Out of Focus

As I was writing my R.I.P. Peter post last night upon hearing the news of Jennings death, I unintentionally ignored one crucial point — well, not ignored really, as much as I just didn’t think about it. But this morning as I see the outpouring of responses on TVNewser, I have to wonder if this is one of the last times we’ll get this kind of respectful outpouring for a broadcast news anchor. (Gawker’s somewhat personal post seems to share my original sentiment as well.) Someone about whom people actually will make comments like CNN’s Jeff Greenfield made to TVNewser:

In what he knew, in what he wanted the viewers to know, Peter was the embodiment of what journalism should be. He kenw the world better than anyone of his time; and when it became horrifyingly clear four years ago why that mattered, his knowledge, and his determination to let us know, became more important than ever. People will mourn his death as that of a colleague, or a friend, or a familiar, comforting presence in their homes. For me, the loss is compounded because we are losing exactly the best of our craft at the worst possible time.

Sure that was a colleague, but I imagine there are people in the general public, especially those in their late-30s and older, who grew up during the days of where network news still ruled, who think similarly. As good as Brian Williams may be, he’ll never command the trust and notoriety (as opposed to celebrity) as Jennings, Rather and Brokaw did. They were the last of their breed. A broadcast journalist that existed on a higher plateau — deserved or not — due to their positions.

Who do we have now? CNN’s Wolf Blitzer or Aaron Brown? MSNBC’s Keith Oldberman? Fox News’ Shephard Smith? (Hahaha … sorry, that last one … couldn’t help it.) Or a bunch of interchangable, virtually anonymous mid-day anchors who seem to come and go regularly and without fanfare? This isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of important figures in the world of television journalism, new and old, who do great work. But even someone as venerable as Tim Russert or Bob Scheiffer doesn’t possess the stature and the presence represented by the network news anchor, a job that even as it still exists truly belongs to a bygone era.

My uncle wrote me in response to my earlier post to give me a few of his memories working with Jennings. Here’s just a little of what he wrote:

If I had told you any stories about PJ, they would have included my evaluation that he was probably the best TV journalist in the business, not just as a performer but as a reporter. And had he gone into print instead of broadcasting, he’d have done just as well. Peter insisted on double and triple checking facts, down to the smallest — I was paired with him on many major stories overseas (as well as the SF earthquake in ’89), as well as observing him practicing his craft in the London bureau, and I saw him do it time and time again. It is a requirement sadly slipping away in today’s news environment.

I guess that’s in part why the viewing audience trusted him and out of all three major anchors who dominated the ’80s and ’90s, his presence was possibly the most unchanged. That doesn’t make him better than Brokaw or Rather … it just makes his departure and what it means to the slow passing of the network news a bit sadder.

Of course, this also provides me with yet another moment to suggest that everyone get up and run to the video store (or, uhm, just click over to Netflix) and rent the film I possibly promote more than any other: Network. It will remind you, or show you for the first time, what that hallowed era of television journalism was like as well as how we got to where we are today, for better or worse.

Last Thursday I wrote a little post about the new Al Gore-backed cable channel Current TV. I really wasn’t planning on revisiting the channel any time before maybe later this coming week, but sometime on Friday or Saturday I flipped over to 103 briefly, and I have to say … it was as bad as before.

I didn’t watch long because the very first thing I saw came damn close to offending me. I don’t mean because it was offensive content, per se. I mean because of how absolutely pathetic and amateurish this presentation was. I don’t know whether the segments that are apparently sponsored by or produced in conjunction with Google are considered “pods” or not, but I happened to flip on Current during a segment called “Google’s Under the Radar News.” This specific edition was titled “Say Cheese!”

I’m supposing “Under the Radar News” is supposed to be something that hasn’t gotten much media attention, and I guess this story sort of qualifies. I mean, certainly more than a couple articles in the New York Times alone doesn’t mean that the news is over the radar, does it? I specifically remember the June 11 one written by Monica Davey (abstract only; the article will cost you $$) and the grisly photos that accompanied it.

