeRoy's (The Wizard of Oz) 1956 adaptation, Patty McCormack is absolutely chilling as Rhoda Penmark, the bilogical granddaughter of serial killer Bessie Denker. After she kills a classmate for his penmanship medal, Rhoda's mother begins to suspect her daughter may well be a "Bad Seed" and as events unfold, soon becomes sure of it. In the original stage version, Rhoda's mom succumbs to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, while murderous Rhoda survives her mother's murder attempt. In the film, restricted by the still enforced Hayes Code, Rhoda gets her just desserts.

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Henry Thomas for E.T.:

I had a film teacher who said he hated Steven Spielberg's work because it was "emotionally manipulative." I thought, 'Well, isn't that the point?' And of course, it is. A good artist is always able to manipulate an emotional response to his work, regardless of his medium. In his 1982 fantasy E.T., Spielberg found the perfect kid to push our emotional buttons in young Henry Thomas, a lonely boy befriended by a lonely alien. We laughed; we cried and our hearts leapt for joy when Elliot and ET soared across the moon. Reportedly, Spielberg used all kinds of off-screen tricks to get his young actors (including very young star-in-bloom, Drew Barrymore) to react the way he wanted. But who cares how he got those amazing performances? The fact is, he did and they remain indeliably etched into movie fans' psyches.

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Carrie Henn for Aliens:

James Cameron (Titanic; The Terminator) made this uber-exciting sequel to Alien a filmic rollercoaster ride and turned actress Sigourney Weaver into a household name with his action-packed tale of futuristic Marines battling a horde of acid-blooded beasties on a far-away planet. Ms Henn, as the only survivor of a human colony decimated by the chest-bursting creatures, gives one hell of a performance in her one and only film. She even has the movie's best and most chilling line: "They mostly come out at night... mostly." Who didn't choke up when she wrapped herself around Ripley and cried "Mommy!"? And how sad were we that director David Fincher killed her off in Alien3?

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Fairuza Balk for Return to Oz:

Often derided as "dark" and "frightening," (though you'll never hear me complain about those adjectives when it comes to film), Disney's Wizard of Oz sequel is sadly given short-shrift by those who love the Judy Garland classic. Director Walter Murch's 1985 film is far more faithful to the L. Frank Baum originals than it's musical predecessor and features an astonishing performance from young Fairuza Balk, who is probably best known for the underrated horror film The Craft. Fearing young Dorothy is suffering from a psychological disorder, Aunt Em (Piper Laurie) takes her to see a psychiatrist (Nicol Williams) who is about to apply shock therapy when a sudden storm knocks out the electrcity and allows Dorothy to return to the land of Oz, where she must free Princess Ozma from the witch Mombi's (Jean Marsh) prison. Young Ms Balk is the perfect antithesis to Garland's Dorothy, and her performance is nearly flawless in this much under-appreciated film.

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Heather O'Roarke for Poltergeist:

Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) directed this Spielberg-produced ghost story about a typical surbaban family's encounter with the supernatural. When their daughetr Carol-Ann is snatched into the otherword, Steven and Diane Freeling (Craig T. Nelson and Jobeth Wiliams) will go to any lengths to bring her back. Fraught with urban legends surrounding the deaths of several of its stars (including Ms. O'Rourke and co-star Dominique Dunne), Poltergiest remains one of the few films I can see over and over and never get sick of. In fact, we've seen it so many times that both my sister and I can tell you exactly what's happening just by listening to the film's score. But it is O'Rourke's plaintiff cry of "No more" towards the end of the movie that gets me every time. A terrific performance by an actress whose young life was cut much too short.

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Dakota Fanning for War of the Worlds:

Bizzarely Hot

Ok - I'm not usually about posting sexy, hot guys here. And I really don't know what it is about British actor Danny Dyer, but My New Plaid Pants has posted some very hot pics of this young actor and I couldn't help but share. You can see Danny in the hilarious British horror movie, Severance. Enjoy.

More of this, anon...

Prospero