NostalGeoff

- BH90210 Recap…The Photo Shoot
  
  Posted at 11:16 am by Geoff, on August 22, 2019
  Things are progressing well with the reboot in episode three, but the gang’s personal lives are still a mess.
  
  Jason confronts Camille about the baby and how he couldn’t possibly be the father due to his fertility issues. She admits to getting drunk and making a mistake. Sounds familiar. But he can’t forgive her. A wee bit hypocritical, Jason.
  
  Meanwhile, Tori is inspired by seeing the iconic 90210 cast poster at Fox. You know, the one where they’re laying together intertwined. You know, the one at the top of this recap. Why didn’t I ever buy a copy back in the day? Anyways, the cast gathers together to recreate it. Ian rolls in hung over. He’s been spiraling ever since his marriage broke up. In an awkward moment, he kinda hits on Anna, a writer on the reboot. So much #MeToo. Nearby, Jason realizes that the show’s head writer, Carlisle, is Camille’s one-night stand/baby daddy. They argue. Ian intervenes and punches Carlisle. Equipment flies, the set goes up in flames, and the shoot is over.
  
  This all leads to a much-needed group therapy session. Ironically, the therapist is Carol Potter, aka Mrs. Walsh. Well, she always did give great fictional advice. Naturally, therapy turns into another big fight and a rehash of old issues. This is one dysfunctional “family”. It comes out that Jennie and Jason slept together. Chaos ensues and everyone storms out. Carol needs to work on her technique.
  
  The mutilated dolls from the last episode (still creepy) lead to Jennie getting a bodyguard. He’s as cute as a 90s Kevin Costner. There’s a bit of a flirtation, but Jennie is still focused on Jason. She tells Tori that she has feelings for him. She hates him! She loves him! Confusing! But she also encourages him to forgive Camille. Jason listens and they reunite. We’ll see how long that lasts.
  
  Gabrielle’s husband (Does he even have a name? Do I care to learn it?) isn’t too happy to hear about her not-so-new interest in women. But Christine, an out lesbian, is quite supportive. She urges Gabrielle to get out there and explore. By the end of the episode, she asks Gabrielle out on a date. Should a network executive really be involved with the talent, especially at Fox?
  
  Brian hires Zach, aka hot stalker guy, as his assistant. Shay dislikes him from the get go. That all changes when one of their kids gets out of the house and Zach saves the day. He even covers for Shay and takes the blame for the incident. Brian, impressed, gives Zach a key to the house. That won’t bite him in the ass or anything.
  
  Tori has her hands full being a wife/mom/producer. Her lame husband doesn’t like her new job. Plus, he’s threatened by her past with Brian. Such a man-baby. She also has to contend with the Jason/Carlisle drama. Jason refuses to work with him, so Christine orders Tori to put on her big girl panties (her words, not mine) and fire the writer. Carlisle takes it well. Suspiciously well. Then she is tasked with getting an off the grid Shannen to sign on to the reboot. Cut to Tori hilariously scaling a mountain in Peru to get to her former co-star. After some begging, Shannen agrees to go back to LA, just in time for the photo shoot. It’s great seeing the seven of them together. Like it was 1991 again. I gotta search Amazon for that old poster.
  
  Other 9021Notes
  
  The mutilated dolls don’t seem to be a big concern for the cast. Really? This is normal?
  
  Anna gets promoted to head writer. Good luck with that, Ian.
  
  I gotta say LaLa Anthony is a horrible actress. Like, Models Inc. bad.
  
  Did they really need a storyboard for the photo shoot? Was it that complicated?
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  Posted in TV | 1 Comment | Tagged 90s, Recap, TV
- My So-Called Life…25th Anniversary
  
  Posted at 12:06 am by Geoff, on August 19, 2019
  Twenty-five years later and people are still talking about My So-Called Life. It’s interesting how a low-rated drama that only lasted one season has gone on to become so iconic and gain cult status. Obviously, it struck a chord with the few viewers that did find it.
  