But I digress. The story was about “Meth Mouth,” a condition being noticed by dentists among patients who use crystal meth. Specifically, the teeth and gums rot. So during this segment of “Google’s Under the Radar News,” the announcer/host/presenter/whatever (who’s name I didn’t catch) read the following copy:

Almost a decade later, crystal meth has become widely popular in rural America, and dentists are start to notice. The drug is responsible for rotting the teeth of its users, a condition called “meth mouth.” How bad is it? One dentist says it’s like being hit in the mouth with a sledgehammer. One blogger predicts that the term, once it catches on, is going to be the new “crackhead.” Developed (actual chuckle) due to meth’s tendency to dry up saliva, cause cravings for sugary food, promote teeth grinding and in general because tweakers are less likely to brush their teeth.

Everybody go floss — I’ll see you in 30.

What’s missing from that script is how the host was speaking. He had this growing grin on his face throughout the whole thing, starting with a near chuckle after first saying “meth mouth.” Once he mentions the word “sledgehammer,” the grin grows a bit larger. But not quite as large as it starts to get after he says “crackhead.” In fact, by that point he can barely contain himself cause obviously this story is fucking hysterical. So funny, that he can barely get out the word “Developed,” and in the midst of stumbling over the word, he actually does utter an audible chuckle.

You know, this isn’t live television. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s not. Who’s running this network that thinks that segment was good television? That a story which is potentially “under the radar” but involves what actually is a growing drug problem that is directly affecting people — people supposedly of the age group that Current services — should be treated with such callousness? Aside from the fact that like everyone else on Current the segment host was reading his cue cards as badly as one can read a cue card, this wasn’t a fun piece? Why exactly wasn’t it retaped? Because the whole network has this idea that to be youthful and edgy it needs to put a sarcastic smile on every presentation? Take a lesson from MTV News of all places, Current. When they are talking about a serious issue, they deal with it seriously. When they aren’t, they don’t.

Current has such a long way to go before it becomes watchable, it’s ridiculous. Right now it’s basically a step-above Public Access, and that’s only because they have a bigger budget. Most college TV stations could do what Current is doing right now with far less money.

Oh yeah, what was the pod that came on after this little Google news travesty? How about the piece on base jumping which just happened to be one of the same original pods I saw on Monday during my first 90 minutes of watching. It seems that if you watch Current for up to approximately two hours any day during an entire week, that’s all you need.

Al, just like you did in your Presidential campaign, it’s not too late to fire everyone you’ve got running this thing. So far, they sure as hell don’t know what they’re doing. And before anyone criticizes me for not watching long enough, as soon as I can watch for five minutes without seeing something I’ve already seen days before, I’ll be sure to stick with it a little while more.

So there I go on Friday, talking all about how there are too many new movies out, and how am I going to have time to see all of them — oh, I’m so worried I won’t get to everything, blah blah blah. So what happens? How many of the movies that I previewed on Friday did I go see? Yes, you in the back …

That’s right. None. I didn’t get to one new release this weekend. For that matter, while my yearly count increased by seven to 127, and I actually watched eight (more on that in a second), I didn’t see one new movie this entire weekend. I blame Gothamist. As I boasted about in the previous post, for the first time in what is now basically a year of doing these Gothamist Interviews, we finished prepping all the interviews before the week even started. (Oh yeah, and that’s not even completely true.) The point is, while I had plans to go see Junebug Saturday night, both my friend and I came down with I’m-not-feeling-well-and-want-to-stay-home-itis about 90 minutes before we had planned to meet. And basically, most of today and much of last night was spent editing the interviews so I wouldn’t have to be concerned with them much during the week. I have bigger things on my mind. (Bigger, not necessarily better.)

This week in movie-viewing was an interesting mix for me, though.

