Way to Normal

In the elusive school of the unwilling, begrudging school of the errant hipster, Ben Folds might just be Dean. Or President. Or the guy who sits in the back of MUS 101 with a scowl on his face aimed at the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cirus, et. al. who seemed to have grasped success more so. And with his third solo album, Way to Normal, Folds flies the flag of the social outcast in Ray Ban's who never quite understood cool. Or didn't want to participate in it.

Fans of Folds will be delighted to hear iconoclastic Folds that Songs for Silverman seemed to sorely lack. From the hard piano rock of "Dr. Yang" to the soulful piano ballads ("Kylie from Connecticut") Anthropological issues are addressed, everything from gender to love to class. In "Free Coffee," Folds laments "when I was broke I needed more/and now that I'm rich I get free coffee." "Effington," like a sequel to "Jesusland," flips the bird to American conventions. The notion to marry, settle down, lead a quite life. "

The two standout tracks ( in my humble opinion, at least) are "Cologne (Piano Orchestra Version)" and "You Don't Know Me," featuring fellow piano prodigy Regina Spektor. The first is haunting in melody and message; semi-autobiographical in nature, a moody Folds decides to end things with his significant other, how they might have been happy if circumstances had been different. Besides being the top iTunes download, "You Don't Know Me" boasts serious indie-pop potential for the "Grey's Anatomy"/"The O.C"/"One Tree Hill"/"Gossip Girl" crowd of complex beats and existential meanings.

Regardless, Folds has proven that the way to normal is not the yellow brick road of promise. Let's hope, for listener's sakes, that it takes Folds many, many more albums before he becomes "Normal."

Quote of the Day: Bitch Went Nuts.

A Show to "Pie" For

"Pushing Daisies" is revived for a thrilling second season.

If, one night, the Brothers Grimm went to a bar and drunkenly went home with Tim Burton, Nancy Drew, and Dr. Seuss, "Pushing Daisies" would be its' awkward offspring. From brainy brawny Bryan Fuller comes forth the fascinating fantasy of Ned the Piemaker (Lee Pace,) a pious person who precipitates people back to life. Such is Ned's tale (narrated by Harry Potter veteran Jim Dales) - to resurrect his childhood crush Chuck (Anna Friel), only to spend the rest of his life wearing bells on his slippers, avoiding the second fatal touch.

That is the premise; perhaps a little kitsch, but Pace and Friel play each flawlessly, with just enough deadpan to counter-act the whimsy. Equally as interesting is the pint-sized Olive Snook (the charming Kristen Chenoweth) who banishes herself to a convent to keep her secrets silent. In homage to The Sound of Music, Chenoweth swirls round and round a mountainous plateau like a blonde Julie Andrews, only to be told "here we value silence." Probably for the best, since Olive is harboring some zingers: that Ned accidentally killed Chuck's father, that Chuck's aunts don't know she's alive...again, that Aunt Vivian is really Chuck's mother.

It would seem, though, that "Daisies"'s producers felt it proper to summarize the entirety of Season 1, as fair-weather viewers will only now be tuning in. The effect seemed haphazard, shoving a savory season one into a To Go bag without the extra condiments or spice. Why not re-air the Emmy-winning "Pie-Lette" rather than recapitulate?

That aside, "Bzzzzzzzz!" presented a strong season premiere, with writers having more time to think about the story in the Writer’s Draught of 2008. No more agoraphobia for Aunts Lily and Vivian, it seems. They are out and about in the town of Cour d’Cour and are ready to live life again. Vivian (Ellen Greene) is the more naïve of the duo, unaware that her sister seduced her husband and a little bundle of joy in the form of Chuck resulted nine months later. Lily (Swoosie Kurtz) haunts Olive like indigestion from a bad slice of boysenberry pie, even to confessional. (The quote “Forgive me, Father, for I don’t like to be poor” is a smiley surprise).

And what of the weekly morgue investigations? More gruesome every time, this week’s victim, Kentucky Fitz (Autumn Reeser) is covered by livid bee-induced welts. And after Ned kills (or re-dead’s) her, a swarm of bees explodes from her mouth. Things are getting stranger, more bizarre. It makes you wonder when the mortician will interject more than the brilliant, “Mmmmm hmmmm” every time the Scooby Gang investigates a crime.