  MSCL followed teenager Angela Chase (Claire Danes) as she navigated through high school, trying to find herself and where she fit in. She grew apart from her best friend, made new friends who shook up her world, and fell for a guy that she wasn’t quite sure even knew she existed. At home, she couldn’t get on the same page with her parents, Patty & Graham (Bess Armstrong & Tom Irwin), and couldn’t get away from her little sister Danielle (Lisa Wilhoit) fast enough.
  
  Along with Angela, the show had an amazing group of characters. Rayanne (A. J. Langer) could easily be written off as just a wild party girl. But she was coping with deeper issues at home and growing alcoholism. Rickie (Wilson Cruz), one of the few gay teens on TV at that time, struggled with others’ reactions to his sexuality. Brian (Devon Gummersall) was the socially awkward nerd who pined for Angela. Sharon (Devon Odessa) was Angela’s former best friend who had to find her footing after being dropped. And Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) was the complex, extremely good-looking love interest.
  
  I think a lot of teenagers, myself included, related to Angela and her friends. Yes, there had been plenty of teen shows up until that time, but this one felt more real. These looked like any other kids in my school and they were going thru similar experiences. Plus, they articulated things we had thought before. Like when Angela says, “And, I mean, this whole thing with yearbook – it’s like, everybody’s in this big hurry to make this book, to supposedly remember what happened. Because if you made a book of what really happened, it’d be a really upsetting book.” That doesn’t mean everything Angela said was so profound. As much as I loved her, there were a few times when she needed to get over herself. But most teens are a little too preoccupied with their own perceived dramas. That made the Halloween episode where Danielle dresses up as Angela, mocking her teen angst, so funny.
  
  My other favorite moments included Rayanne and Sharon reluctantly becoming friends, the “Weekend” episode with Danielle providing voiceover, the Christmas episode with Juliana Hatfield, Rickie finally finding a home, and Patty’s evolution. Even when the show did something not-so great, like the Rayanne/Jordan hook up, it led to a rich fallout.
  
  Maybe getting cancelled was a good thing for My So-Called Life. It never wore out its welcome or jumped the shark. We didn’t have a bad “college years” season. And it’s probably best that we’ll never know if Angela chose Jordan or Brian. Those 19 episodes will remain a time capsule of a fleeting moment in the 90s. When the teenagers were funny, smart, authentic and didn’t have to be perfect. They definitely had a time.
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  Posted in TV | 0 Comments | Tagged 90s, Anniversary, TV
- The Facts of Life…40th Anniversary
  
  Posted at 12:01 am by Geoff, on August 19, 2019
  The Facts of Life and I are both turning 40 this year. One day apart. Making us some kind of Virgo siblings. It certainly feels like I’ve been watching the show all my life. Syndication has a way of tricking you into thinking that.
  
  The first season of Facts looked much different from how most people normally remember it. The show was a spinoff of Diff’rent Strokes. The Drummonds housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae), left the family to become the housemother at Eastland School for Girls in upstate NY. Back then there were seven girls: Blair, Tootie, Natalie, Nancy, Sue Ann, Cindy, and Molly. There was also the head master, Mr. Bradley, and a teacher, Miss Mahoney. The cast had more characters than a Robert Altman movie. By the time season two came along the show was trimmed down to three girls. Rich bitch Blair (Lisa Whelchel), gossipy Tootie (Kim Fields) and bubbly Natalie (Mindy Cohn). Plus, they added a newbie, tough girl Jo (Nancy McKeon). And Mrs. Garrett had been promoted to being the school dietician with the four students working in her kitchen. I actually liked season one, but narrowing down the cast and making things more focused improved it.
  
  The set up for each episode was pretty standard. A problem would arise with one of the girls, jokes would flow, and then things always got worked out in the end. Jo and Blair would throw barbs at each other. She’s blue-collar! She’s rich! Conflict! Tootie and Natalie would get into some hijinks. And, Mrs. Garrett would dole out wise advice. Normally there was a social issue explored. Suicide, eating disorders, pregnancy, teen prostitution, or discrimination. It could all be pretty formulaic, but it worked. I think it was the cast that sold it. You cared about Mrs. Garrett and the girls no matter what situation they were put in. They could have easily been one dimensional characters, but the writing and acting gave them some depth. Well, as much as you can for an 80s sitcom.
  