Continue reading “THE WEEK(END) IN REVIEW: NOT MUCH OF THE NEW”

That’s right kids — my how time flies. Another month, another round of Gothamist Interviews from yours truly and my friend Lily. I’m actually pretty excited about this week’s group because for once we got them all done ahead of time! Well, nearly. But most of the time I find myself scrambling, late into the wee hours the night before not just editing and coding the interview for the Gothamist site, but also writing these little ditties here on my own little unfurnished corner of the web. Not this time! Woo hoo!

I’m also excited, though, because of a (I think) pretty good and diverse lineup of interviewees. We lead-off today with Stacey Blume. Since this dealt once again with clothing, I took the back seat to my collaborator on this one. Hell, I hadn’t even heard of Blume (the company) or blumegirl.com, but that’s probably just because I’m incredibly unhip. I’m also not seeing so many thongs these days, so that could be another reason.

The whole twist behind what makes Blume (once again, the company) unique is this selling of personalized patches on clothing. As I sat there reading and editing Stacey’s interview, I just couldn’t help but thinking how this was yet another Post-It&trade moment. That’s not to take anything away from Stacey at all: far from it. These people who — for one reason or another, accidental or otherwise — come up with the simple ideas that people fall in love with, like the Post-It&trade, or those cardboard hot beverage cup holders … the things that all of us stop for five seconds to say, “Why couldn’t I have thought of and marketed that.” Well, in a way, that’s what Stacey did. As you’ll see in the interview, she never set-out for a career in the fashion industry. It was a fluke trip to Urban Outfitters with her dad, who happens to own a uniform company, that made her think — hey: Patches! With names! And rhinestones!

And now you can get the same thing for your baby or dog. That’s progress. Now if only I could think of something to replace White-Out&trade.

“Summer Under the Stars” continues this week on TCM with a great lineup featuring Shelley Winters, Ray Milland, Lena Horne, Kirk Douglas, and Jane Wyman. There is more than enough to keep any cinephile occupied all week long. Even though I did the big comprehensive post early last week, I thought I’d do as I did last year and repost in shorter bits what’s coming up over the coming days, so that’s what you get beyond the jump.

I implore you, however: if for some reason you’ve never seen The Lost Weekend starring Milland (and, as it happens, Wyman as well, but it’s Milland’s movie and his day), please do yourself a favor and make sure to catch or at least record it. There are a lot of great movies by fantastic filmmakers on all this week, including for example Fritz Lang‘s noir thriller Ministry of Fear from a novel by Graham Greene which also stars Milland and will air immediately before The Lost Weekend; or Stanley Kubrick‘s anti-war masterpiece Paths of Glory with Douglas airing on Thursday at 10:30 PM. Still, for my money, as great as those and many other films this week are (and I’m sure plenty of you might disagree with this statement, especially with the Kubrick film in the mix), none of them are as personal, harrowing and moving as The Lost Weekend. Watch it.

And check out this stuff too …

Continue reading “TCM WATCH: DAYS OF WINTERS, MILLAND, HORNE, DOUGLAS AND WYMAN”

Wow. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. We all knew he was sick, and obviously gravely so since I can’t imagine him otherwise stopping work. Still, when I saw the news online tonight that Peter Jennings had succumbed to cancer, it still came to me as a bit of a shock.

I don’t have any direct personal experience with Jennings other than passing him while walking on Central Park West a couple times late at night — he was walking his dog. I do remember, however, watching Jennings growing-up. You see, my uncle Greg was an international correspondent for ABC News for roughly 20 years. I remember my family always getting advance warning when Greg would have a piece coming on the air, and I remember watching World News Tonight with it’s curious three anchor format — Frank Reynolds in Washington, Max Robinson in Chicago and Jennings in London. My uncle was based in London with Jennings, but when Reynolds died — also from cancer — Jennings moved to New York as sole anchor and my uncle moved to Paris.

I don’t really remember my uncle telling me any stories about working with Jennings, although I’m sure he did: I’m not here to say how I heard he was sucha great guy or the opposite. But there was something about my uncle’s working for ABC that, as a kid, always made me an ABC fan. So when Battle of the Network Stars was on, I always found myself rooting for the ABC team, even if stars from shows I liked on other networks were also playing. It was kind of like how until you go to college yourself and discover your own allegiance, you root for the college(s) your parents went to. That was always why I fell on the Stanford side of the Cal-Stanford equation.

