Hereditary: Terrifyingly Weird

I had very high hopes for Hereditary, the latest horror movie hit now in theaters.  I had read some very good critical reviews, but I didn't know much at all about the plot.  As it turns out, the best way to go into this movie is not knowing what to expect.  In simple terms, and without giving any plot twists away (and there are many), the film follows the Graham family, who have just lost their grandmother Ellen, mother to miniature model artist Annie and her husband Steve.  Viewers get the sense early on that Ellen and Annie had a strained and difficult relationship, but we don't get many more details about this until much later in the film.  Annie and Steve have two teenage children, pothead slacker Peter and strange (so very strange) awkward younger daughter Charlie.  Without giving anything else away, I'll just say that there are soon more shocking, gruesome deaths, séances to wake the dead, demonic possessions, and several headless corpses.

The scare factor of this movie builds very, very (did I say very?) slowly.  The audience gets plenty of time to really get to know the characters before the chaotic, terrifying final act.  Sometimes I felt that it was moving along a little too slowly, but still I was never felt bored while watching.  This is mostly thanks to the movie's smart writing and pacing, which gave plot details away quickly enough to keep me invested but slowly enough to give me the feeling of quiet suspense that I crave in a good scary movie.  Even in the film's climax, the writers never took too much time to fully explain what the hell was going on, instead leaving part of this up to the audience's interpretation.  This bothered me a little at first, but in retrospect I actually liked the fact that the writers didn't use the tired horror movie trope of having a chosen supporting character explain everything in detail ("You see, the demon is inside Bobby because of that curse in 1862, and now we must throw holy water on him and chant this verse in Latin to make it go away").  I definitely picked up on homages to other classic horror films like The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby, but Hereditary had a unique style all its own, which I admire in any film or tv show.  The visual scares were subtle but effective, and the director clearly loved to tease the audience.  In one extended sequence, Peter slowly walked around his dark and quiet family home alone, and the audience kept waiting for a jump scare that never quite happened (at least not in then).  Annie's work building miniatures also contributed to the visual impact of the film.  Many times the camera panned in and out from the miniature models, giving the creepy sense that the family was in fact part of the models, and someone or something was watching and hovering over them.  

I also credit my enjoyment of Hereditary to the acting skills and restraint shown by Toni Collette as Annie.  For me Collette was the unquestioned strongest actor in the film.  Nobody does crazed, maniacal basket case quite like her, except perhaps Claire Danes on the Showtime series Homeland.  She has great range, as shown in the tv show The United States of Tara, where she played a character with multiple personalities, although there it was more for comedic effect.  Collette raised the stakes for the other actors in this film, who for me were alright but not extraordinary.  It's a longshot for a performance in a horror film to win any awards, but I would go so far to say that Collette deserves an Oscar nomination for this role.  I was also pleasantly surprised to see Ann Dowd pop up as Joan, a grief-stricken mother who befriends Annie and plays a vital role in the plot, which I won't give away.  I love Dowd on The Handmaid's Tale, and here she has a similarly friendly yet quietly malicious presence.

 I expect a Hereditary sequel (or more likely, prequel) within two years, but honestly I would rather it live on as a stand-alone film.  I don't want the uniqueness of it to be diluted by more films that would inevitably over-explain the story and diminish the impact of the original.  Although if Toni Collette is somehow a part of it, then I could change my mind...

Dream Emmy Ballot: Lead Actor, Comedy

Periodically this summer I'll be sharing my picks for the primetime Emmy awards, which will take place this September.  Up this week, Best Lead Actor in a comedy series.  Click the links below each description for videos of the actors.

1.  Keir Gilchrist (Atypical): As Sam, an autistic teen struggling with entering the dating world, Gilchrist is a revelation.  Gilchrist is funny and endearing, but he never generates laughs at the expense of his character.  Viewers feel Sam's struggles to fit in with his peers, but they also go on a journey with him as he learns to lighten up and live his life to its fullest.  Some have criticized the show's portrayal of autism, calling it inaccurate.  I'm no expert, but all I can say is that this young man is a great actor.