  Of course, as the show went on (9 seasons and 209 episodes), it didn’t age so well. Once the girls finished at Eastland, the dynamic changed. Then Mrs. Garrett left and was replaced by her sister Beverly Ann (Cloris Lechman). Plus, they threw in a bunch of random new characters: Andy, George, and Pippa. It all got a little dumbed down and one-note. Let’s not even get into the Over Our Heads years. That’s why I tend to stick to the earlier seasons if I come across a rerun. Early 80s, yes. Late 80s (with half the cast in mullets), no.
  
  But, even if it didn’t always get it right, The Facts of Life was an entertaining show and will always be a favorite. You take the good…ah, you know the rest.
  
  **BONUS**
  
  I have to mention the two Facts TV movies. The Facts of Life Goes to Paris finds Mrs. Garrett and the girls studying in France for the summer. Jo falls in love while Blair realizes that she’s ok without a guy. So much discovery. In The Facts of Life Down Under, the gang heads to Australia. Blair and Jo get involved with jewel thieves, Natalie explores the outback, and Tootie falls for a faux-Aborigine played by Mario Van Peebles. At some point, a boomerang is thrown. Wacky Aussie adventures!
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  Posted in TV | 0 Comments | Tagged 70s, 80s, Anniversary, TV
- BH90210 Recap…The Pitch
  
  Posted at 7:48 pm by Geoff, on August 15, 2019
  Episode two of BH90210, the not-reboot-reboot, starts with Jennie at home with her daughter, Kyler. That’s actually her name for some reason. Kyler wants to be an actress and audition for a TV show. Jennie forbids it. “No acting under my roof!” Drugs? Sure. Acting? No! Jennie is also served with divorce papers. So, she’s having a great morning. Later, she and Tori meet at Fox to pitch their actual-reboot idea. Surprisingly, the executives buy it. They assume the entire cast is on board. Tori & Jennie lie and say it’s a done deal.
  
  Cut to the LA County Courthouse, where the cast faces sentencing for the stolen dress incident. Paparazzi and screaming fans await them outside. Like a low rent red carpet premiere. We see the young guy from the Las Vegas convention staring Brian down. Btw, I totally forgot to mention this guy in the first episode recap and how he followed Brian home to LA. Oops. What is he up to? In court, the judge sentences the cast to 50 hours of community service. Plus, Tori has to pay the owner of the dress (a weird fan) 100K. As if she wasn’t already strapped for cash. As they’re leaving court, Tori and Jennie throw out the reboot idea to their castmates. They all laugh and give a resounding “no”. But Tori is a persistent producer, like her dad (RIP Aaron).
  
  Jason is focused on rehabbing his career after punching that douchey actor, in ep. 1, got him blacklisted. It also seems that his wife, Camille, is keeping a secret from him. Some random guy threatens to expose her if she doesn’t help him. Later, we learn this guy is a writer hired to do the reboot. Jason also gets the news from his doctor that he has a fertility condition that would make it difficult to have kids without medical intervention. Hmmm could these two things be related? Of course!
  
  Brian auditions for a role in a film and actually gets it. So many greenlights in this episode. But he finds out the producers only cast him because he’s superstar Shay’s husband. They get into fight, which is secretly captured on tape by stalker/convention guy. Later, Brian and Shay make up. They’re a pretty dull couple. Also, stalker guy applies to be BAG’s assistant. Creepy is getting closer.
  
  Kyler threatens Jennie with emancipation for not supporting her acting career. After receiving some good parenting advice from Jason of all people, causing a temporary thaw between the adversaries/lovers, Jennie relents. Kyler gets a part on the reboot alongside her mom.
  
  Ian catches his wife cheating on tape. Again. Now he can divorce her and keep his money. But he needs to build up his brand again. Ugh, that damn brand again. In return for doing the reboot, Tori has to help him sell his lifestyle/fitness products. It’s as dumb as it sounds.
  
