This post is coming out long after when I should have posted it because I have been so busy with work that movie watching has been the last thing on my list. It will be updated as I actually see things.
Movies I Still Need To See:
Transit: seems debately 2018
First Love: gotta get my hands on it
Dolemite Is My Name: waiting on Adam
Movies I'm Not Interested In:
The Irishman: This movie is so long.
Ford Vs. Ferrari: This movie is so male.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: I'd actually watch this if someone I trust wanted to watch it, but no one has expressed this desire to me yet.
Not marking the movies not nominated for Oscars because screw the Oscars. That's where I'm at right now.
Previous Years: 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
Movies I Loved:
Midsommar: Similar to Cold War last year, this movie broke into my house and killed me but for totally different reasons. I love this movie. I was completely scarred by it after the first watch, rewatched it because I genuinely thought it was so good but hid under a blanket a lot, and then watched it a third time but this time as the director's cut. My favorite of the year by far.
Parasite: I need to rewatch this honestly. It was very good, but I think I need to see it again to adequately enjoy it. Either way, it's the year of eating the rich and I am down for it.
Little Women: This movie was very good: strong acting, strong screenplay, strong cinematography. strong everything. I cried like seven times and related way too hard to some parts in a way I don't remember relating when I read this book at 12.
Pain And Glory: A lot of the time with Almodovar films I walk away underwhelmed (Talk To Her) or a bit confused as to the point (Tie Me Up! but moreso Woman On The Verge) and the ones I remember liking have kind of faded from memory (Volver & Skin I Live In) so I went into this one hesitent. No need. This movie was great. The themes were perfectly displayed and the story was completely engaging.
Knives Out: Eat the rich: the crime comedy. I love a movie full of unique characters, the momentum of the plot was engaging, and the production design was a consistently interesting work of art.
The Farewell: I really loved the directing, the symbolism, the way the themes were portrayed, and the acting. I cried just a little off and on throughout and I loved the way it weaves together the ideas of culture, the immigrant experience, and family.
Portrait of a Woman On Fire: This movie was so tightly constructed it was unreal. I love how the visuals resemble paintings, I love the little connections to the Orpheus myth and that music piece, I love that I just read "Ways of Seeing" and it was the perfect prelude to the expectly displayed themes of the film.
Us: It's not as good as Get Out but it's still really dang good. It's more of a horror movie with a social commentary that sneaks up on you in the latter half, but of course it's solid. It's the year of class commentary, like I said.
Honeyland: I think this documentary is the clear winner for prettiest doc of the year. I occasionally found the story itself a bit hard to follow (possibly because it was shot over five years so time was strange) but every shot was a work of art.
For Sama: Ah yes, the documentary that made me cry the most. I loved the format of the film maker talking to her daughter and the amount of priceless footage was astonding. I was utterly shook by the scene where they brought a newborn baby back to life and the scene of just her husband's face as he cried, thinking of having to leave.
American Factory: I see this documentary as two parts: one about how manufacturing in America can only return in a distorted form after what was done to it and one about unions and why we need them. Classism again! This one made me think a lot.
The Edge of Democracy: When I think of this movie I most distinctly remember all the scenes of Brasilia as a monument to democracy that is not as strong as its buildings. Powerful imagery and a really timely documentary to watch as an American who is feeling the same crumble even with over 200 years of democracy. A reminder of how fragile structures are.
Hail Satan: What a charming movie documenting the rise of the Satanic Temple! I love the way the story was told and all the little interviews.
Fyre: I think I have watched this documentary four or five times. It's so engaging.
Fyre Fraud: I find this to be the lesser of the two Fyre festival documentaries but it was interesting for actually interviewing Billy MacFarland. I think the reason this one didn't resonate with me as much as the other was because it was less of a story and more of a commentary on millennials, which I didn't feel was always on point.
Knock Down The House: Keep on eating the rich by throwing them out of office! I was really sad to see only AOC winning but let's hope that starts a trend.
Movies I Really Liked:
1917: I think this is one of the most consistently stressful movies I've seen since Whiplash. I've always preferred the bleak hopelessness of World War I movies to the optimism of World War II movies, and I think the simple plot works in this movie's favor. Do all the thematic lifting on your own and enjoy the technical achievements.
Jojo Rabbit: Is cute an acceptable word for this movie when a lot of bad stuff happens? I loved the satirical elements and it was fun.
The Two Popes: I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. I watched it on a wim while sick after Marriage Story and I found it really delightful. I really like friendship movies in general and the interactions of opposite personalities (plus the interesting morality dicatomy) so this was a win.
Uncut Gems: This movie was very stressful and is a great example of an unlikeable main character done well. This might be strange to say but I also just loved the vibe of the movie created by the soundtrack and the cinematography.
The Lighthouse: Like The VVitch, I wanted to like this more than I did. I mean, it's got two characters in a room going nuts, beautiful cinematography, and a lot of sea scenes so it's right up my alley. I think my issue with it is the same as The VVitch where I felt like there was some kind of theme that wasn't as developed as it could have been. Still good though.
Hustlers: Eat the rich: the crime drama. I was skeptical going into this movie, but I ended up just loving it. I love movies where women band together and do stuff even if that stuff is, you know, crime. J.Lo not going a supporting actress nomination is the real crime.
Her Smell: I passed over this movie a bunch of times before finally deciding to watch it because I was afraid it would feel done to death. It wasn't at all. This is a movie full of things that I love: punk rock, the complication of existing as a woman, witchy stuff, a dirgy cover of a pop song, good cinematography, strange personalities. It's great.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco: This movie was very, very good (and very pretty) but I kind of feel like small pieces of it didn't really come together for me. I loved the ideas of identity and architecture\housing (I mean, my favorite book is Hunchback so architecture as a symbol is important to me) but somewhere around the 3\4 point I started feeling like the plot was muddling a bit. I think some strategic editing could have honestly fixed it for me.
Ready Or Not: Eat the rich: the horror movie #2. This was a great ride. I love all the little symbolism. i could see the ending being a topic of debate but I thought it was perfect so fight me.
Booksmart: Every year seems to have one really solid movie about teenagers and this was that movie. It was really fun and I love when teen movies aren't mean-spirited at all because I just hate that.
Happy Death Day 2 U: I watched both the original one and the sequel this year. I think the first is the stronger film but the second is fun too and more science fiction.
I Lost My Body: This movie was very unique and strange. I'm not totally sure that I get what it was trying to convey but I enjoyed it either way.
One Child Nation: I don't have much to say but it's really good.
Ask Dr. Ruth: I watched this movie almost a year ago at this point so I don't really remember it, but I found her life very interesting.
The Brink: Distrubing and interesting but in a year of really good documentaries this one ranks quite low.
Movies I Liked:
Joker: There was a lot of good cinematic verve to this movie and the acting was great, but there were some definite holes in the writing that someone needed to fix in order to make the movie really come together. Overall, it was good though. I just can't stand the people who really like it.
