THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN - If Richard Matheson's adaptation of his novel The Shrinking Man plays out much like an elongated Twilight Zone episode, it's most likely due to his having written a portion of that series strongest episodes. This 1957 B-film has its share of visceral terrors, but you'll find yourself even more unsettled by its metaphysical implications. Set in suburban everywhere, a man finds himself shrinking, a few inches at a time, with each passing day. As his mortal horror grows in stark contrast to his diminution, he becomes a tyrant to his loving wife and brother. The story of a middle-class white dude finding himself feeling tiny in the mid-fifties has its obvious psychoanalytical implications, but the author is fully aware of them, probing deeper into the concept of devolution as evolution. Jack Arnold, the director of Creature From The Black Lagoon, utilizes still-impressive special effects to give the main character's plight a sense of both scope (a canyon-like living room) and claustrophobia (sleeping in a matchbox). Speaking of phobias; if you happen to have a strong one regarding certain eight-legged household animals, this might be one film it would be best to steer clear of.
ROME - A couple years removed now, the HBO TV series, which ran from 2005-2007, can be placed in its proper historical context; as a precursor to Game Of Thrones. This was the acclaimed network's first stab at "epic", and while it indulges HBO's base instincts to perhaps too large of a degree (i.e. boobies, blood, and bleeps), it has a life and energy that's intoxicating. Rome is like the drunk friend you love to go to the bar with, but might be a little embarrassed to know. I, for one, would love to see a third season for this. Hey, if Arrested Development can do it. . .
JOHN CARTER - An impenetrable mess of a narrative, more boring than not, but its sense of scope is impressive. An interesting failure.
HBO - It's time to catch up on all the good tv I haven't watched in the last decade. First, I'm finally finishing off Deadwood, which I had last left off about halfway through Season Two, and I'm also starting the final season of The Sopranos. Tried No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency - Cute, but nah.
BREAKING BAD - I had dismissed this series after having seen the pilot, but my friend Greg convinced me to give it another chance. Having finished the first season, I'm glad that I did. Subtler than it initially seemed, this show about a high school teacher turned meth cooker has a number of compelling characters, all performed admirably.
DOUBLE FEATURE: PARIAH AND SHAME - Two films that I love, about societal outcasts framed primarily by their sexual proclivities, which are almost diametrically opposed in their perspectives. PARIAH tells the story of a black lesbian teenager, trying to balance her outed club scene life with her closeted, good christian family life. It's a film that's aware of the cliches of the genre, and while it misguidedly embraces a few (Must all misunderstood teens become poets?), it actively avoids many others, most importantly the urge to paint any characters in broad strokes. The fire-and-brimstone mother is unmistakably the heavy, yet she's given enough nuance that you may find her in your sympathies by the end of the film. It's fun, charming, and full of heart. . . I wouldn't use any of those words to describe SHAME. The story of a rich white man dealing with his sex addiction, Shame is tense, baffling, and cold to the touch. Michael Fassbender embodies the lead character, a man who barely has a handle on his life when his train wreck of a sister (Carrie Mulligan) decides to crash at his place, sending his world into tailspin. But while this film, unlike Pariah, never directly mentions religion, it certainly feels very catholic in construction. The road to hell, we learn, is paved by internet porn, which can lead to loose women, three-ways, or even *GASP* gay sex. The film is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, and I've found myself remembering various scenes in a new light as days have passed. . . In brief, I cannot recommend these two films highly enough. And see them in the theater if you have the opportunity, as they're both beautifully photographed.
BONE - Considered, generally, to be one of the greatest comic series of all time, I decided to finally give this a look. I'm about halfway through the series at this point (it's all contained in one giant volume), and while I find it charming, it does suffer from what I'll call "Harry Potter Syndrome"; i.e. not really knowing what age group it's being written for at any given moment. As such, we have a story that at times wants itself to be taken very seriously, and at other times is just silly, full of plot holes, and has highly ineffectual, non-threatening villains (who are also supposed to be really scary, depending on the whims of the author). So. . . a mixed bag. I might do a follow-up to this if the rest of the book ends up blowing me away. As it stands, this would be a good Baby's First Fantasy Epic for young readers.