  Gabrielle is grappling with her sexuality and hasn’t told her husband about the bartender kiss. She shares with Jason that she’s always had these feelings and thinks she’s not being true to herself. So, she shifts this narrative to Andrea, agreeing to do the reboot if Andrea can explore her sexuality. But by the end of the episode Gabrielle appears ready to tell her husband everything. Maybe she could appear on The L Word reboot too.
  
  Later, the group gathers to do their community service, picking up trash in Griffith Park. A fight breaks out about the reboot, prompting Gabrielle to suggest they go to group therapy. That will be interesting. Then the paparazzi shows up at the park and suddenly it’s a phot shoot. They could make the cover of Community Service Weekly.
  
  After a lot of finagling, Tori gets everyone to agree to do the reboot. They meet up at Fox and learn that the executive overseeing the show will be Christine Elise, aka Emily Valentine. She’s come a long way from nearly burning down that homecoming float in season 2.
  
  Throughout the show we see Tori playing with 90210 dolls. Side note, these are a far cry from the real Mattel dolls that were made of the cast. I should know since I had a set. Anyways, we see each cast member receiving a package with their doll inside. Except these dolls are all mutilated. Yikes. That’s not how you play with iconic toys!
  
  Other 9021Notes
  
  Shannen gives Brian marriage advice while she attempts to save a seal caught in a net. No, really. I’m ready for her to interact with the cast and put a pause on the animal rescue.
  
  Jennie’s dream about being back on the show as Kelly, as others list off her characters many dramas, was pretty funny. The cult. The drive-by shooting. Good times.
  
  Jason and Gabrielle confiding in each other was sweet. I’m enjoying their friendship. It’s just like Andrea and Brandon.
  
  Favorite line, as Brian jokingly ponders stepping back into David Silver’s shoes, “You know what’s super sexy? A middle-aged white rapper.”
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  Posted in TV | 0 Comments | Tagged 90s, Recap, TV
- The Kitchen…Review
  
  Posted at 8:44 pm by Geoff, on August 14, 2019
  I went into The Kitchen with low expectations. Seriously low. The reviews online had not been kind, but I figured I’d give it a shot anyways. It turns out the critics were wrong. At least in my opinion.
  
  In 1978, three gangsters in NYC’s Hell’s Kitchen get busted and sentenced to three years in prison. Their wives are left behind to navigate the gritty Irish neighborhood alone. Kathy (Melissa McCarthy) is the heart of the group. Mother of two, sweet, and friends with everyone in the community. Ruby (Tiffany Haddish), a black woman, has basically been iced out by her white in-laws. Especially her nasty mother-in-law (Margo Martindale). Claire (Elizabeth Moss) is actually thankful for her husband’s sentence because he has been abusing her for years. The women are given little financial assistance and can’t get real jobs. So, they decide to go into the business, seeing a chance to outmaneuver the head of the mob and usurp his territory. The money flows in along with the problems. Murder, backstabbing, and twists come flying fast.
  
  The theme of women’s empowerment runs through the film. It was written and directed by a woman (Andrea Berloff) and has three formidable female characters. For years Kathy, Ruby, and Claire depended on men to take care of them. But when their safety net is taken away, they discover they can do a better job of running things. It’s not that they don’t need men. They come to rely on a few tough guys, especially brutal executor-turned boyfriend, Gabriel (Domhnall Gleeson). But they needed the men to get out of their way so they could stand on their own. As their husbands’ equals. The tenacity was inside them all along. They just needed the opportunity.
  
  Berloff and her cast successfully capture the evolution of these former mob wives in a changing landscape. Yes, there are some weak plot points in the script. And certain characters could have been fleshed out more. But in the end, I walked out of the theatre feeling more entertained than I would have thought going in. Sometimes you have to ignore movie reviews. Just, not mine.
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  Posted in Movies | 0 Comments | Tagged 70s, Movies, Reviews
- BH90210 Recap…Reunion
  
  Posted at 7:33 pm by Geoff, on August 8, 2019
  Beverly Hills 90210 is my all-time favorite show. It premiered in 1990 when I was 11 years old and ended in 2000, a few months before my 21^st birthday. I grew up with it, loving the storylines (well, not all of them…seasons 8-10…yikes) and characters. Treasuring the actors and following them into new projects. I could go on forever about my 90210 adoration, but I’ll save that for another day/post/anniversary.
  
