Alan Tudyk: Single Greatest American Actor

I was first exposed to Alan Tudyk's brilliance in Firefly as Hoban "Wash" Washburne, pilot of the Serenity. His first line in the show guaranteed Firefly a permanent spot in my heart.

Firefly is brilliant because of it's characters. The best shows all are. Its plot line is interesting it setting is inspired but it's the characters we fall in love with. Wash was my favourite. 

The most important quality in a character is their humour. I rarely watch anything that can't make be laugh. Wash not only could make me laugh but he could make me cry. Never have a cast of characters felt so real. Even Doctor Who has an otherworldly feel to it. It has been five years since the first and last season of Firefly yet I still say "mine is an evil laugh" after every outburst of hysterical laughter.

A Knights Tale 
This may sound shallow but for me the second most important quality in a character is their accent. Even though he's a Yank Alan Tudyk has a remarkable talent with accents. Unlike most Americans he doesn't sound like a Beatle or Eliza Doolittle. He sounds like a proper Brit. He proves this as Wat in one of my favourite movies, A Knights Tale. He plays sort of the same character as he does in Firefly but I really don't mind. He ones again spins the line I we always fall back on as being the best line in the movie.

Death at a Funeral
When you put those to traits together, funny and British, you get British comedy. You get Death at a Funeral. Not the awful American remake but the original British dark comedy.This movie can only be described as screwball. It reminds me of old Howard Hawks films. For me there is no greater compliment.

In Death at a Funeral Tudyk plays a relative of the deceased who accidentally take hallucinatory drugs to quell his nerves. I won't tell what happens because one it's too complicated and two you probably already get the general idea, all i'll say is at one point he gets naked. In a nutshell it's funny, dark (adult) and very British.


Minera

  

Unearthed: Soundtrack to Ancient History

There is nothing like instrumental music to set your imagination. Unearthed by E.S. Posthumus can only be described as an epic set to music. Each song carries the essence of the culture in represents. Estremoz is broken up periodically by the soulful strum of a Spanish guitar you can almost hear the Atlantic Ocean in the background. Ulaid, the only Celtic themed song in the album represents the very best of a great genre of music complete with an Irish bagpipe. (Irish bagpipes are gentler and more venerable then Scottish bagpipes and for me preferable). When listening to Isfahan you can almost smell the spice and excitement of a great Persian metropolis. 

Many of these cities have a story of their own. Most are tragic. Menouthis, the sacred city of Egypt was taken by the Nile when it flooded you can hear the great river race through the streets. The Nile was a sacred to the people for it to engulf one of their cities must have felt like punishment from the gods. You can hear the fear and confusion in the wild symphonic music.

Pompeii was also taken by disaster. Unlike Menouthis it was not taken by water but by fire. Most children are taught the story of Pompeii and Vesuvius how the mountain erupted burying the Roman city and its people under burning ash before they could escape or even grasp what was happening to them. Thousands of year’s later archeologists find their bodies turned to stone by the mountain, statues of men cringing in fear and woman clutching their terrified children. Just as these figures from the past invokes feelings within us this song puts to music the fear as the sky turn black with ash and despair as the city suffocates.

"Posthumus" is dog or made up Latin meant to represent "all things past" and E.S. Posthumus stays very true to that theme. E.S. stands for experimental sound. This is represented in their use of contemporary drums and electronic instrument. The best example of this is Nineveh although Nineveh was an ancient trade city between the east and west the song incorporated modern electronic sounds that we relate to busy marketplaces. Every one of these songs welds the essence of the ancient and modern in a new and innovative way.

Track Listing

In keeping with the theme of "all things past", each of the thirteen tracks on the album is named after an ancient.