Marriage Story: I found this movie well made but kind of unpleasent to watch. I have no problems with realism and the acting was very good, but I just didn't enjoy watching this. I can see why people did, but I think for me angry people going through a divorce and having to watch it is kind of a circle of my own personal hell.
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World: I watched this on the plane to San Francisco and it was enjoyable. The first in the series is still the best but they have all been competent.
Downton Abbey: It was exactly what you'd expect. I absolutely love the first three seasons of the show and then it crashed and got kind of middling fine after that. The movie is just more of that. I liked that Branson had more to do than he did for most of the later half of the show and the Barrow subplot about underground gay culture but there were a lot of subplots shoved into here (literally every character had one) and it got a bit overwhelming.
Dark Waters: I thought this was a very interesting movie but it just didn't really grab me in the way that I was hoping, especially because I've really enjoyed a lot of Todd Haynes movies in the past.
Blinded By The Light: This was a really fun film. I was kind of skeptical about the premise but the film really sold me and hell, I think it also really sold me on the significance of Bruce Springsteen overall after years of me just not getting it.
Long Day's Journey Into Night: And in the art house corner, this was a beautiful movie, kind of Lynchian, but a bit too incoherent for me to raise it above "liked."
Captain Marvel: I only watch one Marvel movie a year because I don't care about the Marvel universe so this was my movie of the year. It was fine. I liked the 90s aesthetic and the sapphic undertones.
Always Be My Maybe: This movie was cute and enjoyable. I don't really have much else to say about it.
Aladdin: I watched it on a plane. It was perfect plane watching material. Only thing I strongly objected to was that weird Jasmine song sequence.
Luce: About halfway through the film I remember thinking that it felt like it would be easy to adapt for the stage and sure enough it was a play turned film. This is fine but there's always something a little lacking about plays turned into films. Either way I love a good moral dilemna and complicated feelings without answer.
Frozen II: So this movie was cute and all but the plot either made no sense or was explained poorly.
Movies I Thought Were Okay:
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker: Maybe okay is strong. This movie had a few things I liked and a whole lot of things I didn't like. I'm not sure if time is just making me forget most of the things I did like or if it gets worse the more I think about it so it's in this category very tentatively.
Tolkien: Okay was the best way to describe this. It wasn't bad, it wasn't especially good. It was a bit long and just, well, fine. RIP Chris Tolkien.
Movies I Didn't Like:
Breakthrough: Amusingly enough this movie is Oscar nominated for best original song. We watched it on bad movie night after Adam's sister said she liked it. It has what Sarah, an APRN, described "the worst coding scene she's ever seen in a movie." It also was just bad overall.
After: I watched this after stumbling on a bunch of comical reviews of how bad the book was and the movie was fascinating in the sense that they took a bad, smutty fanfiction and made an incredibly bland romance. It wasn't funny bad, but it was an experience in adapation.
Cats: A bad movie night watch and the only way I was probably going to sit through this honestly.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Monday, June 3, 2019
Some Thoughts on "Hadestown" and the Tony Awards
I do not claim to be an oracle of who will win the Tonys but here are my ideas, culled from a lot of time spent online reading hot takes and the smaller theater award winners, discussions with my two biggest theater friends who I have been discussing theater with for over 12 years, and also brief chatting with an acquittance who is Tony-nominated adjacent (one day, she will have her own instead of just getting mentioned in speeches!).
Here are what I think the odds are of "Hadestown" winning Tonys.
Best Musical
"Hadestown" has a really good chance of winning but it is by no means guaranteed. Mostly everyone thinks it's going to come down to "Hadestown" or "Tootsie." No one is talking about "Ain't Too Proud", "Beetlejuice" doesn't seem to be a viable candidate (described by my friend as fun but nothing to write home about), and "The Prom" seems to only be really endorsed by the New York Times writers who have an unreasonable amount of power when it comes to what goes to Broadway (they are why "Hadestown" got changed so much and why "Fortress of Solitude," the best musical you've never heard of, never went to Broadway) but not necessarily the deciding vote.
The thing here is really whether the voters want to go safe and traditional with "Tootsie" or new and unique with "Hadestown." In the past few years, they have definitely tended towards the new and unique, but they also have a clear bias against sung-through musicals (see 2017 when "Come From Away" won Best Director but lost Best Musical to "Dear Evan Hansen" in spite of doing really well at the smaller awards). "Hamilton" is a recent exception to this but "Hamilton" was an exception in so many ways.
Overall "Hadestown" is the better show. Both shows have issues with their books but "Tootsie" is tighter and also less interesting. And "Hadestown" has vastly better music. Personally, I'll be surprised if "Tootsie" wins but these kinds of things have happened before.
Best Director
Basically everyone seems to say it will be Rachel Chavkin even if they don't think "Hadestown" will win best musical, and this is very interesting to me as someone who knows a bit more about the interworkings of the Oscars than the Tonys. The Oscars have done this weird and possibly bad thing a lot over the last few years where they give Best Direction to the most artistic and interesting film but Best Picture to whatever movie they enjoyed the most. Last year this was painfully obvious with Alfonso Curon winning for his direction for "Roma" but "Green Book" winning Best Picture. The Tonys don't do this as they usually give both to the same show or they give direction to a revival that will then win Best Revival. But again, 2017 this changed.
That being said "Oklahoma!" seems like the only real competitor here and if Daniel Fish wins over Rachel, I'd be okay with it. "Oklahoma!" was a revelation (and better win Best Revival over "Kiss Me Kate").
Best Book
Here's one where I think "Hadestown" is likely to lose. First of all, the book of "Hadestown" is messy. I love "Hadestown," it's probably my favorite musical of all time, but the book is messy. There are places that are overexplained and a lot of imbalance in how the themes are woven into the story (while still being totally brillant but yeah). There are things that should have been fixed in all the transfers, but they weren't, and it started to feel a bit like writing wack-a-mole following this show since the New York Theatre Workshop.
Also a lot of people find "Hadestown" confusing, which is a problem, but I find this is often a problem of people not being good readers more than anything having to do with the show.
Additionally, Tony voters have no idea what the book is with a sung-through musical. Basically, they don't think there is one. Dialogue is only part of what makes the book, guys.
"Tootsie" will probably win instead. It's got a very tight script and is truthfully very funny. Even though there are as many oops-you-should-edit moments as in "Hadestown," the comedy and the appeal to the particular demographic they were shooting for will win it.
Best Original Score
I feel like "Hadestown" has this one locked down. Even people who find the show incomprehensible seem to love the music. David Yazbek won last year for "Band's Visit" (a vastly better show than "Tootsie") so it's safe to say he's out of the running. I've got nothing else here.
Best Orchestrations
"Hadestown" has a damn good chance here too. Its music is one of its strongest qualities, and if you compare the NYTW to the Broadway in terms of orchestration, there's a lot going on here and it's all good. "Oklahoma!" is a potential opponent because of how they managed to change around the original to make it all read so much better to a modern audience.
Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role
I'm going to say Eva has only a 25% chance of winning. Stephanie J. Block seems to be a likely winner because of her previous nominations and the fact that the Tonys often give out awards for career work instead of the single show they are in. Otherwise, "The Cher Show." Really. Some people think Kelli O'Hara has a chance because the Tony voters love their generic starlets but since she's already got a Tony, I think Stephanie and Eva are much more likely competitors. "The Prom" girls seem to cancel each other out (more on the canceling effect two categories below).
If Eva wins I will be PUMPED, but I'm not counting on it.
Best Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role
Everything here comes down to Amber Gray versus Ali Stoker. The "Tootsie" actresses cancel each other out (more on the canceling effect one category below), but Ali is far and away a standout over Mary Testa. To quote my acquaintance, "Amber Gray will win because she's the most interesting woman on Broadway, like how Katrina Lenk won last year." I think she could be right here, but I will propose an additional theory for why Amber may win: Amber originated a role, one she has been working on for years. Ali stole the show in "Oklahoma!" but she stole the show with a classic show stealing role. Also, because those voters like career work, Amber has been around longer (although she wasn't nominated, she was the best thing about "Natasha Pierre" for me). Ali is young and at this point mostly known for her small role in Deaf West's "Spring Awakening."
Ali will be a Tony winner. Maybe this Sunday. Maybe in a few years. If she wins I'll be happy for her and there's no denying she will deserve the award, but I'm rooting for Amber.
Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role
I have gone on a journey with this category. Let me start by saying it seems like Andre DeShields will win. Now let me back up and tell you the long adventure I went on to conclude this.
I have now mentioned "canceling out" a lot, which has a tendency to happen with shows where multiple people are nominated (usually in acting). The important thing to note is that just because two people are in the same category does not mean they automatically cancel each other. Daveed Diggs won for featured actor for "Hamilton" over his costars Chris Jackson and Jon Groff, and there's a clear reason why: of the three he was the standout. He was the most dynamic and had the meatiest role. This only works when there isn't an obvious winner in that show. And this is why figuring out this category has been so damn difficult and I still may be wrong.
Originally one of my friends said he thought Andre and Patrick Page would cancel each other out and that the two guys nominated for "Ain't Too Proud" would cancel each other out and we would have the award going to the guy from "Tootsie" (sorry I don't have the names, but for the reference that guy was literally my favorite thing about "Tootsie"). I initally argued that while both "Hadestown" guys do clearly dominate the category in general, Patrick could win because he plays a dynamic character while Andre plays a static one. My friend countered that the Tony voters really love narrator characters, and well, he's right. This idea was expanded by my other friend who pointed out that Andre opens and closes the show and has a lot of the theme-dropping lines, while Patrick doesn't make his entrance until halfway through Act One and that this leaves an impression.
But ultimately it probably comes down to this: career. Andre will get the award because of his career. Every middle aged gay man I've spoken to who didn't understand the show was very proud to tell me that they saw him in "Ain't Misbehavin" in the 70s (to which I said I saw him in "Fortress of Solitude" a few years ago as a jest that none of them seemed to be amused by).
The canceling theory may still play here, but it's hard for me to imagine that the award won't at least go to one of the "Hadestown" guys.
Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Choreography
I'm talking about these three together because my explanation for all three is basically the same. In all three of these categories, "Hadestown" feels like an underdog because it is not flashy in the way shows like "Beetlejuice" or "King Kong" are. They don't have the grandiosity or diversity of costumes of "The Cher Show" or the traditional choreography of "Tootsie."
But "Hadestown" is literally creating a time and place that doesn't really exist; it's not even fantasy, just otherworldliness. The scenic design and costumes anchor you in a place that is like our world but isn't and everything about the choices made, from the shifting set to the details of the costumes, is meant to create this place of kinda New Orleans, kinda 1930s, but also kinda anywhere and now. If "Hadestown" wins scenic design or costume design it will be very deserved and very unconventional.
The choreography has a similar effect. The only real 'dance' numbers are "Living It Up On Top" which is very traditional, "Way Down Hadestown" which feels more frenetic and unplanned, and "Lover's Desire" which is literally a slow dance. The thing is, the choreography throughout the show tells you so much about characters, what they are thinking, and how they are feeling in a way traditional choreography doesn't. Interesting enough Amber Gray was nominated for a dance award for the show. Like with scenic design and costume design, if "Hadestown" wins it will be deserved but a bit uexpected.
Best Lighting Design
Those "Wait For Me" lights will probably win them this Tony but it's worth acknowledging that this show has a lot of amazing lighting design from those swinging lights to the lanterns the Fates use to how Eurydice is able to disappear with the use of light, smoke, and turntable, to the lights of Hadestown, to those colored lights in "How Long" that I am now weirdly obsessed with. But those swinging lights are so iconic that they just might win it on that alone.
Best Sound Design
I know nothing about sound design and no one else seems to either. I noticed some sound design. I also noticed some sound design in "Oklahoma!" I don't know anyone who saw "King Kong" or "Ain't Too Proud." Who knows.
Here are what I think the odds are of "Hadestown" winning Tonys.
Best Musical
"Hadestown" has a really good chance of winning but it is by no means guaranteed. Mostly everyone thinks it's going to come down to "Hadestown" or "Tootsie." No one is talking about "Ain't Too Proud", "Beetlejuice" doesn't seem to be a viable candidate (described by my friend as fun but nothing to write home about), and "The Prom" seems to only be really endorsed by the New York Times writers who have an unreasonable amount of power when it comes to what goes to Broadway (they are why "Hadestown" got changed so much and why "Fortress of Solitude," the best musical you've never heard of, never went to Broadway) but not necessarily the deciding vote.
The thing here is really whether the voters want to go safe and traditional with "Tootsie" or new and unique with "Hadestown." In the past few years, they have definitely tended towards the new and unique, but they also have a clear bias against sung-through musicals (see 2017 when "Come From Away" won Best Director but lost Best Musical to "Dear Evan Hansen" in spite of doing really well at the smaller awards). "Hamilton" is a recent exception to this but "Hamilton" was an exception in so many ways.
Overall "Hadestown" is the better show. Both shows have issues with their books but "Tootsie" is tighter and also less interesting. And "Hadestown" has vastly better music. Personally, I'll be surprised if "Tootsie" wins but these kinds of things have happened before.
Best Director
Basically everyone seems to say it will be Rachel Chavkin even if they don't think "Hadestown" will win best musical, and this is very interesting to me as someone who knows a bit more about the interworkings of the Oscars than the Tonys. The Oscars have done this weird and possibly bad thing a lot over the last few years where they give Best Direction to the most artistic and interesting film but Best Picture to whatever movie they enjoyed the most. Last year this was painfully obvious with Alfonso Curon winning for his direction for "Roma" but "Green Book" winning Best Picture. The Tonys don't do this as they usually give both to the same show or they give direction to a revival that will then win Best Revival. But again, 2017 this changed.
That being said "Oklahoma!" seems like the only real competitor here and if Daniel Fish wins over Rachel, I'd be okay with it. "Oklahoma!" was a revelation (and better win Best Revival over "Kiss Me Kate").