  BH90210 is a whole different animal. A reboot without being a reboot. Basically, the cast (Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, and Brian Austin Green) are playing heightened, fictional versions of themselves. Paying homage to the original without trying to continue on with it in its exact form. Thank God. This is so much better than going back to the well. Instead, they’re spiking the well water with vodka and getting a bit wacky.
  
  The show kicks off with Tori, Jennie, Gabrielle, Jason, Ian, and Brian headed to Vegas for a 30^th Anniversary 90210 convention. I would so attend this. They’re anxious about seeing each other for the first time in years. Plus, they each have their own stuff going on back home.
  
  Tori is broke. Again. Her reality show about her lame husband and their six kids just got cancelled. So, she desperately needs this convention money. Btw, big points for casting Ivan Sergei as her husband. He played her psycho boyfriend in the 90s TV movie Mother May I Sleep with Danger? Not to be confused with her other movie Awake to Danger. Tori was in a lot of danger in the 90s. Jennie is on her third marriage. And soon-to-be third divorce. She’s trying to keep it on the down low, but TMZ blows that up. Brian is a stay-at-home father of three with a famous pop star wife (La La Anthony). He stopped acting to focus on his family and lost his mojo. Ian is married to a young wannabe-famous chick. They’re building some sort of brand, just like most people on social media these days. Jason has a sad career directing bad TV shows while trying to get his indie film made. He also has a wife/publicist who focuses more on his career than their marriage. Lastly, Gabrielle is the president of SAG-AFTRA, just like in real life. And a new grandma. Really playing up those Andrea is super old jokes.
  
  The cast is suffering though a panel at the convention (stop asking Brian about his much more famous wife!) when the host announces a surprise guest. Shannen! Her huge live streamed image is projected on the screen behind them. Apparently, she’s been saving wild cats all these years. The crowd eats it up. Here former castmates aren’t so impressed. I love how the writers play up the disdain for Shannen, always a constant rumor back in the day.
  
  Post-panel, the gang decides to hang out at the hotel before flying home to LA. Jennie flirts with a douchebag by the pool with horrible results. Then she and Jason end up in bed, despite the fact that she can’t stand him. Gabrielle flirts with and actually kisses a female fan/bartender. I haven’t read any, but surely there must be some Andrea lesbian fanfic out there. Meanwhile, Brian and Tori seem close to possibly rekindling their past off-screen romance. But she gets drunk and loses her shit. She decides that Donna’s dress from the spring dance episode in season one, that is currently on display at the hotel, belongs to her. A broken display case and a mad dash to BAG’s wife’s private jet ensues. On the flight home, Ian discovers his wife is cheating on him and decides to take it out on the group. Harsh words are exchanged all-around. Making it worse, they land and find the police waiting for them. Orange is the new BH?
  
  The next day Tori and Jennie make up. Tori is suddenly hit with inspiration after seeing her kids watch her on an old 90210 episode. So much meta. They should reboot the show! Jennie side-eyes her, but considers it. Maybe this could work…dunadunadunadunadundun!
  
  Other 9021Notes:
  
  Jason’s wife announces she’s pregnant, stopping him from revealing his romp with Jennie. Good timing!
  
  Brian decides to give acting another shot. Maybe a Mr. Mom remake?
  
  Ian doesn’t tell his wife that he knows about her cheating, but reads over their prenup.
  
  Gabrielle keeps her bartender kiss a secret from her husband.
  