1.             Antissa - Ancient Greek Island City (Greece)

2.             Tikal - Ancient Mayan City (Guatemala) 

3.             Harappa - Ancient City of the Harappan Civilization (Pakistan)

4.             Ulaid - Ancient Celtic kingdom or culture (Ireland)

5.             Ebla - Ancient Amorite City (Syria)

6.             Nara - Ancient Japanese Capital (Japan)

7.             Cuzco - Ancient Inca Capital (Peru)

8.             Nineveh - Ancient Eastern Trade City (Iraq)

9.             Lepcis Magna - Ancient Carthage/Roman City (Libya)

10.          Menouthis - Ancient Egyptian Holy City (Egypt)

11.           Estremoz - Ancient Roman City (Portugal)

12.          Pompeii - Ancient Roman City (Italy)

13.          Isfahan - Ancient Persian City (Iran)

Minerva

Abbey Road

I'd like to talk about Abbey Road. You should all know what this is, if you don't I weep for your Beatleless existence.  Abbey Road is not my favourite album nor does it contain my favorite song that honour goes to Let It Be and Across the Universe. It is however the best put together album. 


Abbey Road should always be listened to in order. Before the invention of MP3's people listened to music on records, you couldn't skip and you couldn't shuffle. Because of this the best albums would organize their albums so that they play together smoothly. 


The first 10 songs sound pleasant together. The seamless transitions start Sun King changes to Mean Mr. Mustard then Polytheme Pam whose last cords run marvelously into She Came In Though The Bathroom Window. Then comes Golden Slumber and Carry the Weight which might as well be the same song.


You should have abbey road in your tunes right now, (if you don't i suggest you get it). Take this opportunity to listen through it again, from beginning to end. 


Enjoy!


Minerva

Babylon 5: Makes my List

Marcus Cole

Babylon 5 has been gradually making its way onto my list of favourite TV shows due mostly to its clever historical and Tolkien references.  It leaped to the top seven when it introduced Marcus Cole at the beginning of season three. He’s a ranger (reference to my favourite group in Lord of the Rings). He’s witty, charismatic, and quotes Shakespeare. He’s Persian (or Spanish) and drop dead gorgeous in his dark middle earth inspired uniform. Most importantly he is the one thing Babylon 5 was missing, he's British. It's as if this character was tailor made to drag me in. well I’m  already addicted lets seal the deal with steamy gorgeous chocolate for the heart. 

It just gets better and better!

Minerva

Babylon 5: My Decent into Geekdom

I recently watched the first season of Babylon 5. To be honest I never would have watched an episode if my dad hadn’t picked it at a discount. I’ve been avoiding it due to its similarities to Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica, which I have never warmed to. However, contrary to what I thought Babylon 5 has very little resemblance to those shows.

The first season was addicting and well written. The second season was intense, invocative and also extremely well written. The deep incite and impressive storylines are not what you expect from an outwardly generic looking sci-fi program. I was expecting the western style storylines, Zen quoting and random violence you get in sci-fi shows such as star trek and Battlestar Galactica. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the characters although cold and militarist at first were layered flawed and flexible. Even the alien inhabitants feel very human. They deal with emotional problems that are very much like our own and the circumvent emergencies with to the best of there abilities. This does not mean things always go right or even that they make the right dissections. Ever one of them at their core is good and every one of then contains the seed of corruption. Much like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings there is no real bad guys (with the exception of greed and evil itself a.k.a. Soron or the shadows). There are only people who have made the wrong choices. Even when some characters make bad choices they are not portrayed are evil till the end there are still some aspects of good in them. I’ve mentioned before how much I admire this in writing of any kind. It is so difficult not to fall back on a bad and a good and it so easy to say that someone does bad things because “that’s what they do”.

I also admire Babylon 5’s the peace agenda. The reason I avoid most American sci-fi programs is there overuse of violence sometimes even glorifying it. The fight against insurmountable evil and even the exploration rigmarole gets old read fast. It’s the same glorified propaganda empires have been producing since the Persians. Amidst all this Babylon 5 is a breath of fresh air.

I may be descending deep into the dark abyss of geekdom by watching this TV series but it’s different, its intelligent, and its epic what more can you ask for.

There will probably be more mentions of this show in the future.

Minerva

Soviet in the US: Regina Spector

   Regina Spector                                       
A veteran of New York's anti-folk scene, songwriter Regina Spektor makes quirky, highly eclectic, but always personal music. Born and raised in Moscow until age nine, Spektor listened to her father's bootleg tapes of Western pop and rock as a young child and also learned to play piano. She and her family moved from Russia to the Bronx, where she was immersed in American culture (at the time, hers was the first Russian family in the borough in 20 years). Eventually, Spektor and her family became part of a community that balanced her Russian Jewish roots with her new home's culture. Meanwhile, she continued to practice piano anywhere she could, including at her synagogue, until her family got a piano of their own. 