Best Book
Here's one where I think "Hadestown" is likely to lose. First of all, the book of "Hadestown" is messy. I love "Hadestown," it's probably my favorite musical of all time, but the book is messy. There are places that are overexplained and a lot of imbalance in how the themes are woven into the story (while still being totally brillant but yeah). There are things that should have been fixed in all the transfers, but they weren't, and it started to feel a bit like writing wack-a-mole following this show since the New York Theatre Workshop.
Also a lot of people find "Hadestown" confusing, which is a problem, but I find this is often a problem of people not being good readers more than anything having to do with the show.
Additionally, Tony voters have no idea what the book is with a sung-through musical. Basically, they don't think there is one. Dialogue is only part of what makes the book, guys.
"Tootsie" will probably win instead. It's got a very tight script and is truthfully very funny. Even though there are as many oops-you-should-edit moments as in "Hadestown," the comedy and the appeal to the particular demographic they were shooting for will win it.
Best Original Score
I feel like "Hadestown" has this one locked down. Even people who find the show incomprehensible seem to love the music. David Yazbek won last year for "Band's Visit" (a vastly better show than "Tootsie") so it's safe to say he's out of the running. I've got nothing else here.
Best Orchestrations
"Hadestown" has a damn good chance here too. Its music is one of its strongest qualities, and if you compare the NYTW to the Broadway in terms of orchestration, there's a lot going on here and it's all good. "Oklahoma!" is a potential opponent because of how they managed to change around the original to make it all read so much better to a modern audience.
Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role
I'm going to say Eva has only a 25% chance of winning. Stephanie J. Block seems to be a likely winner because of her previous nominations and the fact that the Tonys often give out awards for career work instead of the single show they are in. Otherwise, "The Cher Show." Really. Some people think Kelli O'Hara has a chance because the Tony voters love their generic starlets but since she's already got a Tony, I think Stephanie and Eva are much more likely competitors. "The Prom" girls seem to cancel each other out (more on the canceling effect two categories below).
If Eva wins I will be PUMPED, but I'm not counting on it.
Best Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role
Everything here comes down to Amber Gray versus Ali Stoker. The "Tootsie" actresses cancel each other out (more on the canceling effect one category below), but Ali is far and away a standout over Mary Testa. To quote my acquaintance, "Amber Gray will win because she's the most interesting woman on Broadway, like how Katrina Lenk won last year." I think she could be right here, but I will propose an additional theory for why Amber may win: Amber originated a role, one she has been working on for years. Ali stole the show in "Oklahoma!" but she stole the show with a classic show stealing role. Also, because those voters like career work, Amber has been around longer (although she wasn't nominated, she was the best thing about "Natasha Pierre" for me). Ali is young and at this point mostly known for her small role in Deaf West's "Spring Awakening."
Ali will be a Tony winner. Maybe this Sunday. Maybe in a few years. If she wins I'll be happy for her and there's no denying she will deserve the award, but I'm rooting for Amber.
Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role
I have gone on a journey with this category. Let me start by saying it seems like Andre DeShields will win. Now let me back up and tell you the long adventure I went on to conclude this.
I have now mentioned "canceling out" a lot, which has a tendency to happen with shows where multiple people are nominated (usually in acting). The important thing to note is that just because two people are in the same category does not mean they automatically cancel each other. Daveed Diggs won for featured actor for "Hamilton" over his costars Chris Jackson and Jon Groff, and there's a clear reason why: of the three he was the standout. He was the most dynamic and had the meatiest role. This only works when there isn't an obvious winner in that show. And this is why figuring out this category has been so damn difficult and I still may be wrong.
Originally one of my friends said he thought Andre and Patrick Page would cancel each other out and that the two guys nominated for "Ain't Too Proud" would cancel each other out and we would have the award going to the guy from "Tootsie" (sorry I don't have the names, but for the reference that guy was literally my favorite thing about "Tootsie"). I initally argued that while both "Hadestown" guys do clearly dominate the category in general, Patrick could win because he plays a dynamic character while Andre plays a static one. My friend countered that the Tony voters really love narrator characters, and well, he's right. This idea was expanded by my other friend who pointed out that Andre opens and closes the show and has a lot of the theme-dropping lines, while Patrick doesn't make his entrance until halfway through Act One and that this leaves an impression.
But ultimately it probably comes down to this: career. Andre will get the award because of his career. Every middle aged gay man I've spoken to who didn't understand the show was very proud to tell me that they saw him in "Ain't Misbehavin" in the 70s (to which I said I saw him in "Fortress of Solitude" a few years ago as a jest that none of them seemed to be amused by).
The canceling theory may still play here, but it's hard for me to imagine that the award won't at least go to one of the "Hadestown" guys.
Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Choreography
I'm talking about these three together because my explanation for all three is basically the same. In all three of these categories, "Hadestown" feels like an underdog because it is not flashy in the way shows like "Beetlejuice" or "King Kong" are. They don't have the grandiosity or diversity of costumes of "The Cher Show" or the traditional choreography of "Tootsie."
But "Hadestown" is literally creating a time and place that doesn't really exist; it's not even fantasy, just otherworldliness. The scenic design and costumes anchor you in a place that is like our world but isn't and everything about the choices made, from the shifting set to the details of the costumes, is meant to create this place of kinda New Orleans, kinda 1930s, but also kinda anywhere and now. If "Hadestown" wins scenic design or costume design it will be very deserved and very unconventional.
The choreography has a similar effect. The only real 'dance' numbers are "Living It Up On Top" which is very traditional, "Way Down Hadestown" which feels more frenetic and unplanned, and "Lover's Desire" which is literally a slow dance. The thing is, the choreography throughout the show tells you so much about characters, what they are thinking, and how they are feeling in a way traditional choreography doesn't. Interesting enough Amber Gray was nominated for a dance award for the show. Like with scenic design and costume design, if "Hadestown" wins it will be deserved but a bit uexpected.
Best Lighting Design
Those "Wait For Me" lights will probably win them this Tony but it's worth acknowledging that this show has a lot of amazing lighting design from those swinging lights to the lanterns the Fates use to how Eurydice is able to disappear with the use of light, smoke, and turntable, to the lights of Hadestown, to those colored lights in "How Long" that I am now weirdly obsessed with. But those swinging lights are so iconic that they just might win it on that alone.
Best Sound Design
I know nothing about sound design and no one else seems to either. I noticed some sound design. I also noticed some sound design in "Oklahoma!" I don't know anyone who saw "King Kong" or "Ain't Too Proud." Who knows.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
2019 Potentially Oscar Nominated Movies
I felt underwhelmed by everything put out by Hollywood. Even some movies I gave four stars to I ended up putting in my "Liked" section instead of my "Really Liked" section because so few movies really impacted me. Movies I thought I would "Love" were more "Really Liked." I had a hard time finding mainstream movies I was especially passionate so thank you independent and foreign films.
I didn't have a "not interested" list last year but I needed one this year. I just went back through all my old posts and realized that to this day the only time I have ended up actually watching a movie on my "not interested" list was The Big Short, which was really worth my time. I've thought about watching The Martian since I ended up reading and liking the book but overall I seem to have a decent sense of which movies are skippable.