Sam and Paige igloo scene

2.  Jimmy Tatro (American Vandal):  This series is not very well-known, but it's definitely worth discovering.  Set up as a crime "mockumentary", which imitates popular crime docs like Making a Murderer, the show follows the investigation into the vandalism of teachers' cars in a high school parking lot.  The show works mainly because of Tatro's performance as Dylan, the high school jock who is the prime suspect in the crime.  The character is dumb and pretty oblivious to the world around him, but the performance is deceptively complex.  Tatro takes viewers on a ride and holds the screen alone for the majority of each episode, in mock interviews with the fake documentary filmmaker, making fun of himself and mining endless laughs along the way.

Dylan has an extra pencil

3.  Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory): The quality of this hit sitcom has predictably begun to waver a bit after 11 seasons, but Parsons still brings it every week.  The romance between his character Sheldon and new wife Amy has become the heart of the show over the past several seasons, and Parsons still manages to make Sheldon both infuriating and lovable at the same time with his skillful portrayal of the character.  This season explored the engagement and wedding of "Shamy", which led to typical but fun sitcom plots like the bachelor party and wedding day surprises.

Sheldon and his brother

4.  Paul Rust (Love): On the final season of this Netflix comedy, Rust continued to deliver an underappreciated performance as Gus, the neurotic but sincere half of the show's main couple.  Rust plays Gus as a "regular guy" that viewers can relate to.  He gets himself into awkward situations, struggles with not being a masculine "guy's guy", and does his best to hold together his relationship the wild and unpredictable Mickey.  Here's hoping he finds another leading role in the near future.

Gus on Love

5.  Zach Galifianakis (Baskets): While Christine Baskets (Louie Anderson) for me has turned into the heart of this show, Galifianakis is still the lead, and he delivers masterful comedic performances as twins Chip and Dale every week.  His line delivery, mannerisms, and general presence onscreen make me laugh out loud every week.  The show and the performance are both weird and wonderful.

Dog Days are Over

Dream Emmy Ballot: Lead Actor, Drama

Periodically this summer I'll be sharing my picks for the primetime Emmy awards, which will take place this September.  Up this week, Best Lead Actor in a drama.  Click the links below each description for videos of the actors.

1.  Sterling K. Brown (This is Us): As Randall, the adopted member of "The Big Three", Brown is far and away the best actor on the show.  He's a believable man's man, but he's also not afraid to get silly and emotional at times.  The 2nd season of the hit family drama included a plot about Randall and wife Beth adopting a troubled teenage girl named Deja.  The storyline could have been hokey and predictable, but Brown skillfully portrayed the struggles that go along with adoption, as well as the joys.  Speaking of Beth, Randall's conversation's wife his wife seem so real, like watching a real married couple, and that's thanks to the ease and skill of the two actors who play them.

Randall and Deja

2.  Delroy Lindo (The Good Fight):  The entire cast of The Good Fight is terrific, but Lindo stands out among the male actors on the show.  As Adrian Boseman, managing partner of the law firm Reddick, Boseman, and Lockhart, Lindo is formidable in court and with his enemies, but he's a big teddy bear with his friends.  Adrian seems like a real person that you might work with, a friendly but tough boss.  This season he played a major part in the "lawyers getting targeted" storyline, and he was at the center of one scene that for me will go down as one of the most shocking in tv history.  Don't click the link below if you don't want it spoiled for you.

Adrian Boseman

3.  Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid's Tale):  While this dystopian drama is mainly centered around the persecution of women, and Fiennes usually doesn't get all that much screen time, I would argue that he is a lead actor because his character, Commander Waterford, is the most prominent male figure on the show.  At first he seemed gentle and rather kind to his wife and handmaid, which seemed to be a bit of a cop-out on a show centered on men persecuting women, but this season Fiennes has fearlessly showed viewers the dark side of his character.  He controls all of the women in his household in a usually quiet manner, but in one recent memorable scene he viciously whipped his wife for disobeying him.  I'm sure it's hard to play such an unlikable character, but Fiennes never holds back onscreen.  He's truly mesmerizing to watch.

