Reviews

Last night, I finished watching The Prisoner, Patrick McGoohan's gloriously trippy series, in glorious Blu-Ray. I have a very dim memory of watching it as a child during its initial American run on CBS in the summer of 1968. I'm not even sure whether I saw the whole series, but I remember liking what I saw. In any case, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it then as I can now.

I find it amazing that such a bizarre show was actually made, and I find it even more amazing that it was picked up for American TV. I guess the CBS execs thought it would be successful, based on McGoohan's previous show, Secret Agent (called Danger Man in the UK). They clearly had no idea what they were actually going to get. It has to be the strangest show ever broadcast on a major US network. I can't think of anything else that even comes close.

The show simply would not have worked with anyone but McGoohan playing the lead. His sheer intensity and forceful personality make you buy into the whole concept and make you feel his anger and frustration at being trapped in an insane situation. From the commentaries and the making-of documentary, McGoohan was clearly difficult to work with, but he was a tremendous talent, not only playing the lead but writing and directing some episodes as well.

I was surprised to find that the show is largely episodic rather than serial. Other than the first episode and the last two episodes, it doesn't make much difference what order you watch them in. Any way you watch it, it's unlike anything else I've ever seen. Some old shows seem very dated, but The Prisoner seems more relevant to society now than it did during its initial run. The show had much to do with the Cold War, but the idea of being under constant surveillance is more of a problem now than it was in the Sixties.

The final episode of the series is easily the most insane hour of TV I've ever seen. Nothing compares to it. Apparently, viewers were angered by the "ending" (as with the recent Lost finale), but The Prisoner ends on a far more ambiguous note than Lost did. I love the ending, but I can understand how it baffled and angered many people. The beauty of British shows is that they don't run forever (as American shows often do), so they can end the show at just the right point, instead of beating a dead horse. The Prisoner was only seventeen episodes, and it went out in a blaze of WTF???. It's a classic.

I've been a Runaways fan since 1976, so I had been anticipating this film for a long time. Having read Cherie Currie's book, Neon Angel, on which the film is very loosely based, I was pretty familiar with the broad outlines of the story. As with any film adaptation of a book, I knew they would leave some things out and streamline other things, and I also suspected the film wouldn't be as dark as the book, which turned out to be true.

What the film really nailed was the relationship between the Runaways and their sleazy manager/producer Kim Fowley. Michael Shannon does a fabulous job playing this over-the-top character. His expletive-filled rants are simultaneously hilarious and cringe-worthy.

The stars, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, are both excellent as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, respectively. Stewart displays Jett's consuming passion for rock and roll and her desire to work hard to be a star. Fanning does a very good job balancing Currie's conflicting desires (to be a rock star and be with her family). It's no secret that the film doesn't spend much time with the other three members of the band. I have no problem with that, since Jett and Currie are, for me, the most interesting and most talented members.

The film does a great job showing the band performing. Stewart and Fanning clearly worked hard to be believable as rockers, and it paid off. You see the progression of both characters from neophytes to seasoned performers, and it works. Another aspect is the struggle by the Runaways to be taken seriously. There were very few hard-rocking ladies in 1976, so they faced a lot of skepticism. The film shows this very well.

The music is very good. The new versions of Runaways songs are good, although Fanning sounds nothing like Currie. The period songs are a nice selection, from David Bowie to Gary Glitter to the Stooges. The filmmakers nailed the look of the period as well. The clothes, hair, furniture, etc., are just right.

Overall, this is an excellent film. I highly recommend it.

There Will Be Blood is an amazing piece of work. P. T. Anderson has created a film so far beyond his earlier work that it can scarcely be believed to come from the same filmmaker. The performance of Daniel Day-Lewis is one for the ages. He appears in every scene of the movie, but he has such a ferocious presence that, for two and a half hours, you can't take your eyes off him.

This is certainly no popcorn movie. The teenagers won't be flocking to the multiplex for this one. It's so relentlessly grim and dark that I doubt it will do a great deal at the box office, but, for my money, it's easily the best film of 2007. This battle between capitalism and religion is truly a clash of the titans. The protagonist's journey from greedy obsession to madness is, in the hands of Anderson and Day-Lewis, simply astounding. The ending seems to have a love-it-or-hate-it quality. I thought it was a perfect ending, and I don't understand why some don't think it works. After seeing this film, I wish Anderson and Day-Lewis worked more often, but this masterpiece was well worth the wait.

I saw the film today, and it was every bit as good as I hoped it would be. Contrary to what some may think, the film is not about the Chicks whining about losing their freedom of speech. The primary focus is on the Chicks (and their manager) handling the backlash to Natalie's on-stage comment and trying to get their career back on track without the support of country radio. The film shows considerable heated discussion between the Chicks and their manager about handling their problems, and it's a side of musicians we rarely get to see. Considering that the film shows these arguments, and shows the Chicks without makeup, I don't think anyone could classify this as a vanity project.

Of course, if you hate the Dixie Chicks or love Dubya, you'll hate this film. I saw one woman walk out after one of Natalie's Bush insults, but it was the best moment of the film for me. The film also shows some of the media coverage of the Chicks backlash, including the ever-reliable Bill O'Reilly saying that the Chicks "should be slapped around." What a classy guy.

In short, I loved the film and I plan to see it again.