Movies I Still Need To See:
* If Beale Street Could Talk
Movies I'm Not Interested In:
* Green Book: The premise seemed okay until I looked deeper into it. Alex didn't like it which seems like a safe bet to avoid.
* Beautiful Boy: I was bored trying to read a plot description of this. I feel like I've seen this movie at least three times.
* The Wife: See above.
* First Reformed: See above.
* Never Look Back: See above.
* Boy Erased: I already watched a gay conversion movie this year and while this one got praised a lot for Nicole Kidman's performance, I just don't know if it's worth my time.
* Mary Queen Of Scots: I already watched a few period dramas this year and while this one got praised a lot for its costumes and makeup, I just don't know if it's worth my time.
* First Man: Another biopic. I'm sorry but all biopics are basically the same to me at this point. Most lack a fundemental purpose outside of telling a story of a life and trying to inject purpose often comes off as false. You're literally trying to give meaning to life.
* The Mule: See above although John Mulany and Pete Davidson's review of it made me wonder.
* At Eternity's Gate: See above although the premise seems marginally interesting compared to the other two biopics on this list.
* The Ballad Of Buster Suggs: I hate westerns. I liked Mudbound last year but no thanks.
* Mary Poppins Returns: I love and worship Emily Blunt and Lin Manuel Miranda but I don't need this in my life.
* Isle Of Dogs: The animation freaks me out somehow.
* Ready Player One: Well, how much will you pay me to watch this?
Maybe I'll get around to the other animated movies but I don't really feel strongly about them enough to really bother.
Movies with a + were not nominated for an Oscar.
Previous Years: 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
Movies I Loved:
Cold War: This movie broke into my house, murdered me, and stole everything. I was literally glued to my screen the whole time and off and on crying. The only non-doc movie I gave a full five stars to. I do have a very unemotional explanation for why I liked it so much (directing, cinematography, editing, acting, USE OF MUSIC) but every beat of it kept hitting me in just the right way that it also gave me a lot of feelings from beginning to end.
The Favourite: A lot of people seem torn about this movie. Complaints seem to include historical inaccuracy (I'm of the opinion that you should either go strictly accurate or wildly inaccurate and this did the latter so no problem), unlikeable characters (that was kind of the point), and tone shifts (it was a comedy, guys, but like the kind of comedy this Greek madman makes). Sorry, I loved it. It was visually beautiful on every level, the plot was interesting and layered with lots of character development, and even when I think Yorgos Lanthimos makes a film I don't think is particularly good (The Killing Of A Sacred Deer) I'm always entertained.
Roma: I was a bit on the cusp of Really Liked and Loved with this one but I bumped it to Loved for the directing, which was impectable. It reminded me a lot of La Dolce Vita for some reason but that's another movie that's long, well-directed and makes me think a lot afterwards so i guess the comparison is apt.
Burning: Same conflict with the cusp of Really Liked and Loved but once the movie was over I thought about it for about a half hour and I realized just how many layers there were and I was shook. The social commentary aspect was in the back of my mind while watching and it hit me like a ton of bricks afterwards. I'm kind of floored this wasn't nominated for Best Foreign Film.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch: Wikipedia told me this was a movie so it is. Black Mirror is literally one of two shows that I watch so I may have an inherent bias, but this was one of the best movies of the year. I can already hear people claiming that it's gimmicky but the thing is, this movie basically created a genre of movie and then destroyed it with its content and themes at the same time. Amazing.
Director's Cut: Technically this movie is from 2016 but it wasn't released until 2018. Speaking of movies that someone could dismiss as gimmicky, this film is unique and darkly hilarious and its gimmick really works to unfold a narrative. There need to be more fun movies in general to be honest.
Blindspotting: After watching something like 15 movies in a short amount of time, I saw this and immediately texted everyone I know to say that I finally saw a good movie. It's got a comedic friendship, drama about police brutality, gentrification, and race, and it involves a scene were someone is so angry they can only rap their feelings. It's quality.
Eighth Grade: Last year I mentioned that Lady Bird was a movie that felt almost too real but didn't quite hit all the notes to make it really amazing to me and I have sense realized that film men seem to like it more than film women. Eighth Grade hit the beats that Lady Bird felt like it was missing for me. The juxtaposition of the YouTube videos was brilliant.
Pick Of The Litter: I called this movie the best movie of 2018. I was joking but also not. My other five star movie.
Free Solo: So stressful but so satisfying.
RBG: This documentary was so well edited that I couldn't believe how seamlessly the narrative of RBG's life with her present managed to fit together.
Movies I Really Liked:
BlackkKlansman: This movie is at the top of my "I need to watch this again because I don't think I gave it a fair shake" list. I really liked it, for sure, (my only real criticism is that Spike Lee got obvious even for him at the end) but I was distracted during the first 20 minutes so it made it hard for me to catch up, interest wise. This movie deserves better than that.
Black Panther: Every year there is one superhero movie that I actually bother with and it was great that this year's superhero movie also came with a bunch of thought provoking aspects, cool characters, and a clearly passionate team behind it.
Widows: I saw this in a New York City theater with Alex and the people were INTO it. I honestly think it's Steve McQueen's weakest film but Steve McQueen's worst is still really good. I also immediately noticed Gillian Flynn's incluence on the script and it was highly appreciated because I love how she writes characters.
A Private War: Very intense. Biopic with a point.
How Could You Ever Forgive Me: Less intense but still very good.
Shoplifters: Not my favorite Kore-eda (nothing will beat "After Life" for me I think) but definitely a good one.
The Hate U Give: I really liked the book and I thought this was a great example of how to adapt a book for film even if I have a few minor nitpicks about things they should have kept in. A lot of the changes really supported the story and tightened up the theme.
Love, Simon: I really like the book and this movie was very, very different. It completely functions well as an separate product although I think I'm an old curmudgeon who is a little tired of Hollywood conventions (yes, it's great to have a film where two guys kiss with their classmates cheering them on; I'm not that miserly).
On Chesil Beach: It seems like the people who didn't like this movie, wouldn't have liked the book either. I love the book and I thought the movie was a great adaption of it. Like The Hate U Give, there were a few changes made that really strengthened the themes for a visual medium.
The Death of Stalin: I need to watch this again. I enjoyed it but I was kind of distracted while I watched it and I think I would enjoy it more a second time. I did laugh a bunch though. I love a good dark comedy about death.
Thoroughbreds: Speaking of dark comedy, I kind of thought this would be a Loved and while I did really like it, something kept me from putting it all the way up top. It's not quite the new Heathers but it's a solid watch for fans of Heathers.
Support The Girls: This was just such a nice, earnest movie that happened to also have some social commentary buried under all the wholesomeness. It's a family film, I swear.
Crazy Rich Asians: I watched this on a plane because I had just watched two documentaries and I wanted something fluffy. I was super pleased that it was more about family relationships than a romance and it was just fun to watch with a lot of shiny to keep you entralled. Call me a cornball but that proposal scene hit me in the gut.
