Black Sails
Created by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine
Yes, I know I'm a few years late on this. I've been toying around with two pirate/adventure screenplay ideas, so I started watching just to see what else is out there. Despite the soapy and oft rushed plots, Black Sails works. There's a fair amount of unneccesary violence and sex, and the politics of Nassau are near impossible to follow, but underneath everything is a story that drives. There's a noticeable shift in Season Three (which includes Ray Stevenson as Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard) and it's all for the better. A lot of fun. (P.S. There won't be any skeleton pirates, but that doesn't make the intro kick any less ass.)
I remember watching this movie with my parents when we had some extended family in town, and I was so confused. Watching it again (streaming on Amazon Prime) I loved it. I vaguely remembered a few of the twists, but none of that mattered. This movie has everything. Amnesia, mystery, past lives, hypnotism, guns, scissors, romance, period piece, Wayne Knight, and Robin Williams. The premise of this movie is incredibly unique, and if you don't know it, I'd suggest going in completely blind. (Also, check out the murderer's row of talent involved at every level, including my main man Patrick Doyle!)
A Drink Before The War (by Dennis Lehane)
My good friend and I have a two person book club, and this was our most recent read. (I actually have multiple of these, and if you want to start one with me, please let's do it!) It's the first of the Patrick & Angie series from Dennis Lehane, the most well known of the series being Gone Baby Gone. This one follows a mystery in to the middle of a gang war in Boston, and it was a solid read. Not as tight as Gone Baby Gone, and the hook maybe isn't as strong, but you can see that from the very beginning, Lehane had a very well defined notion of these two characters. If you like detective novels, give it a read.
The Great Muppet Caper
I just finished reading a book about Jim Henson (see below) so I decided to revisit my favorite of the Muppet movies. Maybe it wasn't my favorite, but it was the only one we owned on VHS. (I remember the tape was made with green plastic, and being upset that it was slightly off from Kermit's shade of green.) Anyway, I loved it. Seeing it as an adult I had a new appreciation for the technical aspects, and it feels almost like the set pieces are designed to show off. You've got Muppets on bikes, Muppets underwater (singing, no less), and huge Busby Berkely numbers. Not to mention, trick after trick that must've taken hours just for one shot. Fun story, fun British cameos, and some great humor that holds up extremely well. ("Oh, did I get my elbow in the shot?" "Don't worry; it adds human interest." " ...But I'm a bear.")
Muppet Treasure Island (& Treasure Island)
Black Sails is a sort of prequel to Treasure Island with some historical figures thrown in. So I reread Treasure Island. And then, with my Muppet views, I decided what better way to culminate it all with Muppet Treasure Island. Compared to Caper, you can really feel the Disneyfication of everything, but Tim Curry having the time of his life makes it worth it. Also, I live for Sam the Eagle in this movie.
Lost - The Constant
Writers - Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse, Director - Jack Bender
My girlfriend has been rewatching all of Lost, but she kindly waited to watch this episode with me. And it's fantastic. Desmond's conciousness gets unstuck in time, and he needs to reconnect with Penny (the love of his life) before his brain can't handle it and he has an aneurysm. A few things that make this episode great:
- The cuts from timeline to timeline. Always in the middle of the action, sometimes even a line.
- The logistical stakes of creating a working line of communication to Penny coincides with the emotional stakes of Desmond and Penny's broken relationship.
- Henry Ian Cusick and Jeremy Davies give great performances.
In my opinion (and many others) this the best episode of Lost.
A few other non-narrative stuff:
The Second Circle (by Patsy Rodenburg)
I'm in an improv class, and we do a lot of what I'll call "actor-y stuff." I'm not an actor, and if you've ever seen me perform, you know that's an understatement. This book contains a lot of the underpinnings of being open and present on stage, and though it's written by an acting and voice teacher, it's actually written for everyone about being open and present in life. It likely won't convert anyone, but if you're open to these sorts of ideas, you might get something out of it.
Make Art Make Money (by Elizabeth Hyde Stevens)
This is the previously mentioned book about Henson, with a focus on the nexus of his art and his business. Some of the lessons seem a little didactic, but the best parts of this book are the thoroughly researched anecdotes from Henson's life that provide multiple insights into both his business and creative decisions.
If you were only allowed one of the above, this week's vote:
DEAD AGAIN
Runner Up: LOST - THE CONSTANT