Crossing Over

I think I will now blog at http://kittering.wordpress.com. Follow me there if you like.

Leno v. O'Brien v. Fallon

Check out this great collection of Jay Leno impressions from Mental_Floss. Something about the Chris Elliott version I found to be extremely surreal. Maybe it was just the quality of the video or maybe it was Chris Elliott's creepy, creepy eyes.

Also, it was neat to see that Dana Carvey had Steve Carrell, Stephen Colbert, Robert Smigel, Louis C.K., Dino Stamatopoulos, Jon Glaser, and even Charlie Kaufman (!) all on his show at one point or another.

I'm finding myself to be more and more of a comedy-nerd, appreciating good stand-up and well-executed bits with more passion than ever before. That being said, my interest in the whole NBC post-primetime isn't particularly high, except I feel bad for all involved. Even Jay Leno. It's unfortunate that despite being successful at what he does (and seemingly a nice guy--screw you, Dane Cook), he could end being the villain in this saga. It's really NBC's fault for the poorly thought-out "The Jay Leno Show" that was destined to fail. All in all, I hope Conan O'Brien continues a long productive comedy career as becomes as much a legend as Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, and Dave Letterman. Some new voices often push comedy forward, but it was an amazing few months envisioning a television late shift of Conan, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert for years to come.

"Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion."

Here is a great interview with Beth Grant at the A.V. Club where she speaks very candidly about accepting her lot as a character actor, the lessons she's learned from working with an amazing assortment of collaborators, and the necessity to play characters "real" and not "winking." I've been a fan of hers for a while, but it's great to read her just going on and on about her journey to where she is and how she's carved out a niche as the uptight self-righteous Southern woman. From roles in "Little Miss Sunshine" to "Donnie Darko" to "Rain Man," Beth Grant has definitely become a quintessential "Oh, yeah, that woman!" type of actor, even if not many people know her name.

A Decade of Ohhhs (Part 1)

Way behind the curve, I am posting to rehash some of my favorites of the previous decade. Ten years ago, New Year's 2000, I celebrated New Year's at C__ M__'s house with C__ A__ and friends. It was my first time there, my first new year's eve away from my parents (probably), and the first in a long line with one or both of the Chrises (9 straight years). In addition, at least one invited guest could not attend due to fears of Y2K. That night began quite a decade of growth and, ahem, maturation. Regardless of my own personal ups and downs, it was in this decade that I really developed my own aesthetic (beyound my late 90s taste for radio pop and Oscar winners) and found my taste. Not that I didn't hit some duds on the way to where I am now, but I feel like an adult, in the pop culture sense at least. So taking a page from Foux Da Fa Fa, here are some favorites of the 2000s.

Kit's Favorite Television Series (Drama):


Definitely Mad Men, AMC's first original series. Though it's a recent diversion, debuting in 2007, it has definitely exhibited some of the best writing, coolest design, and evocative production I have ever watched. I can't say that I ever much followed television dramas (ER in its early years, a season or two of LOST, a few others), but Mad Men piqued my interest with the period/subject matter, and when I finally started watching it, I was captivated.

That being said, Big Love should also get a mention for a similar approach to a wildly different world. The character development is just as strong on Big Love as on Mad Men, I believe, and the plot moves forward with a lot more momentum (along with some edge-of-your-seat moments). Both shows, however, approach their subjects--early sixties New York and Mormon polygamists--with a sympathetic tone that brings viewers into the foreign world rather than keeping them at a distance. Whether through lush visuals, a strong sense of irony, or relatable family tension, both shows create effective and entertaining stories populated with endearing (or endearingly evil) characters.

Also worth mentioning:
Freaks and Geeks
The Wire (yet to watch)

Kit's Favorite Television Show (Comedy):
Arrested Development


A close call, but Arrested Development gets the nod over 30 Rock, mostly for consistency. And while 30 Rock has seen its share of absurdity ("Help me, Liz Lemon, you're my only hope!"), Arrested Development never failed to push the boundaries of what could be expected on a 30-minute sitcom: intense wordplay, hyper-self-awareness, and callback after callback after callback.

Also worth mentioning:
Flight of the Conchords
The Office (U.S. version)
Futurama


Kit's Favorite Movie (Drama):
Synecdoche, New York


Kit's Favorite Movie (Comedy):
Wet Hot American Summer


Kit's Favorite Movie (For a Date):
Stranger Than Fiction



Kit's Favorite Movie (Overall):
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind


For some reason it was really hard to pick a single movie, so I tried to break it down as painlessly as possible. I was most surprised at how difficult it was to choose a comedy. Not that I haven't seen many, but few stood out. I guess my general taste in movies makes me a dour person, or is the result of my dourness. Regardless, I think I will have to go for all-out shenanigans with my comedy choice, Wet Hot American Summer. Hearkening back to my television comedy choice, I really love well-executed absurdist humor. While I loved The Blues Brothers and Uncle Buck growing up, perhaps it was Airplane! that shaped my sense of humor.

For my drama selection, I had to overlook No Country for Old Men, The Aviator, Lost in Translation, and The Royal Tenenbaums. But Synecdoche, New York, was both the most profound and, often, the funniest. Not many heavy meditations on death have so many laugh-out-loud moments or quotable lines. But it works.

I decided I needed two more categories: one for films I enjoyed but weren't necessarily "great" and another just to fit one more movie into this post. Stranger Than Fiction won a tight battle with Away We Go for best date movie. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is just that good. It deserves to be my favorite of the decade. Very few movies have I ever mulled over so much while still in the theater (Synecdoche, New York, is another). I didn't get the chronology, I didn't get the relationship, I didn't get the themes, but I fell in love with it, somewhere near Elyria, Ohio, seeing it on the big screen. I don't want to be hyperbolic, but to take a simple relationship (with a near-MPDG) and pair it with a high-concept gimmick, and do it so masterfully, is really quite amazing.

Also worth mentioning:
No Country for Old Men
The Aviator
Lost in Translation
The Royal Tenenbaums
Away We Go
Brick
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ghost World
Best in Show
Pan's Labyrinth
You Can Count On Me
Y tu mamá también
The Comedians of Comedy




Next Week = A Decade of Ohhhs (Part 2)

Two Hawks

'smatter

Links I want to share. Links I want to remember.

A couple of lists today.

The Decade's Top Ten Quotations from Salon.com.

This is a largely government-oriented list from David Sirota with a healthy dollop of liberal frustration, so it makes sense that in a decade dominated by the George W. Bush presidency, the list highlights some of the depressing aspects of the Aughts. While I was heretofore unfamiliar with some of these quotations, I feel Mr. Sirota occasionally draws his conclusions too broadly from the individual statements. Nevertheless, he sees this collection as a "warning" against complacency. I think that's something we can all agree is desperately needed.

Food for thought..., a look back at how much has changed this decade from Foreign Policy's Annie Lowrey.

While also government- and finance-oriented, this list serves as more of a reminder than a warning. It is a reminder that despite any predictions or inevitabilities, a lot can change in a decade. Even the little things that shift--popular search engines and travel inconveniences--are remarkable for how quickly we adjust to the future and how easily we accept some changes, particularly as we revolt against others.

Kerrville Tivy High (TX)

Go Antlers!

(via Uniwatch)