Three Identical Strangers: This one's a wild ride. It reminded me of the doc The Imposter in terms of technique but I thought this one was better.
Movies I Liked:
Bohemian Rhapsody: I said earlier that all biopics are the same to me, and I continue to stand by that, which is why I only watch biopics about people who I actually like or find interesting. This biopic at least had a theme that ran through it, and I'm always happy to listen to Queen's music.
Vice: This movie was enjoyable, particularly with the acting, but it had a lot of pieces that really didn't come together for me. Adam McKay needed to tone down his Adam McKay-ness and pick a mood because it was jarringly inconsistent for a topic that has elements that are still, you know, emotionally traumatic for your target audience.
Incredibles 2: A perfectly adequate sequel from Pixar. I don't think Pixar is particularly capable of making bad movies.
The Miseducation Of Cameron Post: A very decent film about gay conversion therapy, not to be confused with that other movie about gay conversion therapy. I saw this in a tiny theater in Burlington while on vacation with Alex and I remember us being very amused (and also two of the four people in the theater).
Colette: This was really the year of WLW in film, I swear. Twenty GayTeen indeed. Anyway, this film was fine but nothing special. Biopic historical drama with some bisexuality.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before: Sometimes you just need to watch a cute and earnest teen movie and this movie was a great one for that. Wouldn't mind this becoming a classic in the genre. My one problem with this film was that some of the boys looked the same and I kept getting confused.
A Quiet Place: This year's one good horror movie.
Ocean's 8: This movie was fun as hell. I loved the cast dynamic.
Leave No Trace: It's definitely unfair to compare this movie to Mr. Fantastic, which I really liked, but I think my problem with this film was the organization. I spent way too long wondering where it was going and even for a character study like this, I shouldn't have spent so much time looking for a purpose to the journey.
Mandy: It wasn't boring or conventional and it knew exactly what it wanted to be. Considering how many movies bore me nowadays, this movie gets a lot of points.
Movies I Thought Were Okay:
Disobedience: This movie had a good sense of style but was really underwhelming when it came to substance. I discussed it with my friend Rene who sees every lesbian movie that comes out and we managed to break down the problems in this film to two main ones: 1. The main character is weirdly underdeveloped. Her motivations, her relationship to her community, and everything about her background is never discussed and 2. The spitting.
A Star Is Born: What worked: Lady Gaga. What didn't work: the plot, Bradley Cooper's character, Bradley Cooper's directing.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindlewald: I think this one barely escaped the bottom category because I enjoyed parts of it. It's a damn mess though and needed a million rewrites. I don't think the franchise is unsalvageble though, which is why it was better than the next one.
Movies I Didn't Like:
Solo: A Star Wars Story: I liked this movie less the more I thought about it. My signother and I actually talked about it and revised it to be a trilogy with all the same characters and major moments but actual story beats and it became clear that the basic material of the film wasn't bad, but it was constructed so wrong. I doubt there'll be another Solo movie.
Unfriended: Dark Web: I was about two-thirds of the way through this movie when I realized I really wasn't having a good time. I felt bad for the characters and irritated that there wasn't anything they could do to stop what was happening. This is a fundemental problem with a horror movie. Unlike the first Unfriended which involved a bunch of unlikable teens and a ghost as a enemy, this one features a bunch of very likeable 20-somethings just trying to have a nice game night over Skype being brutally hunted down by a bunch of merciless dark webbers. It felt like a really depressing episode of Black Mirror without a morale.
The First Purge: The worst one since the first. New movie, same critique: less violence, more politics. The only part that really interested me last about 5 minutes where the psychologist realized that her predictions weren't working and you find out why. The politican's intentions with what they were trying to sell to the public didn't even make sense.
God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness: Bad movie night watch.
Cool Cat Kids Superhero: Bad Movie Night. The original Cool Cat was much better.
I didn't have a "not interested" list last year but I needed one this year. I just went back through all my old posts and realized that to this day the only time I have ended up actually watching a movie on my "not interested" list was The Big Short, which was really worth my time. I've thought about watching The Martian since I ended up reading and liking the book but overall I seem to have a decent sense of which movies are skippable.
Movies I Still Need To See:
* If Beale Street Could Talk
Movies I'm Not Interested In:
* Green Book: The premise seemed okay until I looked deeper into it. Alex didn't like it which seems like a safe bet to avoid.
* Beautiful Boy: I was bored trying to read a plot description of this. I feel like I've seen this movie at least three times.
* The Wife: See above.
* First Reformed: See above.
* Never Look Back: See above.
* Boy Erased: I already watched a gay conversion movie this year and while this one got praised a lot for Nicole Kidman's performance, I just don't know if it's worth my time.
* Mary Queen Of Scots: I already watched a few period dramas this year and while this one got praised a lot for its costumes and makeup, I just don't know if it's worth my time.
* First Man: Another biopic. I'm sorry but all biopics are basically the same to me at this point. Most lack a fundemental purpose outside of telling a story of a life and trying to inject purpose often comes off as false. You're literally trying to give meaning to life.
* The Mule: See above although John Mulany and Pete Davidson's review of it made me wonder.
* At Eternity's Gate: See above although the premise seems marginally interesting compared to the other two biopics on this list.
* The Ballad Of Buster Suggs: I hate westerns. I liked Mudbound last year but no thanks.
* Mary Poppins Returns: I love and worship Emily Blunt and Lin Manuel Miranda but I don't need this in my life.
* Isle Of Dogs: The animation freaks me out somehow.
* Ready Player One: Well, how much will you pay me to watch this?
Maybe I'll get around to the other animated movies but I don't really feel strongly about them enough to really bother.
Movies with a + were not nominated for an Oscar.
Previous Years: 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
Movies I Loved:
Cold War: This movie broke into my house, murdered me, and stole everything. I was literally glued to my screen the whole time and off and on crying. The only non-doc movie I gave a full five stars to. I do have a very unemotional explanation for why I liked it so much (directing, cinematography, editing, acting, USE OF MUSIC) but every beat of it kept hitting me in just the right way that it also gave me a lot of feelings from beginning to end.
The Favourite: A lot of people seem torn about this movie. Complaints seem to include historical inaccuracy (I'm of the opinion that you should either go strictly accurate or wildly inaccurate and this did the latter so no problem), unlikeable characters (that was kind of the point), and tone shifts (it was a comedy, guys, but like the kind of comedy this Greek madman makes). Sorry, I loved it. It was visually beautiful on every level, the plot was interesting and layered with lots of character development, and even when I think Yorgos Lanthimos makes a film I don't think is particularly good (The Killing Of A Sacred Deer) I'm always entertained.
Roma: I was a bit on the cusp of Really Liked and Loved with this one but I bumped it to Loved for the directing, which was impectable. It reminded me a lot of La Dolce Vita for some reason but that's another movie that's long, well-directed and makes me think a lot afterwards so i guess the comparison is apt.
