Friday, April 16, 2010

RCL: Dancers (Glee), Assassins (and Kick-Ass) and More

Red Carpet Lineup. Once weekly, we check in with random celebs who've been out and about, displaying their beautiful selves.


from left to right: Gillian Anderson is still so beautiful. Just saying. She attended a premiere wearing whatreminded me of a Project Runway gown. As in, I sense a theme. But which one? Uma Thurman, seen her crazythin in black at a benefit dinner has been taking too much flak lately for the box office failure of Motherhood. Her career has always been peaks and valleys; Flops can't kill it. I do wonder why she keeps trying her hand at comedy, though. Either her agent or the goddess herself must like her doing them. I think every auteur that has benefited from her screen presence (Kaufman, Frears, Nair, Niccol, Tarantino) really ought to offer her a good role soon to remind us of her inimitable razzle dazzle. After Kill Bill's assassin Bride you'd think she'd get more action offers at least. I regret to inform that Parker Posey did not become my BFF after we danced together at Sundance ;) She wore a leopard print to the Tribeca Ball. I was going to make a cougar reference but the term doesn't fit her as she seems ageless. I know that Parker had a great run in the 90s and don't wanna be greedy fan but I'd love to see her get another great comedic lead role.

Finally, Chloe Moretz went for the pink baby doll look for another Kick-Ass premiere. This is more girlie-girl than she ever gets in the film. I'm so pleased to report that Roger Ebert hates it. I don't normally worship Ebert the way 97.3% of online critics do but he's so widely read and respected it that I love it when he speaks something eloquently that needs to be spoken if you know what I mean. There's a lot to recommend in Kick-Ass but it's also another depressing reminder of how soulless, proudly violent (just listen to today's politicans) and gleefully sadistic the world is becoming. I hope all things are cyclical and we have another flower power generation around the bend. But I guess it would take catastrophic reality to end this particular en vogue fantasy of blood blood blood so...uh... be careful what you wish for. er... moving on. Anyway, I wrote a little bit about for Towleroad.


from left to right: Patricia Clarkson attended the premiere of the Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphosis) production of the opera Armida and really sells the black and white. I like it so much more than several Oscar dresses this year. Zoe Saldana always seems exuberantly happy, yes? Even when promoting a movie called Death at a Funeral. Was she this smiley before starring in two gargantuan hits back to back last year? Every time I see Ginnifer Goodwin I flash back to Win a Date With Tad Hamilton and Walk the Line. I'm not sure why. I like her on Big Love but since she became ultra thin she reads more generic to me. Are you fond of Ginny? This look seems very casual for the Opera but I'm no expert. I've only been thrice.

We end with Glee's adorable Harry Shum Jr. at one of their promotional events. This is the most obsessed I've been with a mute dancer since Cloud lept around in Madonna's Confessions era videos. Can they please give Harry as "Mike Chang" a storyline already! Spread the wealth. The highlight of Tuesday's return-from-hiatus episode was undoubtedly the new characters. Jonathan Groff and Idina Menzel? Our Broadway cup runneth over with this show and we lick up the spills.

Can you tell that I'm thrilled that Glee is back? Are you? I don't know why I got so very impatient for its return, though. Shoulda just rewatched the older episodes. Basically, I've come to realize, Glee is from the Golden Girls stable of sitcoms. It's essentially the same exact jokes every episode. The joy of watching is in which new ways they spin the old jokes. In what way will Rachel be deemed annoying? which particular crazy tic of Emma's? How will Sue Sylvester insult Will Schuester's hair? what femme or gay joke will spring from Kurt? etcetera.

Like everyone else I love Jane Lynch as the comic villain Sue Sylvester and I am desperate to see next week's Madonna episode (p.s. Madonna likes it). But I think they missed a few great opportunities here in this Vogue spoof/tribute.



Sue totally shoulda been doing the jogging-like part of the Vogue dance in her tracksuit and the extras doing the open shirt strobe lit dancers shoulda totally been the jock stars Finn and Puck.

22 comments:

ZiZo said...

Glee is my new reason to live right now. That's how much I love it.

Clarence said...

Jane Lynch is an effing genius. I didn't know she can sing or dance! (I had a hint that she could sing based off of the fact she was in A Mighty Wind). Wow, her antics are so delicious regardless of their repetitiveness sometimes. Love her.

Jorge Rodrigues said...

GLEE, however overrated it is, is such a delight to experience every week that I can stand some over-the-top storylines.

And those songs! Even if you don't like the show you have to give it props for transforming "Take a Bow", "Keep Holding On", "Hello Goodbye", "My Life Would Suck Without You" and many others into so much better tunes than the original ones...

James T said...

Nathaniel, did you see Paris Vogue’s May 2010 issue? I couldn't believe my eyes!

Michael said...

I enjoyed the episode of Glee, but I did not like the Sue Sylvester video., It was kind of disappointing. I love Jane Lynch and all but really? Hopefully the Power of Madonna episode next week won't be as disappointing.

Chris Na Taraja said...

GLEE has made many jokes about racism, but they haven't come thru with any story line yet for anyone but the white folks. I hope they get it this year.

jessica said...

