Saturday 10 May 2014

Four Things I Want To See In NBC's Rosemary's Baby Miniseries


In anticipation of NBC's two-part miniseries, Rosemary's Baby, based off Ira Levin's 1967 best-selling horror novel, I sat down and watched the 1968 film adaptation, and here are some of my thoughts on where I hope the miniseries will take the story. For those who haven't seen the film and wish to watch the series regardless, please advise that there are spoilers below.

Make Rosemary An Exemplary Heroine
Despite being the titular character of the movie, Rosemary (as played by Mia Farrow) was presented as very passive. One particularly disturbing scene involved Rosemary passing out after eating a suspicious chocolate mousse. When she awakens she is led to believe that her husband, Guy (John Cassavetes), had sex with her while she was unconscious, although, as we later find out, she was actually raped by Satan. Regardless, Guy's excuse is that he didn't want to pass up the opportunity for them to conceive, to which she responds that they could have done it the following day, but after that, there is no discussion of the assault. This behaviour is obviously unacceptable and the miniseries would stand to have a Rosemary that would recognise and take action against this. Similarly, as her pregnancy progresses throughout the film she suffers through increasing stomach pains, but she only thinks to gain a second opinion from another doctor at the behest of her friends, enduring it for months before taking action.  Her portrayal is somewhat understandable considering the period of time in which the film was made, and women's rights, as well as the depiction of female characters, have come a long way since then, so here's an opportunity for the writers to present a Rosemary that stands up for herself and takes innovative, a character females can be proud of.


Give Rosemary A Job
As an extension of my previous thought, Rosemary should be a self-sufficient individual and therefore should have her own income. The film takes place mostly in her and Guy's New York apartment, and the claustrophobia that provides was an excellent part of the film, so I'm not suggesting to move Rosemary out of the apartment. That would be a difficult feat, regardless, considering her pregnancy later on would confine her to their apartment anyway, but give her something to do - a job that she can do at home. Early on in the film version Rosemary fits out one of the hallway closets (later revealed to contain a door to an adjoining apartment), so why not have her as an interior designer or decorator? The film also uses the antique nature of the apartment building to great effect, so having Rosemary acquainted in the field on antiquities would also fit; perhaps she works in a museum? Giving her a job or interest that she is heavily knowledgeable in would allow her character to become more well-rounded and accessible to audiences overall in comparison to the Rosemary presented in the film. I did question the idea of changing Guy's profession from an actor to something else, but his career fits perfectly well into the overall plot of the film, and I find it hard to think of another job that would fit the profile just as well. Unless anyone else has any ideas?

Enhance the Paranoia, But Keep It Grounded
One of the aspects that the film does really well is the development of Rosemary's fears that everyone around her - her neighbours Roman (Sidney Blackmer) and Minnie Castevet (Ruth Gordon), her doctor, Abraham Sapirstein (Ralph Bellamy), and even her husband Guy - are all apart of an elaborate plot involving  her and her unborn child. This obviously does turn out to be the case, but very early on in the film it becomes a certainty for Rosemary, and her willingness to believe that all these people, particularly her husband, her conspiring against her is very far-fetched. The longer length that the miniseries will provide gives the writers the opportunity to present Rosemary slowly coming to this conclusion rather than irrationally jumping to it as she seems to do in the film. Although those she accuses in the film try to label her as crazy, there doesn't ever seem to be a point where Rosemary thinks that she is, and I think the film missed out on a powerful opportunity to play on the fears of an expecting mother who begins to question her sanity prior to the birth of her child. Rosemary's certainty that everyone that surrounds her is evil isn't as ridiculous as it would seem though, since the film has no difficulties portraying these characters in such a way that even audiences assume they're up to on good with minutes of meeting them. Perhaps if the miniseries is able to make its characters more ambiguous, and not seem outright evil, it will create a better sense of paranoia and claustrophobia for audiences as they watch Rosemary struggle with her thoughts.


Go Crazy
One of the most endearing things about more recent horror television series like True Blood or American Horror Story is their ability to go all out with their wackiness. They embrace the themes that can often make genre television seem so ludicrous and play them up to show that they're not afraid. For me, one of the films most compelling scenes, despite the fact it involved Rosemary's rape, was her delirious sexual encounter with Satan, which the audience, and even Rosemary for a time, are uncertain as to whether or not was a real event or in Rosemary's mind. There's chanting, blood, nudity, and sex, what more could you possibly want as a viewer who's a fan of horror? The film could benefit from more scenes like this, and it almost captures a similar one during its final one where Rosemary discovers what has been going on throughout the film, but it ultimately doesn't reach the same heights. I spoke about the need to ground Rosemary but for the paranoia to be heighten, and this is the perfect way to do it. There's is obviously a point in the story where Rosemary becomes certain that something is awry, and after this point, the series should ensure it goes all out so that the audiences can go along with her into this journey of madness. Extend her final confrontation with Roman, Minnie, and the other witches. Play up the spookiness of their apartment, as well as Dr. Sapirstein's office. And have Guy slowly turn into the same monster that actually slept with her on the night that they supposedly conceived...