  In the final shot, they zoom in on Luke Perry in the old 90210 episode. It’s still hard to believe that he’s gone. There were a couple of other brief mentions of him earlier in the show. I’m glad they found a way to honor him.
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  Posted in TV | 0 Comments | Tagged 90s, Recap, Soaps, TV
- Little Fires Everywhere…Review
  
  Posted at 5:43 pm by Geoff, on August 7, 2019
  I’m late to the party, since it came out in 2017, but I recently finished reading Little Fires Everywhere. It was an impulse buy at the airport newsstand, but it turned out to be the right decision. It took me through two plane rides and a long beach day. A sign of a good vacation read.
  
  Celeste Ng’s novel, set in the late 1990s (a favorite time period of mine), focuses on two families in the idyllic community of Shaker Heights, Ohio. Elena is the head of the wealthy Richardsons, which includes her lawyer husband Bill, outgoing older kids Lexie and Trip, aptly named son Moody, and rebellious daughter Izzy. Their lives are shaken up by the arrival of Mia Warren and her teenage daughter. Mia normally lives a nomadic life, shuttling shy (yet blossoming) Pearl across the country. But they decide to settle in Shaker Heights and into the Richardson’s rental home.
  
  The story follows the families as their lives become intertwined. New relationships form and several lives are changed. Elena and Mia represent the main source of conflict. Mrs. Richardson is the definition of type A, steamrolling anyone and anything that doesn’t fit into her perfect world. While Mia is more earthy and free. She has no use for Elena’s rules. They cannot, or choose not to, understand each other. Along with this drama, a custody battle ignites between an adopting couple and the birth mother of a Chinese-American baby. It causes a divide among the residents of the town, especially between the Richardson and Warren matriarchs.
  
  I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ng creates a complex world in this supposedly Utopian town. There’s so much going on below the surface. Characters that could be one note are given multiple layers and intricacies that make them much more interesting. And, I was eager to find out where they ended up by the last page. The book is set to become a limited series on Hulu, starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. Great casting, by the way. I look forward to seeing how the adaptation compares to the original source and if the series finds even more depths in Ng’s work.
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  Posted in Books | 0 Comments | Tagged 90s, Books, Reviews
- Weekend at Bernie’s…still absurd 30 years later
  
  Posted at 8:10 pm by Geoff, on August 4, 2019
  I recently watched Weekend at Bernie’s for the first time since I was a kid for two reasons. One, it was the 30^th Anniversary this year. And, two, I wanted to see if I still liked it as an adult. Yes, I laughed at certain parts. But you can enjoy something while recognizing how utterly stupid it is. And this is a very stupid movie.
  
  Richard (Jonathan Silverman) and Larry (Andrew McCarthy) are co-workers at an insurance company. They discover a scam going on and report it to their boss, Bernie (Terry Kiser). Little do they know that Bernie is behind the insurance swindling. He asks his mafia buddy, Vito, to kill his employees that weekend at his beach house. But instead, Vito orders his hitman, Paulie, to whack Bernie. Not a good idea to screw a mob boss’ girlfriend, Bern. Cut to Richard and Larry showing up at Bernie’s house and finding him dead. What does a sensible person do? Fools, there are no sensible people in this movie! Instead of going to the cops, the guys pretend that Bernie is alive so they can still hang at his beach house. Hijinks ensue.
  
  For the rest of the movie, Larry and Richard bumble around with Bernie’s body. There’s Bernie hanging at the cocktail party, being taken away by the tide, and even waterskiing. He’s also “killed” again. And again. Paulie really is the dumbest hitman of them all. And let’s not even talk about Bernie’s girlfriend having sex with his corpse. For 30 minutes. No words.
  
  The good things about Bernie’s? Well, Silverman and McCarthy make for a good comedy duo. Any other actors would have made this a more painful experience. But these two are likeable and they seem to be having a good time. Their characters are idiots, but they’re nice idiots. Lister is also well cast. Even though he spends 90% of the movie just being thrown around or falling over things, he excels at it. I have to give points to Bernie’s beach house too. It’s the 80s-ist house there ever was on film. Crazy colors, enormous couches, and glass block walls. It really is a character itself. The title character, if you think about it.
  