Commander Waterford is confronted

4.  Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story): While this was technically a limited series and not a drama series, I'll include it here for the sake of not droning on about too many Emmy categories.  I liked the show at first but lost interest about halfway through due to the slow pace and meandering storytelling, but Criss was always a strong force onscreen as killer Andrew Cunanan.  The show smartly realized early on that Criss was the star of the show, focusing mostly on Cunanan's life and what led up to him killing fashion designer Gianni Versace and others.  Over 9 episodes he took viewers on a complete journey to becoming a madman, and I couldn't look away.  When he started off on Glee I never would have guessed that he could pull off a role like this.

Andrew Cunanan

5.  Milo Ventimiglia (This is Us): While Sterling K. Brown is the best actor on this drama, Milo is the undisputed heart of the show.  His character Jack only appears in flashbacks, but every week viewers are treated to the best damn dad on television: giving his kids pep talks and doting on his wife Rebecca while dealing with his own demons (namely alcohol addiction).  This season viewers finally learned how Jack died, and while the episode was really a showcase for Mandy Moore as Rebecca, Ventimiglia didn't disappoint either.  Eventually the show will probably have to lose the flashback device, but here's hoping that they find a way to continue using this talented actor.

Jack and Rebecca

Dream Emmy Ballot: Supporting Actress, Comedy

Periodically this summer I'll be sharing my picks for the primetime Emmy awards, which will take place this September.  Up this week, Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy.  Click the links below each description for videos of the actresses doing their wonderful work.

1.  D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place): As Janet, a robot and assistant to Michael, Carden manages to breathe life into a character that really isn't supposed to have any.  She's blunt and hilarious without ever meaning to be, and she hits all the right notes in every episode with her line delivery, facial expressions, and interactions with the rest of the cast.  She's never the star, but she steals every scene.

Janet "dies"

2.  Donna Lynne Champlin (Crazy Ex Girlfriend): As the sidekick and best friend of Rebecca, Champlin (as Paula) is usually the most pathetic character on the show.  She helps Rebecca stalk people and much worse in the name of love.  But Champlin is aware of this and plays Paula as a hopeless romantic who overlooks all of her best friend's flaws.  This season her character moved more to the forefront with a plot about Paula's cheating husband, and Champlin was just as effective as a serious actress as she usually is at simply being silly.  And her solo musical number this season was insane and hilarious (see below).

Paula's song

3.  Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory): The hit sitcom, which just finished its 11th season, possibly would have become stale much sooner had it not been for the introduction of Bialik as Amy and Melissa Rauch as Bernadette.  Both have added an intelligent female energy to the show, but I'm choosing Bialik here simply because Amy played a more prominent role this season, with her engagement and wedding.  She's the perfect foil to the persnickety and impossible Sheldon, and although the show has definitely overstayed its welcome at this point, Bialik still brings it every week (even when the writing can be less than inspired).

Amy's bachelorette party

4.  Claudia O'Doherty (Love): As Mickey's best friend and roommate Bertie, a somewhat weird but relentlessly positive person, O'Doherty has an unexplainable magnetism that draws you to her whenever she's onscreen.  Her character is often silly and totally naïve, but she's such a good and genuine person that you can't help but root for her.  Even after cheating on her boyfriend during Love's third and final season, it was hard not to root for Bertie.  Also I have a major crush on the actress playing her.  I had to include a behind-the-scenes video as that's all that I could find.

Claudia O'Doherty

5.  Eden Sher (The Middle): Another relentlessly positive force on tv, for 9 seasons Sher was the unofficial star of this underrated sitcom.  As middle child Sue, Sher brought boundless energy to every scene, hilariously guiding her character through her middle and high school years, where she was ignored and forgotten by her teachers and classmates.  She never gave up and ultimately got a happy ending when the show ended last month.  Here's hoping that the rumors of a Sue spinoff are true, because we could all use more Sue on tv.