One final thought, one I think many will disagree with, is the longevity of the story, Rosemary's Baby. When I first heard about the series I was wondering how the plot of the film would even be applied to television, and a very short series seemed the obvious answer, which is what NBC have opted to do. However, now, having actually seen the film, I really think there is potential for it to become a full-fledged series. Here's Rosemary, trapped between the love she shares for her child, Adrian, and the coven of witches that want to raise it to (assumedly) destroy the world. She can't bring herself to kill the baby, but perhaps she can raise it to be good? And there's always the potential to physically remove the coven from his life... The series could take place with Adrian as a child and even a teenager which would provide even more storylines for an ongoing series. The only series I can think off that would share a similar vein would be 666 Park Avenue (which no doubt was heavily inspired by Rosemary's Baby in the first place). At this stage it would seem certain that NBC in content with having Rosemary's Baby as a miniseries event, but one of television's most popular trends of late is for supposedly short series (like Under The Dome) to turn into full-series if they prove popular enough, so it's not a completely unfounded thought on my part.

What does everyone else want to see from the miniseries? Are you a fan of the movie or not? And do you think there's any chance the story could continue after the miniseries? Check out the trailer for Rosemary's Baby below, which will start airing Sunday May 11 at 8.00pm on NBC.

Monday 3 March 2014

86th Academy Award Predictions


Before tonight's 86th Academy Awards I wanted to give my thoughts on what films and actors I want to be taking home an Oscar tonight, and those that I think will.

Best Picture:
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years A Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

Who I Want To Win: Her. The most original of the lot, and socially relevant to the times currently live in.
Who I Think Will Win: 12 Years A Slave

Best Director:
David O'Russell (American Hustle)
Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)
Alexander Payne (Nebraska)
Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave)
Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Who I Want To Win: Not fussed, but Gravity looked the best.
Who I Think Will Win: Cuaron for Gravity or McQueen for 12 Years A Slave.

Best Actor:
Christian Bale (as Irving Rosenfeld in American Hustle)
Bruce Dern (as Woody Grant in Nebraska)
Leonardo DiCaprio (as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (as Solomon Northup in 12 Years A Slave)
Matthew McConaughey (as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club)

Who I Want To Win: Christian Bale. American Hustle's greatest asset was it's strong ensemble cast, as Bale outshone them all as the lead.
Who I Think Will Win: Either Ejiofor or McConaughey.

Best Actress:
Amy Adams (as Sydney Prosser in American Hustle)
Cate Blanchett (as Jeanette Francis in Blue Jasmine)
Sandra Bullock (as Ryan Shore in Gravity)
Judi Dench (as Philomena Lee in Philomena)
Meryl Streep (as Violet Weston in August: Osage County)

Who I Want To Win: Meryl Streep. Again, in such a strong ensemble cast she showed them all up as the patriarch of the complicated Weston family.
Who I Think Will Win: Cate Blanchett.

Best Supporting Actor:
Barkhad Abdi (as Abduwali Muse in Captain Phillips)
Bradley Cooper (as Richard DiMaso in American Hustle)
Michael Fassbender (as Edwin Epps in 12 Years A Slave)
Jonah Hill (as Donnie Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street)
Jared Leto (as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club)

Who I Want To Win: Jared Leto.
Who I Think Will Win: Jared Leto.

Best Supporting Actress:
Sally Hawkins (as Ginger in Blue Jasmine)
Jennifer Lawrence (as Rosalyn Rosenfeld in American Hustle)
Lupita Nyong'o (as Patsey in 12 Years A Slave)
Julia Roberts (as Barbara Weston-Fordham in August: Osage County)
June Squibb (as Kate Grant in Nebraska)

Who I Want To Win: Not fussed.
Who I Think Will Win: Lupita Nyong'o

Best Writing - Original Screenplay:
Eric Warren Singer & David O'Russell (American Hustle)
Woody Allen (Blue Jasmine)
Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack (Dallas Buyers Club)
Spike Jonze (Her)
Bob Nelson (Nebraska)

Who I Want To Win: Spike Jonze.
Who I Think Will Win: Spike Jonze.

Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay:
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke (Before Midnight)
Billy Ray (Captain Phillips)
Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope (Philomena)
John Ridley (12 Years A Slave)
Terence Winter (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Who I Want To Win: Not fussed.
Who I Think Will Win: 12 Years A Slave

Sunday 16 February 2014

TV Screenshot: House of Cards tells us 'F U'


House of Cards is a series that will always be associated with revolutionary television, it being the first drama series produced by the online streaming service provider Netflix, but the brashness of its storytelling indicates its attempt to be a series known for much more than that. I don't deny there's something truly exhilarating in watching a series like House of Cards when it makes such a risky decision by killing off one of its main characters in journalist Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara), but at the same time, such a decision also comes across as a sign of desperation for any series, that these decisions are being made to generate buzz, rather than being a legitimate creative decision.

I myself hadn't planned on tuning into House of Cards' second season having come to the conclusion at the end of its first that I wasn't willing to commit any further to a series whose two lead characters were such deplorable people, and Mr. and Mrs. Underwood were in fine form throughout this episode, to say the least. But once the entire thirteen episode second season became available on January 14th, not long after came the aforementioned buzz because of the series' risky decision, and as a television lover, I couldn't not watch it. I'm obviously the bigger fool here, tuning into a series I said I no longer would because of the hype. And ironically enough, House of Cards seems to know this. At the end of the second season premiere soon-to-be Vice President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), broke the third wall to give the viewer a monologue, a distinctive trait the series used prominently in its first season, and an aspect that was noticeably missing from most of the second season premiere. His words, I think, as his monologue's in general have been, are very existential in their meaning:
'Did you think I'd forgotten you? Perhaps you hoped I had? Don't waste a breathe mourning Miss Barnes, every kitten grows up to be a cat. They seem so harmless at first, small, quiet, lapping up their saucer of milk, but once their claws get long enough, they draw blood - sometimes from the hand that feeds them. For those of us climbing to the top of the food chain, there can be no mercy. There is but one rule: hunt or be hunted. Welcome back.'
The camera then pans to a set of cufflinks Underwood had received from Edward, his chauffeur, for his birthday, inscribed with his initials 'F U' (which, by the way, someone obviously needs to inform Edward about proper gift-giving etiquette. It's never appropriate to give someone a gift with their name and/ or initials on it if it implies fuck you, but I digress). To me, the monologue blatantly states that the writers of House of Cards are not going to apologise for their decision to kill off Zoe Barnes, arguably the shows only moral compass. The series is out to make a name for itself, and despite my, or any other critic or viewers problems with how they go about this, the writers mean serious business, and don't care what anyone thinks. They have now officially warned us about what House of Cards is, and where it's willing to go as a series, and now it's up to us to decide whether this journey is one we are willing to follow into undoubtedly darker depths. And if we don't like it, well what they're saying is, 'F U'.

TV Screenshot: Carl takes a moment to enjoy the finer things in life on The Walking Dead



Welcome to the first of what I hope are many posts highlighting what I personally find to be some of the more memorable or visually appetising moments from television and film. As a fan of the medium I often find myself screen-shoting scenes from television shows and movies that stand out among the rest to save as my desktop wallpaper on my personal computer, and through this blog I'll be sharing them with you.

To start things off is a moment from The Walking Dead mid-season premiere, 'After', that aired this week. The Walking Dead is not an inherently upbeat show. Obviously it deals with the a post-apocalyptic situation in which majority of the worlds population are zombies and the series follows the lives of those who seem to survive and fight their inevitable fates. This moment in particular, finds Carl Grimes enjoying an entire 112 ounce tin of chocolate pudding all to himself. Despite the fact that his father is lying comatose in a house nearby, or the fact he once again just wandered off unnecessarily and almost got eaten by the walker reaching out from the window behind him (he got his shoe, not Carl) the moment is a simply joyous one of a young boy experiencing the joy of unhealthy food. The walker's arm protruding from the window remains a remain of the dangers that are constantly present within Carl's world. But there are just some simple joys of life that no one, not even a zombie apocalypse can take away from you, and Carl enjoying a tin of pudding all to himself in this scene proves that to us.

Saturday 1 February 2014

American Horror Story 3.13 Review: The Seven Wonders


American Horror Story: Coven concluded its season this week with the witches of said coven undertaking trails, or 'The Seven Wonders', in order to determine their new Supreme, and the tension between each of the candidates, as well as the allure of the successor's reveal made for an entertaining first half of the episode.