Bio by Pandora

I recently discovered this fabulous artist while listening to Moldy Peaches radio on Pandora. I was immediately intoxicated by the sound of her voice and her enchanting piano skills. Now I’m not usually a piano solo person by this turns the instrument into a symphony of passion. Her earliest stuff is quirky and alterative typical of a young woman experiencing a new country. Her second album Soviet Kitsch is edgy and expressive focusing on her background and the perceptions of the American public. This early albums remind me of other talented young artist such as Lily Allen, Kate Nash and Florence Welch.  

As she matures so does her music. She begins experimenting with deeper subjects such as religion and human nature in Begin To Hope and her newest album Far. Although she is from a strongly religious family Specter spotlights the drawbacks of blind faith as well as the danger of being closed minded, whether in the name of god or the name of science. 

However my favourite of her songs, Laughing With (God) advocates for organized religion or at lest sounds like it at first. I am agnostic but I do not believe in avoiding something that is beautiful because it involves God. Don’t spin this the wrong way laughing with in no way a church hymen. She praises the power of faith in time of hardship in the chorus.

No one laughs at God in a hospital

No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God

When they're starving or freezing or so very poor  

Yet in the next line the she points out the lunacy of that same faith with,

God could be funny


When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way


And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini


Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus


God can be so hilarious.

Some of her songs like Laughing With, Samson, and Blue Lips have a bluesy timeless feeling, in the style of jazz legends such as Billie Holiday.  Others have a new age style that is uniquely Spektor. These later albums remind me of the best of the Lennon and McCartney, blackbird, hey Jude, across the universe, golden slumbers, and Eleanor Rigby.

Minerva

Bringing Up Baby: the Story of a Girl, a Boy, a Leopard, and an Intercostal Clavicle

I personally am a little miffed at how easily people dismiss black and white movies as being dull and overly complicated. These people should be tied to the floor for an hour and a half and made to watch Bringing up Baby. The only thing hard to understand about this movie is due to the speed at which the characters talk. It's just not possible for any movie involving a ditzy socialite and absent-minded professor, a yippy dog, a leopard, and an intercostal clavicle to be dull. 

What’s odd about this movie is that when it came out it got rubbish reviews Paramount called it a "catastrophe". They even ended their contract with Katharine Hepburn. Yet Bringing up baby is one of the most loved classic films of all time. The only reasonable exclamation I can come up with is that it must have been ahead of its time. After all the film industry was just closing the door on the age silent movies, the fast passed, witty dialog must have been too much for them. 

  

My favourite thing about watching this movie, beyond the funny dialog, clever characters, and outrageous plot twists is seeing Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn without the typecasting. Hepburn is known for her strong feminist roles. You see her playing characters such as righteous and independent Red from Philadelphia Story. Grant is known for his dashing matinee star roles. You're more likely to see him playing the mysterious man in black or a charming but settled family man.  

In Bringing Up Baby Grant plays a nerdy zoologist. He sports a pair of thick-rimmed glasses that has the same effect as superman's specs for hiding his stunning good looks. Unlike his character in his girl Friday Grant stubbles over his words and gets tongue-tied whenever Hepburn's character shows up one the scene.

Hepburn plays a ditzy and lovesick socialite. She’s airy and outwardly seems stupid yet she is clever in a conniving yet admirable way. This is often the way with Howard Hawk’s main characters. It’s something I love about old movies; subtle strength is a single facet of the deep and relatable characters. Even in a screwball comedy like this the characters make an impression. 

Minerva

Emma Watson: Bit Flash

Do you remember this girl?

That's right it's 11-year-old Emma Watson playing Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

That was in 2001 and for the next nine years we got to watch her grow up. You may have noticed like I did during the Prisoner of Azkaban that Ms. Watson was becoming a particularly lovely young woman if not then it probably dawned on you during the Yule Ball in the Goblet of Fire. 