Sue's birthday

6.  Andrea Martin (Great News): This show was sadly canceled after just 2 seasons, but to me it was laugh-out-loud hilarious every week.  And Martin, a veteran actress, delivered some of the best and most bizarre lines on the show, never afraid to make a fool of herself in the name of comedy.  She stole every scene and practically made the show.

Carol on Great News

Dream Emmy Ballot: Lead Actress, Comedy

Periodically this summer I'll be sharing my picks for the Emmy awards.  Up this week, lead actress in a comedy series.  With the number of "dramedies" on tv these days, it can be tough to determine exactly what is a comedy series.  For my purposes, I will include performances in dramedies and any performance that has some sort of comedic element.

Click the links below each description for video clips of the actresses' performances

1.  Alison Brie (Glow): Brie has been a supporting (although great) actress for years, with memorable turns on Community and Mad Men.  On Glow, a Netflix series loosely based on a low-budget women's wrestling show from the 1980's, Brie finally has a showcase for her unique blend of weird but naïve humor.  As Ruth, a struggling actress, she finds her voice and becomes the unofficial leader of a ragtag group of women.  Brie gives 100% in every scene, both physically and emotionally. 

Glow training scene

2.  Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex Girlfriend):  You wouldn't think that a musical comedy about a crazy woman stalking her ex could work, but it does, and that's all thanks to Bloom, the creator and star of this wacky but amazing show.  Bloom should win an award for her singing alone, in the show's hilarious and catchy musical numbers, but she's also funny and earnest, never making her character Rebecca seem evil or completely out of touch with reality.  This season, when Rebecca attempted suicide, Bloom even flexed some of her dramatic muscles.  The show is ending after its next season, but I can't wait to see what the actress does next.

Crazy Ex Girlfriend song

3.  Nicole Byer (Loosely Exactly Nicole):  This a little-known series that actually airs on Facebook after being canceled by MTV, but I promise you that it's worth it for Byer's performance alone.  She stars as struggling actress Nicole, who does her best in the dating world and gets herself into crazy situations with best friend Devin.  She truly doesn't care about looking or acting ridiculous onscreen, which is a benefit for this show.  Byer also hosts cooking competition Nailed It on Netflix.

Loosely Exactly Nicole clip

4.  Kristen Bell (The Good Place): It took me a while to get into this somewhat complicated sitcom about the afterlife, but a little investment in it pays off big time.  As Eleanor, a bad girl who accidentally ends up in hell (aka the "good place"), Bell relishes being a bad girl.  But when her character decides to change her ways and earn her spot in the good place, it's believable because Bell is such a grounded and relatable actress, even on such a fantastical show.

Eleanor The Good Place

5.  Allison Janney (Mom): Janney can do no wrong in the eyes of Emmy voters, having earned multiple Emmy nominations and wins in the past.  And for good reason.  She thrived on political drama The West Wing for years, then she seamlessly slipped into comedy with her first sitcom role on Mom.  As the brash but genuine recovering addict Bonnie, Janney steals every scene, never letting viewers forget that she's the star of the show.

Mom job interview 

6.  Anna Faris (Mom);  Playing Bonnie's daughter Christy, Faris is the perfect foil to Janney.  Also a recovering addict, Christy is much more earnest and naïve than Bonnie, but she also has a hint of sarcasm to ensure that she's a match for her quick-witted mom.  Known for playing the dumb blonde in films like Scary Movie and The House Bunny, here Faris shows that she's more than just a pretty face.