I guess I can sympathize with your attitude about Kick-Ass but the thing that bugged me a a bit about the Ebert review was that he didn't seem bothered by violence in movies in general, he was just bothered that the violence here was being perpetuated by a young girl.

Of course, I haven't seen the movie yet so maybe I should shut up until I do. But as it stands I'm not a fan of Ebert's write-up.

mrripley said...

Did you think ginny g was nom worthy for walk the line nat as you do refer to her in that in posts now n again.

Ryan T. said...

Oh Jorge, while I agree they've done many songs better than the original, I don't think their sped up squeakquel version of "My Life Would Suck Without You" was one of them. Loved the performance because of the moment and everything, but to say it was better than Kelly's? No.

With that off my chess, I totally get Nate's reading of Ginnifer Goodwin as generic now. She's just there for me. Weird, because I DO/DID like her a lot.

jess said...

Thurman is in another comedy this year, "Ceremony", which is being compared to Harold & Maud, so it might be better than the broad comedies she'h been doing lately. Also Bel Ami will put her on the map again, let's face it will garner attraction from the audience thanks to Pattinson.

Greg Boyd said...

Jessica, I agree totally. Haven't seen the film yet, so I don't know if it's any good. But Ebert doesn't even tell you if it's any good. Instead, he just rants about Hit Girl for several paragraphs before finally slipping in a bit of plot information. Awful "review". It's a shame, since Ebert used to be my idol.

OtherRobert said...

I'm reaching critical mass on the camp quotient. Next week will be the big test of my tolerance level: 2.5 hours of RuPaul's Drag Race season finale, a new Glee, a new ANTM, and the Project Runway finale in a 72 hour period. I'm frightened. And excited.

I really just want more Idina Menzel on Glee, but I'm afraid she might upstage Jane Lynch. I don't know how I feel about that. Can't they just team up, off Matthew Morrison, and turn it into a real competition between two likable comic villains?

NATHANIEL R said...

Jessica and G1000 -- well Hit Girl is the problem essentially.

Remove her and its a lesser film in a lot of ways but also you've removed the area where its so compromised morally. I probably should have written a lengthy review rather than the short piece I did for Towleroad but I really think that scene with the cop is a huge offense. Please don't call my attention to the reprehensibility of this whole movie and then shrug it off. Better to force me into being shocked at how reprehensible it is and just stick to your comic vision.

I just thought it was very distasteful and it's not "adult" enough to justify the excuse that it's hard R rating means that kids aren't supposed to be seeing it. It is clearly aimed straight at teenagers.

I guess when i think of children being trained as assassins i think of movies like Blood Diamond or The Professional where you're supposed to be disturbed that this is happening rather than finding it cool and funny.

Greg Boyd said...

Fair point, but have you seen all the interviews Chloe Moretz has been doing about the film. She seems like a perfectly normal 13 year old girl. So it doesn't look as though the film has done her any harm. As long as they're not exploiting the child actor, what's the big deal? It's just a movie.

ZiZo said...

And everybody loved Let the right one in, so, what's the big deal?

NATHANIEL R said...

ZiZo... well in Let the Right One In, you're fully aware that what the young girl or girlboy or boy (or however you view Eli) is monstrous. it's not played for laughs. and even the arguably cheered-on murders (towards the end) come with a sick aftertaste of realizing what the story is actually building to

Kick-Ass has no such morality when it comes to Hit Girl. You're meant to cheer on the violence.

Greg Boyd said...

Well, I just saw the flick, and I think you're way off base. It was really entertaining, and Ms. Moretz flat-out owned the screen. I look forward to seeing what she does in the future.

Trevor said...

Kick-Ass was incredible. Loved it so much.

Anonymous said...

Kick-Ass was great, and not morally irresponsible. It's a funny, witty, and yes, violent comic-book movie. People, especially the losing-his-wits Ebert, need to lighten up. Nathaniel, I get that you're a peace-loving guy and not a fan of cynicism, but any moral bashing of Kick-Ass is, in my estimation, a conservative knee-jerk reaction. And I know you're not conservative so...c'mon lol.

Besides, Kick-Ass isn't that cynical. The overall message of the film is actually quite inspiring. It's about passing by a wrong deed and doing nothing, standing up for those you see suffering. I thought the film that quite a bit of heart. But that's me.

NATHANIEL R said...

anon -- sure that stuff is in the movie, i agree. But it also has "heroes" who chase down accessories to criminals to slaughter them. I mean, really. There is a moral message here but it sure aint a pretty one.

I dunno. I really wish the film hadn't acknowledged that it was pretty disgusting (the cop character) so that I could have viewed it more as alternate insane amoral universe. But they grounded it too much in our world for me to suddenly turn off my own feelings about children raised as assassins (which usually horrifies us in news stories about certain countries, you know?)

I still don't see what's special about Moretz either. She's played two smart asses in a row. Any competent young actress in the same role... wouldn't they have been just as good? I maintain that yes they would.

I thought Aaron Johnson was good though. Or maybe it's because he felt quite a bit different than he did in Nowhere Boy so I see some range there.

Greg Boyd said...

One could say the same thing about Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men". Any reasonably talented actor could have done good in that role. But does that mean he wasn't good? I don't think so. And I maintain it's the same with Moretz.

Magicub said...

This new episode of Glee seems to cause a masive coming out of the closet by overexposure