Watson is sporting more then just school robes nowadays, she’s all over the fashion scene. She’s the new face for Burberry UK. She's even headed up some lines of her own. Now, I am in no way a fashion aficionada, my wardrobe consist of jeans, t-shirts, and a few skirts. Ms. Watson's new calling never would have come to my attention if I hadn't seen her on the cover of teen Vogue while wandering through the magazine section of Barns n' Noble. I had time to waste so I picked it up and starting reading. it was impressive to say the least. It was flashy and rebellious, classical and refined. It had a classic cinema meets the 1980's feeling with a liberal dash of Great Britain.  

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Gorgeous!

Minerva

England goes Insane

You've all heard of Lady Gaga, how she flew to the top of the charts by being as outrageous as possible. You've heard about her clothes and how she never wears the same thing twice. You've heard about her high-pitched little voice, her bleach blond hair (more like yellow really), and her nonsensical lyrics.

But in the storeroom of insane female artists England's got her beat. The difference is the British Basket-cases have talent.

     Lily Allen                                        
With her omnivorous musical tastes and cheeky attitude, London-based pop singer/songwriter Lily Allen made a name for herself almost as soon as she released her demos on the Internet. The daughter of comedian Keith Allen, Lily spent most of her childhood bouncing from one school to another -- in fact, she attended 13 different schools between the ages of five and 15. This constant moving meant she didn't have much of a chance to make lasting friendships, so Allen entertained herself with books and, especially, music: she listened to everything from T. Rex, the Specials, and the Slitsto the Happy Mondays and drum'n'bass, and even ran away to see the Glastonbury Festival when she was 14. 

After she left school a year later, she realized that music was the only career for her. Allen concentrated on her songwriting and singing, developing a style that was equally sweet and bratty; late in 2005, she set up a MySpace page and posted demos of her songs, as both individual tracks and as part of two limited-edition "mixtapes" that also featured tracks by Dizzee Rascal, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Ludacris. The critical acclaim for her work fueled Allen's publicity, leading to tens of thousands of friends on MySpace, airplay on BBC Radio One, and a record deal with Regal/Parlophone before the end of 2005.  It's Not Me, It's You, which covered topics like drugs, fame, family, and society, arrived early in 2009, preceded by the single The Fear.

Artist bio by Pandora. 

      Kate Nash                                      
Like simpatico songwriter Lily Allen, Kate Nash launched her career on MySpace, where her piano-driven pop songs and lyrics (delivered in a distinctive London accent) found a number of listeners. One such listener was Lily Allen herself, who rose to fame with a similar style of pop music in 2006. The two began championing each other's music via their respective MySpace sites, and Nash soon found her own success with the platinum-selling Made of Bricks. 

Although born in Dublin on July 6, 1987, Nash moved to North West London as a child and grew up amidst British pop culture. She learned to play the piano at school and took an early interest in acting, but a rejection from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School dashed her hopes of a theater career. 


Following a foot injury that forced her to remain at home while the bones healed, Nash turned her focus to songwriting instead, looking for a diversion from the boredom that came with the recovery process. She booked herself a local gig to showcase the songs she had written while housebound; soon after, Nash uploaded home recordings of those compositions to MySpace. 


Artist bio by Pandora. 

      Florence Welch                             
The bluesy South London crooner Florence Mary Leontine Welch, better known as Florence and the Machine writes songs that occupy the same confessional territory of gossip-loving, genre-bending contemporaries like Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash, Adele, and Lily Allen, blending murder, mayhem, sweetness, and light into an intoxicating brew that earned the young artist considerable buzz in 2007. Managed by the Camden-based DJ duo the Queens of Noize, Florence and the Machine -- usually featuring Welch accompanied by a single guitar player and occasional drummer -- released their debut single, "Kiss with a Fist," on the Moshi Moshi label in June 2008, followed by the critically acclaimed full-length Lungs in summer 2009. 


Artist bio by Pandora. 


Sometimes bluesy and political, sometimes random and poetical, these girls know how to spin lyrics. Both revolutionary and classical, England's got some outstanding representation in the music department.

Minerva

David Tennant: A Tragedy

SPOILERS: This article contains spoilers for seasons 1 through 4 1/2 of Doctor Who.