Mom Christy at work

Roseanne: My Thoughts on the Cancellation

When it was announced last year that Roseanne would be returning to ABC, the latest in a string of tv revivals, I was uber excited.  The original show, which ran from 1988-1997, had always been a favorite of mine.  I watched as a kid, and I appreciated it even more as an adult, often watching reruns of my favorite episodes (from the earlier seasons only).  The working-class Conner family were people that weren't often represented on tv, and (most importantly) the show was funny as hell.  I hoped that the reboot would be a chance to restore some of the show's luster, after the critically panned final season, in which the Conners won the lottery (a complete reversal of the entire premise of the show) and Dan was revealed to be dead in a bizarre Dallas-style twist.

The revival premiered to massive ratings in March, and ABC quickly ordered a 2nd season.  And I, for the most part, enjoyed the show.  It was great to see some of my favorite actors and characters back on tv, interacting like no time had passed at all.  This is not to say that the reboot didn't have problems.  The show (especially the 1st episode) was suddenly very political, and the writing wasn't nearly as sharp.  Also, the revival criminally underused its best actress, Laurie Metcalf as Jackie.  Michael Fishman, who was just a young child during the original series, and who grew up to be a terrible actor, had almost as much screen time as the Oscar-nominated Metcalf.  Still, the show had "reversed the curse" of its original final season in 1996-1997 by returning to its roots.  The Conners were once again a poor working-class family, now dealing with an adult child and grandchildren living at home, medical issues, and other unexpected obstacles (the basement flooded in the season finale).

There was a lot of criticism online and calls for boycotts, before the revival even premiered, due to its controversial star.  Roseanne Barr has always been a bit crazy, making possibly anti-Semitic remarks and spouting bizarre conspiracy theories on social media.  I brushed these criticisms off, vowing to take the show for what it was, not worrying about what its actors said off-screen.  Her politics were now conservative; she's a diehard Trump-supporter, a characteristic which carried over to her sitcom character.  This seemed a bit strange to me, as her sitcom character had always seemed pretty liberal on the original series.  She smoked marijuana in one episode and got her daughter Becky birth control in another.  The show even featured a controversial same-sex kiss between Barr and Mariel Hemingway.  There were also multiple regular characters who were gay, including Roseanne's friend Nancy and her boss Leon. 

The new show, despite Barr's politics, seemed to have a similar vibe.  There were multiple plots promoting tolerance and acceptance.  Roseanne's grandson Mark appeared to be gay and wore skirts to school, and her Muslim neighbors were revealed to be intelligent and friendly.  Although the character Roseanne was skeptical of both situations at first, by the end of each episode she learned her lesson and the "after-school special" message was conveyed.  Why would the show promote one message while its star, who had control over storylines and writing, promote an opposing message outside of the show?  Was she just trying to overcompensate for her racism and anti-Semitism?  I chalked this difference up to my opinion that Barr wasn't really racist; I believed that she was just a crazy loudmouth who said things that she didn't really believe, just for attention.

Then came Barr's racist tweet last week, leading to the show's sudden cancellation, a reversal of its earlier renewal.  She apologized, but then made things even worse by blaming her original statement on everything from Ambien to a misunderstanding.  She vowed to quit social media, then returned to it just a few hours later, continuing to make bizarre statements that defended her original, clearly racist comment.  Was ABC right to cancel the show?  Unfortunately, yes.  They really had no choice, despite the millions of dollars and huge ratings that they were giving up.  Many are calling ABC president Channing Dungey "brave" for making the cancellation decision, but I say that she only did what the media and public were demanding her to do. 

There are talks of reviving the revival without Roseanne Barr, potentially shifting the focus to Sara Gilbert as her daughter Darlene.  Would this work?  That's questionable.  Gilbert is a strong actress and Darlene is one of the more interesting characters, although I have doubts about how long a reimagined show could last.  I would actually prefer a Jackie spinoff, but as long as Metcalf is involved in "The Darlene Show" then I'll be happy.  I'd give any attempt at a Roseanne-less show a shot in order to see John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Gilbert on my tv again.  There's also the question of how a reimagined show would get around having to pay Barr, as she is listed as a creator of the recent revival, and she has a financial stake in any show that would include these characters.