The girls first had to use their telepathy to move candlesticks, and then coercion to manipulate one another, and there was plenty of bitchiness and snark to go around, particularly between Madison and Zoe. Then the girls had to undertaken descensum, having their soul travel to hell and then return. Queenie returned from her personal hell first, having already visited herself behind the counter at PLACE with a line of customers as far as the eye can see in last week's episode 'Go To Hell'. She was soon followed by Madison, who had to endure playing a supporting role in a live network production of a musical, and Zoe, who had to endure Kyle breaking up with her over and over again. Their hell experiences were played for laughs, but I would have preferred a much more in-depth and abstract exploration in which we got to see each witch have to fight their way through their personal hells to return to their bodies. Misty's personal hell was a perfect encapsulation of her character, having revived a toad, and then being forced to kill the live reptile over and over again by a biology teacher. It was a poignant end for such an uplifting character, but her innocence and squirminess was also a significant reason why she would never make a good Supreme, and thus, Misty day died, unable to return from hell.

Cordelia was surprisingly anguished at her demise, considering she was the newest addition to the coven, and therefore the witch she knew the least. The others, however, were eager to continue with the wonders and were soon participating is a lively game of transmutation tag throughout the grounds of the academy, despite the calls of Cordelia and Myrtle for caution. For good reason too, for seconds later Zoe accidentally transmutated back into reality and impaled herself on the gates of the academy, which at least provided the opportunity for the remaining two witches, Madison and Queenie, to perform vitalis vitalum and bring Zoe back to life. Unfortunately Queenie was unable to revive her, and Madison, unwilling to revive Zoe back into the running to be the Supreme, revived a fly to prove her worth, and crowned herself the new Supreme of the coven. Cordelia and Myrtle was smart enough to know that Madison would serve about a good a Supreme as Fiona never did, but the notion it took them to get into such a dire situation until the considered Cordelia to be a possible candidate for the title was overdue.

Nonetheless, Cordelia quickly got to work undertaking the trails, and soon enough not only had she caught up with Madison, but had successfully demonstrated her skills in divination, a task that Madison was unable to perform. And Madison was very annoyed about this, promptly decided she was done with the coven and threatened to reveal them to the world. Cordelia and the others seemed non-plussed at yet another one of Madison's bitchy outbursts, and proceeded with the trails by reviving Zoe. Kyle, however, was not too happy about Madison leaving Zoe to die before this point, and strangled her before she had a chance to pack her bags and leave the academy. Considering the amount of power she seemed to have earlier in this episode, death by zombie strangulation seems unrealistic, but then again, what doesn't in American Horror Story? Madison definitely got what she deserved, but I found her death underwhelming, and Spalding's sudden reappearance to help Kyle hide the body was just unnecessary and confusing. Madison's death did provide a nice juxtaposition with Zoe's revival and Cordelia subsequent completion of the Seven Wonders, looking as radiant and refreshed as ever (including a new set of eyes), having become the new Supreme. Good on her, she was definitely the character most deserving of the title, having lost the most for the coven throughout this season.

Unfortunately the episode lost much of its allure once the Seven Wonders were completed and the rest of the episode served as an overly-long and tedious epilogue to the series. Apparently Madison's idea to reveal witches to the world wasn't such a bad one in Cordelia's eyes since she held a television interview in the academy announcing the existence of witches to the world and asking any girls possessing powers to come and see them. This didn't make a whole lot of sense, but I guess the series was trying to demonstrate that after the destruction of the witch hunters, the voodoo witches, and the witches among the coven that posed a threat, that they had nothing left to die from. Myrtle's sudden desire to be burned at the stake (again) for the murders of her fellow witches also made zero sense, since her actions, although against the rules of the coven, indirectly led to it being saved. But Myrtle's theory was out with the old and in with the new, so back to the stake she went.

Speaking of people coming back from the dead only to die again (was this really not the major theme of this season?), back at the academy Fiona, who was thought dead at the hands of the Axeman, revealed herself to Cordelia. Fiona told Cordelia about her ploy to let the coven think she was dead by implanting a false memory in the Axeman, letting the coven kill him, and then returning once the new Supreme had risen so that Fiona could finally kill them and stay alive. Cordelia proposed that it would be difficult to kill her daughter, but I think the only reason Fiona couldn't do it is because she had just grown too weak. I wasn't really emotionally invested in Fiona's passing or her heart to heart with Cordelia, their relationship has felt very one-note and underdeveloped all season, so there was no reason I would suddenly buy into it now. But that being said, Fiona's hell was on par with the excellence of Misty's; forced to endure an eternity of being the housewife of the Axeman, a perfect vision of the life she promised to him that they'd build together.

For a series and a season that thrives on the allure of the unexpected and crazy, American Horror Story produced a rather conventional, and rather happy, ending, and could have benefited from a little more of the bizarre nature of the shown viewers have grown accustom to.

Rating: 3/5