And while I would never call myself a news junkie until the advent of cable news and my arrival at UCLA, I would always turn on that 6:30 newscast with Peter Jennings. CBS Evening News with Murrow then Cronkite then Rather? Feh. I watched ABC. Tom Brokaw? Why, ABC’s got Peter Jennings?

Of course, Rather slid, and Brokaw skyrocketed, and Jennings just kept doing what he did. Ultimately, I really stopped watching any of them. Who the hell is home at 6:30 anymore?

I talked a bit about the demise of the major broadcast network newscasts back in November when Brokaw was about to leave his chair and Rather announced his pending retirement from his. At the time, I said that Jennings will probably benefit the most in the short term after Rather’s departure., but don’t expect him to stay around forever. At 66, he’s no spring chicken himself.” Still, at 67 — almost exactly twice my age — he wasn’t so old that he couldn’t have done this job for another eight-10 years, or longer, had he wanted. It’s sad and unfortuante for all of us that he didn’t have the chance.

indieWIRE’s Eugene Hernandez dealt with this issue on his blog on Wednesday, but as I look at what’s opening this weekend, I have to also ask, what’s with the ridiculous number of movies, and potentially interesting ones at that, coming out every single weekend in August. I suppose it’s because August is usually a slightly slower time for the big blockbusters — the major Hollywood tentpoles generally open between Memorial and Independence days — and so every indie distributor out there is trying to grab a piece of the pie. Life hasn’t been so kind to Murderball or Happy Endings, and I must say I was somewhat shocked that the 7:20 PM show of Last Days at the East Village’s Landmark Sunshine last Saturday night was not even half-full, but just scanning this week’s releases is enough to give me a headache. How is someone supposed to see all this stuff? There really isn’t time. There’s more than a week’s worth of notable films opening, and that doesn’t even include any of the more-than-worthy repertory fare.

Of course, with all that said, the movie most of America will flock to The Dukes of Hazzard. I’m guessing at least a $35 million weekend, and if there’s a tremendous drop-off from Wedding Crashers, maybe more. I have to admit that I’m more than curious to see the movie; I was a big fan of the TV show. I was around 8 years old when it first arrived on TV, and I remember watching it on Friday nights after dinner at my grandparents with my younger cousins while all the adults talked. More importantly, don’t necessarily write it off: if you’re a fan of the Broken Lizard movies Super Troopers or Club Dread, this Dukes was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, who also made both of those films and has directed a few episodes of the best comedy on television, Arrested Development. Personally, I actually haven’t seen either Broken Lizard movie, so I’m not endorsing nor negating … I’m just saying.

Still, for any real film lover, whether you shun big Hollywood product or not, The Dukes of Hazzard has to be the least interesting offering this weekend. What the hell are Focus Features and Sony Pictures Classics thinking? Releasing indie film god Jim Jarmusch‘s Cannes-winning latest Broken Flowers the same weekend as cinephile favorite Wong Kar-wai‘s long anticipated and eagerly awaited 2046? And that’s not even Sony Classics’ only release this week. Why, why, oh why? I have job letters to write. I have to find a new apartment. I have too much stuff to do to spend all weekend in the theaters. Really, it’s not fair. Think of your audience and the Sophie’s choice dilemma with which you’re presenting us.