  So, this movie doesn’t hold up so well. Not that it had much to work with. But it’s still kinda fun. Also, what’s more absurd than Weekend at Bernie’s? The fact that there was a Weekend at Bernie’s 2!
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  Posted in Movies | 0 Comments | Tagged 80s, Anniversary, Movies
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood…Review
  
  Posted at 2:48 pm by Geoff, on August 4, 2019
  Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood takes you on a winding ride back to 1969. Along the way you meet actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his best friend/stunt double. Rick was once a popular star, but his career has declined significantly. This doesn’t have the best effect on Cliff’s job prospects, but he takes it in stride. The film also focuses on Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). You see her interacting with her husband and friends. The beginnings of a young actress’ life. Other characters are interwoven into the story, with stars like Kurt Russell, Al Pacino, and Bruce Dern making appearances.
  
  Aside from some story points, there isn’t a lot of plot here. In fact [*spoiler alert*] it isn’t until the last 30 minutes where Tarantino really hits you in the face with some major development. Like, some really gruesome, yet hilarious, development.
  
  The crux of the movie is following these characters around for a few days. DiCaprio does a fantastic job portraying a washed-up star desperately clinging to his past fame. Pitt is great as an easy-going, fun guy who’s happy just to be living in Hollywood. And Robbie brightens the film with her sunny effervescent portrayal of Sharon.
  
  Speaking of, Sharon will always be associated with Charles Manson and his “family”. But I’m glad that we see very little of the cult leader. Just one scene, actually. Yes, there is a lot of time spent on his followers, including a particularly tense sequence with Cliff. But this isn’t a movie about them thankfully. There was more to Sharon than her death and I’m happy that Tarantino shows that.
  
  The director also showcases the beauty and grittiness of Hollywood in the late 60s. Seeing the town transformed into its former self is a huge draw for the film. All that neon. And the music choices are spot on, adding to the experience. The one con is the length of the film. 2 hours and 45 minutes is a stretch, especially since it meanders quite a bit. It comes off as indulgent. But this is a movie worth seeing if you want to flashback to an iconic period in Hollywood history.
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  Posted in Movies | 0 Comments | Tagged 60s, Movies, Reviews
- Burn/This…Revival/Review
  
  Posted at 2:41 pm by Geoff, on August 4, 2019
  Burn/This is a simple, yet powerful, play. Set in 1980s New York, it begins with the death of Robbie, a young dancer. He leaves behind his friend/roommate/dance partner, Anna (Keri Russell). There’s his other roommate Larry (Brandon Uranowitz), a gay advertising exec. And Anna’s screenwriter boyfriend, Burton (David Furr). The three are still dealing with Robbie’s death when Pale (Adam Driver), his brother, comes crashing into their lives. Things get flipped upside down with his arrival. He comes between Anna and Burton, while seeping into Larry’s life as well. Over the course of a year, the play deals with these complicated relationships, grief, and identity.
  
  Driver’s Pale is hilarious and tragic at the same time. He doesn’t know what to do with his pain, so he vomits it all over the stage. His character says some fucked up things and you want to hate him. But then he makes you laugh again and you feel for him. At times, Driver chews the scenery, but he reels it in and makes Pale more of a person and less of a caricature.
  
  Russell has a much quieter character. But Anna doesn’t fall into Pale’s shadow. She is able to go toe-to-toe with him. The story is just as much about her evolution, as she attempts to figure out who she is personally and professionally. And Russell brings out all of Anna’s layers and emotions beautifully.
  
  There are also great performances from the two supporting actors. Larry is often the comic relief in the play, but Uranowitz brings a great deal of heart and depth to the character as well. Similarly, Burton could easily be categorized as a douchey yuppie. But, Furr makes him three dimensional and not just another cliché.
  
  Lanford Wilson’s script is extraordinary and holds up years later in this revival. Plus, director Michael Mayer brings new life to it with his staging. I also have to point out the amazing set design. The stage is transformed into an authentic NYC loft, complete with balcony. The windows, alone, had me.
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  Posted in Theatre | 0 Comments | Tagged Reviews, Revival, Theatre
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