If you were female and a whovian between 2006 and 2010 then you probably had a crush on a certain striking Scotsman by the name of David Tennant, better know as Doctor #10. For many of us David was our first proper Doctor. Chris jumped in and out of our lives in a single season Tennant became a part of our lives. So when he announced that he was leaving the show, some of cried, some of us didn’t know what to say, some of us thought it was a hoax. But eventually 2009 turned in to 2010 and we had to say good-bye to our lonely doctor. “I don’t want to go” Tennant says. His voice cracks and we see all his pain swell up behind those deep brown eyes. No doctor has gone out this way, alone and in pain with the truth on his lips. Yet it is the most fitting end for this doctor, because Tennant’s Doctor is a tragedy.

At the end of season one he appears on the screen with a smile. That first year is his golden year. He and Rose had the perfect partnership. They fight monster, save planets or just muck about. He falls in love, finds a place on earth, and has Christmas dinner. Then suddenly Rose is gone. That moment at the end of season two where they stand in the same place at the same moment but are so far from one another is one of the most poignant moments on television. Billy cries. She’s devastated, brokenhearted but David looks shattered. After that moment the carefree smile he sports is a lie. he die’s a little as he says goodbye. He’s changed, he’s not the doctor anymore.

He meets Martha who reminds him who the Doctor. But they are not going to let him off that easy. No matter what he does he is reminded of what he’s doing wrong. Every time someone dies he blames himself. When he tries to run away, become human, he is called back. At last he is thrown a scrap of hope the words “you are not alone”. For a time lord survived the war, to have someone like him who know the pain and responsibility of a timelord, that would give him some relief. But that hope dies in his arms. After this he doesn’t smile. Martha leaves and he doesn’t stop her. He is alone.

Then comes Donna, she accepts nothing from him. She just wants to see the universe. They have fun, for a while. He finds a potential companion in a girl cloned from his cells. He learns to call her daughter, but she sacrificed herself for him. he blames himself. He doesn’t fight anymore he believes the he is to blame for the pain of people near to him. When Rose come back he gives everything she wants but pushes her away for him. He is forced to wipe Donna’s memories even as she pleads for him to let her stay.

For his last five episodes the doctor refuses to open up to anyone. he wallows in his loneliness becoming darker and darker until he is unrecognizable. When Wilf hands him a gun and tells to kill, we are no longer sure he will refuse. Yet he remains our doctor till the end giving his life to save Wilf. In that he never failed. He was always a hero and we love him. When he utters his last words you can’t help but say “we don’t want you to go David”.

But in the end he is rewarded. As the golden energy clears the shattered tragic form of David Tennant has been replaced with Matt Smith. Smith is young and vibrant. He tousles his hair and kisses his legs. He takes in the chaos around him and smiles as he jumps into action. Geronimo!

Minerva  

Hannah Spearitt and Andrew Lee Potts

If you've ever watched the fantastic brilliant show Primeval chances are you immediately fell in love with the relationship between Conner Temple and Abby Maitland. What you may not know is that Hannah Spearritt and Andrew-Lee Potts are actually engaged. I don't usually go in for celebrity stalking but they are absolutely the sweetest most charming couple in the history of celebrities. There’s no huge age gap, drug problem, or old scandals involved so you’re not likely to see them in the tabloids. But they are young, sexy, and the most adorable thing you've ever seen. Them being together puts a small damper on my Andrew fantasies but how can I envy them when they look this cute together. If you want to see more photos of Hannah and Andrew follow this link.

Minerva

Minerva Loves the USA (network)

I'm not a total anti-patriot there are a lot of things about the United States of America I respect. That however is beside the point.  The point is that I  do in fact love the USA network. It for fills a demand for unrubbish TV between the end of July and the beginning of November, when there is a severe lack of quality BBC programs of any kind. For those of you who are wondering why this is it is because of a serious misjudgment on the part of the BBC producers who decided that the appropriate number of episodes for a TV season was thirteen. Why would they think this, you ask. The only logical reason I can come up with is that they are the minions of Satan and they enjoy the agonized screams of tortured fans. 

