Mad Bad and Dangerous To Know

At least there's the soundtrack...
courtesy www.nonesuch.com

I have definitely been getting a crash course in film studies lately. Sarah and I have been watching a ton of TV and movies and, more often that not, there seems to be a common thread that we are drawn to.

Yesterday we made it out to see Inside Llewyn Davis, the new film by the Coen Brothers. A longtime fan of the brothers' quirky tales of lovable losers, I have to admit that I was disappointed by this near-humorless movie. Don't get me wrong, the music and cinematography definitely paint the picture of the early '60s New York folk scene, but that was about all I found attractive. Oscar Isaac seems a talented singer, but there is nothing sympathetic about the title character that he portrays. Miserable Llewyn Davis, walking trough the Village in his thin coat, insulting people, chasing after lost cats... the film is about struggling and the artistic life, but very early on I didn't find much about this selfish character to root for... isn't that the idea of the anti-hero?

bad-ass gift! The complete "Breaking Bad" series on DVD.
Courtesy www.breakingbadstore.com.

There was an interesting NPR story that came out this past fall about how in the very first episode of Breaking Bad, show creator Vince Gilligan utilized several story and filmmaking tricks to get us to sympathize with Walter White (played by the brilliant Bryan Cranston). A down on his luck chemistry teacher who learns that he has inoperable lung cancer, NPR points out that the filmmakers establish a world full of sad obstacles for the character and then bring us a point-of-view sequence where we can connect with the character's emotions even further. It seemed to do the trick: after five seasons of increasingly evil behavior, I still find myself somewhat rooting for the nerdy teacher turned meth-cooking drug kingpin. 

I have said it before, but I was so impressed with Breaking Bad. The great thing is that the production of the show has been so well-documented, and I have enjoyed listening to the series podcasts on the way to work and watching behind-the-scenes footage on the show's DVDs. Gilligan and his crew have been extremely generous in letting us see what expertise each member of their crew brought to the table (the writer's room comes to mind), making one of the most compelling series of all time. 

Mad about it... how many weeks until April 13?
courtesy: www.amc.com

After bingeing on Breaking Bad, I was eager to immerse myself in another show of equal quality. People had been talking about the 1960s advertising drama, Mad Men for some time, but I hadn't really taken the time to look into it (apart from an unsuccessful attempt by Sarah and I to watch the first episode of season three, and being repulsed by the characters). Late last year I decided to give it a proper try, starting at season one... and many weeks later Sarah and I had a new favorite show. 

I had a feeling I would enjoy the show's attempts to recreate an authentic "look" of the era, but was surprised how I also began to appreciate and care for the characters as they travel through the changing culture of the 1960s. Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Roger Sterling (John Slattery), Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser)... these are all fairly repulsive men who operate in a selfish, cutthroat and sexist world but again, through great writing, performances, and the unfolding nature of episodic TV, you really get to learn the background and different aspects of each character's personality (almost like a psychological study).

When asked about the appeal of Mad Men during a Paley Center talk with the show's creator and cast, actor Jon Hamm made an excellent point: "It takes it's time... it's not dependent on a certain formula or a certain show that has succeeded in the past... it's sort of this cool little one-off." Show creator Matthew Weiner continued that "you don't know what's going to happen, which takes a tremendous amount of effort from the both the audience and the writing, because the audience is really used to getting into the formula of like Agatha Christie or Law & Order or one of those things... and I think it also helps that the show is kind of honest in an almost embarrassing kind of way."

Mad Men and Breaking Bad have kept me on my toes as a viewer—I appreciate that. Like a good novel, these works are not presented merely as "black and white," and I find myself less patient of TV and films that would present otherwise. 

Do the hustle! Amy Adams continues
to shine. Courtesy www.thewrap.com

In the last couple weeks we have also seen the movies Her and American Hustle—both films are expertly made, but not entirely successful for me. The acting is the best part of American Hustle, loosely based on Abscam, the FBI's sting operation of the late 1970s. Actor Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfeld, a cheating con man with a ridiculous toupee (hard to believe that before this he starred as Christopher Nolan's Batman) who eventually ends up working with an FBI agent to entrap corrupt politicians. Last seen in the Schenectady-based Place Beyond the Pines, Bradley Cooper plays agent Richie DiMaso, who has his own bad hair issues (I realize now this is what he must have been shooting when he showed up for the Pines premiere here in town). There is great dialogue between all the characters, including the always-entertaining Amy Adams, playing Irving's fellow con-artist/mistress Sydney Prosser. It's the kind of work that might be even better as an ongoing TV series, as the plot seems to get a bit unfocused... but again, I loved the period recreation and characters.

Her certainly has an interesting premise: in a not too distant future, a lonely man starts a "relationship" with his computer operating system—with the way technology is heading (simultaneously bringing us together and further isolating) it's a rather sobering thought. 