There are a few cosmic questions left unanswered: how much longer can this innocent It Happened One Night romance play out between Ned and Chuck? Eventually, they’ll have to touch, or at least try to. And then what? What about Olive obtaining a porky friend named “Pigby” to replace the canine one of “Digby”? And what of the strange juxtaposition of Emerson Cod (Chi McBride)? First, he’s a P.I., then he knits tea cozies for stress, next he makes pop-up books to find his daughter, what will he do next? His character most of all seems the most inconsistent.

For now, though, I’m stuck to this sweet forensic fairy-tale like Chuck’s fingers are after tending to her many beehives.

Bethertainment Weekly Grade: A-

Quote of the Day: Ned: “If I could breathe, I would vomit,” when Ned thinks Chuck’s aunts have seen her alive and well at the Pie Hole.

I Couldn't Find Waldo in Beijing's Closing Ceremonies

Fireworks. Wall dancers. Behemoth LCD screens. The Chinese version of the Death Star. Arguably more spectacle and theatrics than a production of Les Miserables. Yes, the Closing Ceremonies of the 29th Olympiad have come and gone, leaving the world with the warm glow of universalism and the fuzzy feeling of a global community. But what of the next four years? How will London prepare for such a daunting task?



Good question. You might want to ask them. But, if not - here's the plan in a London-sized nutshell. East London will be transformed - specifically, the Lower Lea Valley, a location which has "great untapped potential," according to the site. More than 200 buildings will be demolished to accommodate this task to make room for the Olympic Park, from an Aquatic Centre to Olympic Stadium, and the Velodrome. . And, after the Olympics have ended, the site will be metamorphosed to Europe's largest urban park.

The green may be good, but the gold is better, as the saying goes.

Maybe it doesn't. But it should.

Thought of the Day: I, too, was not ordained "cute enough" by the American government to publish this post. It has been type-synced so the optimal amount of cuteness has been reached.

Mad about Mad Men

Imagine you are sitting a smoky bar in Manhattan. It's 1960, and you are fabulous and drinking a martini, with a Lucky Strike cigarette hanging nonchalantly from your fist like some Humphrey Bogart. The terror of the Cold War has passed, the nightmare of Vietnam is nothing more than a vague whisper: you are rich and fabulous and work on Madison Avenue at Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency.

You are Donald Draper, Mad Man.

But things are more than they seem: Draper, the creative force behind successful ad campaigns, must deal with Peter Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), the newlywed Account Exec who nips at his heals; his alcoholic boss Roger Sterling (John Slattery), and - of course - his own infidelity with his ex-model wife, Betty (January Jones). In this world of smoke and mirrors, people are naive to health risks (Betty's pregnant friend smokes heavily, Merlot in hand), easy to judge (the new divorcee who shamefully works at a local jewelry store), and slow to forgive (insert any number of unfaithful spouses).

Into this world comes wide-eyed Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), fresh from secretarial school. She quickly learns to keep her mouth shut, to show and not tell, and to type 70 words a minute. This is no small town.


After watching the first season, it's no wonder this behemoth of a show snagged a staggering 16 Emmy nods. Each episode is a rich, 42-minute movie, complete with stunning cinematography, painstakingly accurate attire (down to the rather pointy underpinnings), and witty dialog. It's incredible what strides feminism has taken in the past 45 years. On Peggy's first day, Pete Campbell comments how she should show more leg. Housewives are meant to stay home and dutifully raise the children while the wily men live their fabulous Manhattan lives. And let's talk about Draper himself, brilliantly played by Jon Hamm. Never is it overdone, never too much. When he pitches, you believe he knows what he's selling, and he'd throw himself from the roof of Sterling-Cooper to prove it.

So, grab a Smirnoff, some stunning lipstick from a basket of kisses, and a Lucky Strike cigarette, and watch perhaps the best period drama to hit television. Ever.

Networks, Expounded

Stations have always (and I use this term lightly, since always implicates infinite existence) been giving themselves aesthetic face lifts. Things to make them pretty. Shiny, even. But what's in a network? What is the signature thing that makes someone say, "Oh, that's an ABC show, right?" Just what I was wondering. Let's investigate, shall we?