Anyhow, not only does USA for fill a need but their shows are actually pretty darn entertaining. I have never watched a show that came out specifically for the USA network that I did not enjoy. They’re light fluffy and consumer driven but they have jokes that make me laugh and characters that make me smile, every time. They remind me of the old 1960 sitcoms; Gilligan’s island, Hogan’s Heroes, Bewitched. They never strove to have any lasting affect on the audience just to entertain. Yet if you get caught humming a theme song even thirty years after you stop watching the show there’s good chance it has something to do with a 3-Hour Tour.

I started watching Psych three years ago, mainly because of Shawn’s mutual love of fruit and 80’s movies. Then one of my friends convinced me to watch Monk. Thus began the slippery slop into addiction. After that came Royal Pains, White Collar, and Covert Affairs.

If you have five hours a week to waste watching fluffy television give it a try, but be careful ones you give in you’ll never get away.

Minerva

UPDATE: Leverage gets a new Family Member

Aunt Tara

Midway through season two (Due to Gina’s her pregnancy) Sophie temporarily leaves the show but she’s not leaving her team without a mother figure. Sophie finds a replacement in Tara Cole, a fellow grifter who owes Sophie a favour or two. At first the team is wary of the new member. No one really knows what to make of her or what she aspects of them. Throughout the season we get to know Tara and learn that she is as clever a grifter as Sophie and well worth the teams trust. By the time Sophie gets back Tara has been accepted in to the family. I like to call her Aunt Tara!  Hope we see you soon auntie.

Minerva

The Brothers Bloom: A Con Caper

I have a weakness for con capers; Leverage, White Collar, Music Man, the Lady Eve and Silvia Scarlet. I’ve even watched The Sting. I just can’t help falling head over heals for the fast talking gentlemen thief.

When it’s Indie film with parallels to classic literature, well for me that’s honey.

I saw trailers for The Brothers Bloom on PBS when it came out in cinema. Unfortunately they decided it was only popular enough to release in important places and I guess Fairbanks Alaska didn’t qualify.

So, I waited five months and bought it for $9.99 at a gas station.

This movie is an epic! there is no other way to describe it. It tells the story of to bothers who have reached the pinnacle of the con game. The oldest Steven creates elaborate cons and his younger brother Bloom plays them out. They’ve been living this way since they were kids growing up in foster care and its gotten to the point where Bloom can no longer tell what is real and what is part of Stevens story. This worries him and he wants out. Steven talks him in to one last job, swindling two million out of lonely eccentric heiress named Penelope.

Bloom, Penelope, Steven

The second part of the movie is played out like a good old-fashioned international con caper. During this section Penelope and Bloom fall in love and ends with Penelope telling bloom that she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. In a normal movie this would be the end of the story but this is a far from normal movie.

The third part of the movie is much darker. The brothers head to Russia in order to lose Penelope. Through the second part of the movie they lightly reference Old Russian and Greek tragedies. I’m not a huge fan of tragedies and Russian novels tend to be a little to dark for me but I understood enough of the references to have some idea of an ending still the ending caught me by surprise. I understood the foreshadowing but I didn’t think they would actually go that far.

Ones you’ve watched it go back and watch it you’ll be astounded at how much symbolism and foreshadow is woven the lighter parts of the story. Near the end of the movie Diamond Dog, the brothers sinister ex-guardian mentions Stevens love of symbolism “Red for temptation, white for salvation.” he says as he admires Stevens con. When you re-watch the movie note the use of red and white throughout the movie.

This director has a gift for the delicate ate of crafting a story. Like Stevens cons every tiny thing has a deeper meaning. I’ve watched it five times, ones with commentary and I’m still noticing new things.

Steven, Bloom, Bang bang

By far the best part of this movie, better then the dialog or the symbolism is the clothing. The movie is set in the modern day but it feels like it was made in the 1930’s. This may have something to do with the beautiful old world cities they set the move in but I think it has more to do with the clothes. They are not period exactly but they’re defiantly not modern. It’s mix of formal European clothing and a classy vintage sense of style you just don’t see any more. It also has a lot to do with the hats. So much can be portrayed through a hat. If you wear a hat tilted over your eyes it says something about your character. If you wear it snugly on the top of your head it means you’re a strait forward no nonsense type of person. If you wear a wide brimmed hat at the back of your head that mean you’re an easy-going optimistic type. The acting world lost a valuable tool when they stopped wearing hats, just my opinion.

Minerva