Burning: Same conflict with the cusp of Really Liked and Loved but once the movie was over I thought about it for about a half hour and I realized just how many layers there were and I was shook. The social commentary aspect was in the back of my mind while watching and it hit me like a ton of bricks afterwards. I'm kind of floored this wasn't nominated for Best Foreign Film.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch: Wikipedia told me this was a movie so it is. Black Mirror is literally one of two shows that I watch so I may have an inherent bias, but this was one of the best movies of the year. I can already hear people claiming that it's gimmicky but the thing is, this movie basically created a genre of movie and then destroyed it with its content and themes at the same time. Amazing.
Director's Cut: Technically this movie is from 2016 but it wasn't released until 2018. Speaking of movies that someone could dismiss as gimmicky, this film is unique and darkly hilarious and its gimmick really works to unfold a narrative. There need to be more fun movies in general to be honest.
Blindspotting: After watching something like 15 movies in a short amount of time, I saw this and immediately texted everyone I know to say that I finally saw a good movie. It's got a comedic friendship, drama about police brutality, gentrification, and race, and it involves a scene were someone is so angry they can only rap their feelings. It's quality.
Eighth Grade: Last year I mentioned that Lady Bird was a movie that felt almost too real but didn't quite hit all the notes to make it really amazing to me and I have sense realized that film men seem to like it more than film women. Eighth Grade hit the beats that Lady Bird felt like it was missing for me. The juxtaposition of the YouTube videos was brilliant.
Pick Of The Litter: I called this movie the best movie of 2018. I was joking but also not. My other five star movie.
Free Solo: So stressful but so satisfying.
RBG: This documentary was so well edited that I couldn't believe how seamlessly the narrative of RBG's life with her present managed to fit together.
Movies I Really Liked:
BlackkKlansman: This movie is at the top of my "I need to watch this again because I don't think I gave it a fair shake" list. I really liked it, for sure, (my only real criticism is that Spike Lee got obvious even for him at the end) but I was distracted during the first 20 minutes so it made it hard for me to catch up, interest wise. This movie deserves better than that.
Black Panther: Every year there is one superhero movie that I actually bother with and it was great that this year's superhero movie also came with a bunch of thought provoking aspects, cool characters, and a clearly passionate team behind it.
Widows: I saw this in a New York City theater with Alex and the people were INTO it. I honestly think it's Steve McQueen's weakest film but Steve McQueen's worst is still really good. I also immediately noticed Gillian Flynn's incluence on the script and it was highly appreciated because I love how she writes characters.
A Private War: Very intense. Biopic with a point.
How Could You Ever Forgive Me: Less intense but still very good.
Shoplifters: Not my favorite Kore-eda (nothing will beat "After Life" for me I think) but definitely a good one.
The Hate U Give: I really liked the book and I thought this was a great example of how to adapt a book for film even if I have a few minor nitpicks about things they should have kept in. A lot of the changes really supported the story and tightened up the theme.
Love, Simon: I really like the book and this movie was very, very different. It completely functions well as an separate product although I think I'm an old curmudgeon who is a little tired of Hollywood conventions (yes, it's great to have a film where two guys kiss with their classmates cheering them on; I'm not that miserly).
On Chesil Beach: It seems like the people who didn't like this movie, wouldn't have liked the book either. I love the book and I thought the movie was a great adaption of it. Like The Hate U Give, there were a few changes made that really strengthened the themes for a visual medium.
The Death of Stalin: I need to watch this again. I enjoyed it but I was kind of distracted while I watched it and I think I would enjoy it more a second time. I did laugh a bunch though. I love a good dark comedy about death.
Thoroughbreds: Speaking of dark comedy, I kind of thought this would be a Loved and while I did really like it, something kept me from putting it all the way up top. It's not quite the new Heathers but it's a solid watch for fans of Heathers.
Support The Girls: This was just such a nice, earnest movie that happened to also have some social commentary buried under all the wholesomeness. It's a family film, I swear.
Crazy Rich Asians: I watched this on a plane because I had just watched two documentaries and I wanted something fluffy. I was super pleased that it was more about family relationships than a romance and it was just fun to watch with a lot of shiny to keep you entralled. Call me a cornball but that proposal scene hit me in the gut.
Three Identical Strangers: This one's a wild ride. It reminded me of the doc The Imposter in terms of technique but I thought this one was better.
Movies I Liked:
Bohemian Rhapsody: I said earlier that all biopics are the same to me, and I continue to stand by that, which is why I only watch biopics about people who I actually like or find interesting. This biopic at least had a theme that ran through it, and I'm always happy to listen to Queen's music.
Vice: This movie was enjoyable, particularly with the acting, but it had a lot of pieces that really didn't come together for me. Adam McKay needed to tone down his Adam McKay-ness and pick a mood because it was jarringly inconsistent for a topic that has elements that are still, you know, emotionally traumatic for your target audience.
Incredibles 2: A perfectly adequate sequel from Pixar. I don't think Pixar is particularly capable of making bad movies.
The Miseducation Of Cameron Post: A very decent film about gay conversion therapy, not to be confused with that other movie about gay conversion therapy. I saw this in a tiny theater in Burlington while on vacation with Alex and I remember us being very amused (and also two of the four people in the theater).
Colette: This was really the year of WLW in film, I swear. Twenty GayTeen indeed. Anyway, this film was fine but nothing special. Biopic historical drama with some bisexuality.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before: Sometimes you just need to watch a cute and earnest teen movie and this movie was a great one for that. Wouldn't mind this becoming a classic in the genre. My one problem with this film was that some of the boys looked the same and I kept getting confused.
A Quiet Place: This year's one good horror movie.
Ocean's 8: This movie was fun as hell. I loved the cast dynamic.
Leave No Trace: It's definitely unfair to compare this movie to Mr. Fantastic, which I really liked, but I think my problem with this film was the organization. I spent way too long wondering where it was going and even for a character study like this, I shouldn't have spent so much time looking for a purpose to the journey.
Mandy: It wasn't boring or conventional and it knew exactly what it wanted to be. Considering how many movies bore me nowadays, this movie gets a lot of points.
Movies I Thought Were Okay:
Disobedience: This movie had a good sense of style but was really underwhelming when it came to substance. I discussed it with my friend Rene who sees every lesbian movie that comes out and we managed to break down the problems in this film to two main ones: 1. The main character is weirdly underdeveloped. Her motivations, her relationship to her community, and everything about her background is never discussed and 2. The spitting.
A Star Is Born: What worked: Lady Gaga. What didn't work: the plot, Bradley Cooper's character, Bradley Cooper's directing.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindlewald: I think this one barely escaped the bottom category because I enjoyed parts of it. It's a damn mess though and needed a million rewrites. I don't think the franchise is unsalvageble though, which is why it was better than the next one.
Movies I Didn't Like:
Solo: A Star Wars Story: I liked this movie less the more I thought about it. My signother and I actually talked about it and revised it to be a trilogy with all the same characters and major moments but actual story beats and it became clear that the basic material of the film wasn't bad, but it was constructed so wrong. I doubt there'll be another Solo movie.