ABC
American Broadcasting Company.

Known Best For: Endearing dramadies, heart-warming home renovations, crazy islands outside of the space-time continuum, wipe-outs
Famous Faces: Meredith Grey's whiny self-indulgent mug ("Grey's Anatomy"), Ty Pennington ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," Sears commercials), Scared and/or nervous people from "LOST," Mickey Mouse.
Catchphrase: "Start Here."
Underrated Show: "Pushing Daisies." No matter what Entertainment Weekly pundits have to say about it.
Shiny Factor: Invented

NBC
National Broadcasting Company

Known Best For: Deadpan comedies, Laws and Orders, The Olympics, More Reality TV, Conan.
Famous Faces: Michael Scott (Steve Carell of "The Office"), Ann Curry, Liz Lemon/Tina Fey ("30 Rock").
Catchphrase: "Must See TV."
Underrated Show: "Chuck." It's cute and cuddly and nerdy and is available on a Friday night. What more do you want?
Shiny Factor: Flashy as a peacock.



CBS
Columbia Broadcasting System
Known Best For: Demeaning Reality Television, Moderately Good Sitcoms, A Lot of Crime Shows
Famous Faces: The sad little children exploited for "Kid Nation"
Most Underrated Show: "Jericho," and also: "Twin Peaks."
Catchphrase: Let's See Who Next to Exploit.

A Bright Day for the Dark Knight

There is a disconnect between Hollywood today and the Hollywood of thirty years ago. Back then, the blockbusters were the award crusaders - films such as Star Wars and Jaws weren't simply summer popcorn fodder, but films that promoted change, entertained, the whole nine yards. Heck. One of those franchises even inspired its own religion. And it doesn't worship giant demonic fish. It would seem that Christopher Nolen found a time machine - because The Dark Knight supremely delivers both.

Over a brooding Gotham City skyline, the dark hero watches a city that has restored to fear and doubt. A lot of sundry men in Joker masks attempt to rob a bank. One by one, they are weeded out by another of their heist group. "You're not needed anymore," they say. "One less share." Only when The Joker enters does the audience see that he is a One Man Act, and that his idea of making writing utensils to disappear is to hide them in men's craniums. Heath Ledger's Joker is not Jack Nicholson's. Ruthless, disturbed, and - oh yes - criminally insane, he makes the average viewer squirm uncomfortably. Are his deeds and actions funny? Certainly not. But seeing a grown man in demonic clown paint and a nurses' uniform brings up a plethora of emotions. And he has this ... thing ... with making sure his victims suffer. "It brings out their true character," says The Joker. Posthumous Oscar nods, anyone?

The film is covered by its overwhelming sense of darkness and doubt. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) serves as the Beacon of Light in a city where no one knows who will be the next target, the next victim to Drug Lords or Psychosomatic Clowns Gone Awry. Christian Bale's dutiful Batman shines like a ray from the Batlight; the recasting of Maggie Gyllanhaal over Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes is like Batman choosing his newer, lighter titanium Batsuit. Nowhere in the film are the kitschy references to a comic book, tight spandex costumes, or villains that can be defeated or understood. The Joker uses Gotham as his urban playground, where hubris and human nature collide.

And what of the brooding Batman himself? The guy goes around the entire time playing hero only to realize that Gotham needs someone to look up to, and another to collaborate against, and despise. Guess who's not the White Knight on the shining stallion? It's okay, though, Bat Boy can take the heat.

Seems like there's been some time-travel going on back to the days where Blockbusters are both satisfying and substantial. Go Hollywood. Looks like you've seen the distress signal in the night sky.

Bethertainment Weekly Grade: A
A solid, brooding film that kicks Bat Butt.

Quote of the Day: Harvey Dent: You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Na na na na BATMAN!

Pardon the hiatus in writing. What is 'Bethertainment Weekly' if not a weekly entertainment from my innocuous and inventive self? But the job search continues, and seeing as these United States are in a bit of a pickle financially speaking, jobs are few and far between.

But I digress.

I'm going to see The Dark Knight in a few hours. So expect a fantastic film review. Really.