In any case, my biggest regret about the racist-tweet controversy is that multiple people are now potentially out of work due to one crazy, racist individual.  And the reputation of the original show is now tarnished beyond repair, far worse than it was by its "original" final season.  Is it possible to enjoy a show, despite the questionable outside actions of its actors?  I say yes.  While I understand that Roseanne in its current form can't continue with its star, this won't change my enjoyment of what has already aired, namely the early seasons of the original series.  I would say the same for The Cosby Show.  While it's hard to watch reruns of that show and not think about the actions of its star Bill Cosby, you can't deny that that show had a cultural impact and was downright funny.  I will continue to watch reruns of The Cosby Show and Roseanne, because both shows are damn good, even if I don't support their stars.  Although the industry is now talking about the rise and fall of Roseanne and Roseanne, I'll leave you with one of my favorite scenes of the original series, which I still enjoy despite all of this mess and controversy.

Dream Emmy Ballot: Supporting Actress, Drama

Periodically this summer I'll be sharing my picks for the Primetime Emmy awards in the various categories.  Up this week, Supporting Actress in a drama series:

1.  Ann Dowd (The Handmaid's Tale):  As Aunt Lydia, the leader of the handmaids, Dowd is cold and vicious to her charges, probably the most outright evil character on television right now.  She isn't above beating, stoning, and even burning young women to keep them in line and ensure that they fulfill their duties as child-bearers.  The character could easily be a caricature, but Dowd somehow conveys a sense that there may be some semblance of decency in Aunt Lydia.  The show has yet to explore Lydia's backstory in flashbacks, as it has done with most of its other characters, but I can't wait to learn how she came to be so deliciously evil.

2.  Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones): As the sharp-tongued matriarch of House Tyrell, Lady Olenna, Rigg never let the younger, prettier actresses on the show upstage her.  Even though she spent most of her scenes simply sitting in a chair making wisecracks and outsmarting her rivals, it was impossible to look away whenever Rigg was onscreen.  Even with all the nudity and violence on the show, her monologues and conversations were my some of my favorite parts of the show.  Alas she met her end last season, as so many other characters have on this show, but she won't be forgotten.

  

3.  Susan Kelechi Watson (This is Us):  Much has been said about the other female stars of this family drama, namely Chrissy Metz and Mandy Moore, but Watson, as Randall's wife Beth, more than holds her own on the show without the advantages of weepy flashback scenes and major dramatic moments for her character.  Beth's relationship with Randall is the most realistic and believable marriage on television, and this is in no small part due to Watson's ability to seem so natural with Sterling K. Brown onscreen.  They bicker and joke around like any real couple would, but in the more serious, dramatic moments of the show Watson easily matches the acting chops of the amazing Brown.

4.  Sarah Steele (The Good Fight):  Adding some much-needed comic relief to this serious legal drama, Steele, as investigator Marissa Gold, adds zest to any scene that she's in.  Whether in serious moments like opening a letter filled with a potentially dangerous powder or in lighter scenes like hanging out at a club with her friends, Steele gives all of her scenes 100%, even though she's never the leading lady of the show.  Thankfully, Steele's role was expanded in season 2 as Marissa was promoted from secretary to full-fledged investigator.  Her talents match the other more high-profile women on the show, such as Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald.

5.  Vanessa Kirby (The Crown): As Princess Margaret, Kirby is electric on this Netflix series.  She adds some sex appeal to an often stuffy show about British royals.  Even though her romantic escapades can sometimes seem removed from the main story of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Kirby is so fun to watch that this doesn't matter.  She believably portrays Margaret's disappointment in her the queen's meddling in her love life while also still loving her sister unconditionally. 

 

6.  Bellamy Young (Scandal):  As Mellie Grant, First Lady of the United States and then ex-wife of the President, Young finally took center stage in Scandal's final season after Mellie won the presidency.  On this often ridiculous political soap opera, Young was magnificent at the showy melodramatic acting that the show called for.  She was a believable President, and I would welcome a Mellie spinoff on my tv.