Unfriended: Dark Web: I was about two-thirds of the way through this movie when I realized I really wasn't having a good time. I felt bad for the characters and irritated that there wasn't anything they could do to stop what was happening. This is a fundemental problem with a horror movie. Unlike the first Unfriended which involved a bunch of unlikable teens and a ghost as a enemy, this one features a bunch of very likeable 20-somethings just trying to have a nice game night over Skype being brutally hunted down by a bunch of merciless dark webbers. It felt like a really depressing episode of Black Mirror without a morale.
The First Purge: The worst one since the first. New movie, same critique: less violence, more politics. The only part that really interested me last about 5 minutes where the psychologist realized that her predictions weren't working and you find out why. The politican's intentions with what they were trying to sell to the public didn't even make sense.
God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness: Bad movie night watch.
Cool Cat Kids Superhero: Bad Movie Night. The original Cool Cat was much better.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
The Myth Of Persephone in "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"
I watched the episode of “Hercules: The Legendey Journeys” called “The Other Side” (Season 2, Episode 8) and oh man, was this 90s cheese at its finest. I kind of vaguely watched parts of this show as a kid when I was on vacation without cable and it is glorious in the not particularly well acted (Kevin Sorbo is frequently the only one really trying and even then look up “hercules disappointed”), slapsticky, low budget although this show probably cost more than you think way. Also, Ancient Greece is aesthetically like a really 90s version of medieval times for some reason. You can make a peplos out of a bedsheet! I don’t understand.
Also, their take on the myth is basically removing all the problematic elements entirely. It’s very 90s mainstream third wave feminist-y.
Here we see Demeter and Persephone just wandering around. Demeter somehow had three nice, peplos-inspired dresses and Persephone's dress came from the mall but they RenFaired it up. It looks a little better in a wide shot but she’s mostly in mid shots like this.
So she picks a yellow flower which I guess could be a narcissus although it looks exactly like the flowers she’s holding and Hades comes out of a cave thing on his chariot.
He has the silliest helmet, which is doing a poor job of making him invisible by the way, and I almost didn’t notice it because of the fact that the camera does a drama!zoom on Persephone as she shouts out “Hades!” right before this. Although it was hard to miss his weird collar and leather pants.
Hercules, being the main character, gets incorporated into the story and sees this happen. Demeter says Hades did this “Because he hates me.” What. She asks Herc to go get Seph or else she’ll keep wintering it up and killing people so he goes.
I just need you to see Charon’s design because I kind of hate it.
So the relationship between Persephone and Hades is established pretty quickly. They appear to have been courting or something, Demeter is not down, so Hades took action. Persephone goes from angry to aroused in like, one minute.
“Hades, I can’t believe you’ve done this.”
“Sorry for the bad timing but your mom is annoying and I love you.”
“Oh, that’s reasonable.”
In what I call the B plot, Herc finds his dead wife and kids who don’t know they are dead. They have happy family time and then boning.
For some reason, Hades and Persephone are watching this.
“Hades, don’t be a voyeur.”
“Instead of watching other people have sex, we should do it."
And obviously he’s down.
But he forgot to turn off his peeping screen as they fall onto the floor.
So first Herc tries to talk to Hades about letting Seph go. Hades is just like, whatever Demeter is a drama queen. Somehow the plot point about the Underworld getting crowded from all the people killed by Demeter’s winter is completely gone. Probably because in every version Hades notices this and is a bit more willing to let her go in order to restore balance and this whole episode fringes on Hades not wanting to let her go (and she’s not too keen on it either).
Also, their take on the myth is basically removing all the problematic elements entirely. It’s very 90s mainstream third wave feminist-y.
So she picks a yellow flower which I guess could be a narcissus although it looks exactly like the flowers she’s holding and Hades comes out of a cave thing on his chariot.
Hercules, being the main character, gets incorporated into the story and sees this happen. Demeter says Hades did this “Because he hates me.” What. She asks Herc to go get Seph or else she’ll keep wintering it up and killing people so he goes.
So the relationship between Persephone and Hades is established pretty quickly. They appear to have been courting or something, Demeter is not down, so Hades took action. Persephone goes from angry to aroused in like, one minute.
For some reason, Hades and Persephone are watching this.
Cerberus looks terrible. Is this what early CGI looks like. If you know your myths, you know these two have a history but he gets past him to Seph’s bedroom (or Hades’ bedroom because yeah).
Herc is confused by her reluctance to leave and her statements that she thinks Hades is “wonderful,” “misunderstood,” and “kinda sexy.” Herc kinkshames her and then is like, “People are dying!” and she’s like, “Well, shoot, I guess I better go.”
These two idiots fist fight it out while Seph stands in the corner telling them to stop. They eventually just give up and talk it out.
Hades makes a plea to emotion (”They won’t even let me in the Elysian Fields anymore because I’m too gloomy! She’s the only bright spot here.”) and tells Herc that he will let Herc take any of the dead he wants out of the Underworld if he let’s Persephone stay. Herc is tempted to resurrect his family but has to do the right thing so he and Seph go to say goodbye to them.
One of Herc’s kids offers Seph a . . .could they not afford a pomegrante . . . or red paint.
Hades makes a plea to emotion (”They won’t even let me in the Elysian Fields anymore because I’m too gloomy! She’s the only bright spot here.”) and tells Herc that he will let Herc take any of the dead he wants out of the Underworld if he let’s Persephone stay. Herc is tempted to resurrect his family but has to do the right thing so he and Seph go to say goodbye to them.
On their way out Seph has another change of heart and is like, “Wait, I love him” and Herc is like, “We don’t have time for this” as Hades shapeshifts into his wife to try to beg him to take the deal. BUT LOOK WHO’S HERE
After some arguing Herc is like, “Let’s ask Persephone what she wants” and she’s like, “I choose both, I guess” and Herc is like, “Okay, six months with each of them.” Seriously, Hercules is an idiot. Let her move freely or at least weekly. Whatever it’s a silly television show that needed the main character to play a big role.
Caption this on your own.
I just liked this shot. It’s so ACTING.
I watched another episode with Hades in it called “Highway To Hades” where Sisyphus has escaped and Herc has to bring him back. That didn’t happen in mythology but Sisyphus cheated death twice, once by tricking Thanatos and once by tricking Persephone, so that tracks as a premise. Hades basically asks him to do it because he’s really busy with dead soldiers from recent wars and because he has inventory coming up, which is just about the most Hades thing I’ve ever heard. Although the episode implies that Zeus is his boss which I don’t like. Hades is the boss and takes his job very seriously. Basically every myth gets that right.
The only other episode they both appear in seems to be a season three episode called “Not Fade Away” (with a cameo by Cythnia Rothrock!). They both got new hairstyles.
I think this is a marked improvement actually. They look cute. Although Hades’ armor got shinier for some reason. Maybe someone recently found out he’s also the god of wealth.
Herc’s friend stuck in between their arguing.
Hades obviously lost said argument. It’s funny how her hair is more controlled and his is less controlled. There’s a point though since Hades spends this entire episode being stressed out.
Don’t worry though. They’re still adorable and in love. I would literally watch a show entirely about them.
Anyway, I loved this version. It’s ridiculous and corny and I will watch it again for sure.
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