You know, now that I think about it, we’re lucky there’s no Chumscrubber. The weekend, and next week, after the jump:

Continue reading “THE WEEKEND IN PREVIEW: I’M HAVING TROUBLE GETTING MY HEAD AROUND IT ALL”

So I went to a couple movies around the corner at the Loews 84th Street tonight, and when I walked out of the theater at about 12:25 AM, look what was sitting on the sidewalk:

Apparently there was a 12:01 AM showing, and the Upper West Side must have been considered ripe fodder for crazy Dukes fans who just couldn’t wait for the movie. Meanwhile, I’ve always marvelled at the movies that Loews books into this theater, in this neighborhood with all the Jewish families who have lived here for three decades and the young professionals who are buying their first strollers. It’s always this weird combination of big Hollywood action movies, “Urban”-targeted comedies, and family films. It’s the most predictable Loews in town, and the grouping of current attractions starting today (Friday) is a nearly perfect example: The Dukes of Hazzard, Stealth, The Island, Fantastic Four and War of the Worlds. Ah … there’s a collection of winners. And just in case you’re wondering, Dukes replaced Bad News Bears.

I was sitting around prepping for my weekly weekend preview post (hey this will be the third in a row: that makes it a “weekly”!) when I noticed something odd about a certain film that is opening on Friday … sort of. Generally, limited releases open in at least New York and/or LA before slowly opening wider around the country. From time-to-time, when a distributor isn’t that behind a film and it has tested poorly, it will open for test runs in smaller markets before the decision to go wider is made. But generally, almost every film big or small that gets any kind of theatrical distribution will exhibit in New York or LA, not to mention San Francisco, Chicago, maybe Boston, Atlanta, etc.

So what happens when you have a movie featuring names such as Jamie Bell, Glenn Close, Rory Culkin, William Fichtner, Ralph Fiennes, John Heard, Lauren Holly, Allison Janney, Carrie-Anne Moss and Rita Wilson? Apparently, it gets saved from a direct-to-video fate? The movie is called The Chumscrubber, and that’s not just one or two known name actors (uhm, Glenn Close and Ralph Fiennes!). The film is being distributed by Newmarket Films, opening tomorrow in close to 30 theaters nationwide — just not New York or LA. Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, Austin, Phoenix, Orlando — those look to be the biggest cities with bookings. Neither the film’s nor the distributor web site lists any opening dates after tomorrow.

So what’s the deal Newmarket? Why don’t us poor New Yorkers get to scrub some chum…. (Ew.)

Well, Raoul Walsh has actually been dead for 25 years, but Peter Bogdanovich and Museum of Moving Image film curator David Schwartz will be on WNYC’s Leonard Lopate Show today during the 1 PM hour — educated guess says probably at 1:20 PM specifically at 1:07 PM — to discuss the late great filmmaker and to publicize the ongoing series currently playing at the museum. If you miss the live broadcast, you can stream it later from the WNYC website, and I think even download it as a podcast.

Walsh is one of the all-time Hollywood greats. His career lasted for over 50 years. He directed films from the earliest days of the silent screen through the early ’60s. The MMI series includes a broad selection from the Walsh oeuvre of (at least according to IMDb) 135 films!. (60 of them between 1912 and 1930.) Walsh worked regularly with star Errol Flynn (they made nine films together during the ’40s), and this weekend MMI will show three of them: Gentleman Jim, featuring Flynn as 19th Century boxing champ “Gentleman Jim” Corbertt (Saturday at 2 PM); Uncertain Glory, a WWII drama with Flynn as a French criminal who offers to help save a group of French prisoners by taking responsibility for sabotaging a German bridge (Saturday at 4:30 PM); and Objective, Burma!, another WWII action film featuring Flynn as the head of a group of paratroopers sent to Burma on a near-suicidal mission to blow-up a radar station (Sunday at 2 PM). They’ll also be showing one of Walsh’s early silents, the 1915 film Regeneration. MMI’s description says it was “the first feature-length crime movie,” and it was shot on location on the Lower East Side. The film will be presented with live piano accompaniment. Now that’s worth a trip to Astoria.

If you want to catch one of Walsh’s most notable films, be sure to go see the great gangster pic, psudo-noir White Heat featuring the famous James Cagney “Top of the world, Ma!” sequence on Aug. 20-21 at 4:15 PM each day.

If you want to actually learn something about Walsh from people for more learned than I, check-out the Lopate broadcast.