Photo of filmmakers Spike Jonze and David Fincher
talking movies at the NYC premiere of "The Curious Case of
Benjamin Buttons, December 2008. Photo by Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

I admire filmmaker Spike Jonze's work, even though I was pretty disappointed with his adaptation of Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are (maybe that was largely due to Dave Eggers' neurotic screenplay and the whiny voices of the monsters). In a recent interview, Jonze described learning something about vocal performances from that movie, which helped in the production of Her; I can see the benefit, as Scarlett Johansson was certainly captivating as the voice of Samantha The OS. A dressed-down Amy Adams was also fun as a "real-life" friend to Joaquin Phoenix's Theodore Trombley character (including a ridiculous exchange about people cheating on each other's operating systems). Otherwise, the movie felt a little too claustrophobic and depressing for me. I continue to appreciate what Jonze is trying to do, but prefer his more playful music videos and early films. 

So yes, I'm typically drawn to quirky movies and television, with flawed, realistic characters. Furthermore, I certainly enjoy a great looking film, but am beginning to wonder if the majority of critics are being deluded by style over substance... 

www.facebook.com/downtonabbey

TV seems to be winning out at the moment, and hey... it's cozier on the couch with your girl and a bowl of popcorn. Downton Abbey returns tonight, and I too have succumbed to the allure of this period piece looking at the British upstairs/downstairs social hierarchy of the Crawley Family Estate. This season has brought the cast outside of the Abbey a bit more, opening them up to the changing culture of the 1920s Jazz Age—not a bad thing. Again, the production values and performances are superb; I also find it interesting how they are dealing with the departure of actors, and maintaining strong storytelling. 

In a creative sense there's plenty to watch and learn from in the movies, but perhaps more so from the new "Golden Age of TV." Who would have thought?

Take My Breath Away

Stay tuned... David Aja's cover to issue #18 (don't
even get me started). Courtesy blog.david.aja.com

It's Wednesday! Which means...

A. It's Hump Day.
B. It's bloody cold outside.

It's also "New Comic Book Day," the day of the week when all the new releases are shipped to comic book stores around the country (yes, I'm geek chic enough to know that). 

I keep looking on the schedules to see when the next issue of Marvel's Hawkeye book is coming out. Launched immediately following the successful Avengers movie in 2012, the monthly book has been highly acclaimed for the quality of its art and story... perhaps because of the high standard, the book is also notorious for being delayed. So I got a little excited when I saw the book listed on Earthworld Comics' collection of titles coming out this week... but issue #16? Did #15 even come out yet?... No, in fact it hadn't (can they do that?). Turns out I'll have to wait another month to see the beautiful illustrations of artist David Aja--this month it is Annie Wu, who has started rotating the slot with Aja... presumably so he could get it done! Being a purist, I think I'll wait it out (this is sequential art, after all). 

I'm good anyway... a couple hump days ago I scored big time, finally locating Hawkeye writer Matt Fraction's first work with artist David Aja: The Immortal Iron Fist. Currently out of print, I picked up the first two volumes of these new tales of Marvel's old martial arts hero, which show the beginning of Fraction and Aja's creative collaboration. In addition, I picked up the latest issue of Afterlife with Archie-- I know, it sounds like I'm crazy... but this book, which turns the Archie characters into a honest-to-goodness horror graphic novel, is an unexpectedly fun read (I always was a fan of monsters as a kid). Truly creative work by writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla, which keeps you guessing which of the Riverdale gang is going to get zombiefied next!

These books are, of course, exceptions to the current norm. Maybe it's the deadlines, but most of the monthly comic books aren't that interesting... reminding me why I left the scene in the first place. 

Breaking out the Spidey tie for the opening of LitGraphic
(with artists Marc Hempel and Mark Wheatley). November 10, 2007.
Photo by Sarah Clowe. ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

I blame Norman Rockwell Museum, which reconnected me with the genre with their LitGraphic: World of the Graphic Novel exhibition back in 2007. That show introduced me to many creative artists, who loved this kind of visual storytelling... names like Lynd Ward, whose stunning wordless novel Gods' Men from 1929 can be seen as a precursor to the work of such modern day graphic novelists as Peter Kuper (The System) and Art Spiegelman (Maus). 


I had the great fortune of interviewing about half a dozen of the LitGraphic artists for a video I created for the exhibition. Two of the most entertaining of the bunch were Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel, whose 1990 mini-series Breathtaker (created for DC's Vertigo line) is an example of the high standard that can be achieved in this art form.

Breathtaker tells the story of Chase Darrow, a woman whose affections are known to kill. A mutant pursued by the government because of her ability to drain life from her lovers, she is hunted by The Man, the world’s first superhuman, who is willing to bring her in dead or alive.

Reading the book during my research for the video, I was really drawn in by the pulp-like storyline and expressive artwork. As I learned, the longtime collaborators blended their talents, with Hempel conceptualizing, pencilling, inking and lettering the book, which was scripted and colored by Wheatley. Hempel's strong graphics were reproduced on clear acetate, providing a framework for Mark Wheatley's vibrant watercolors, which lies beneath it.

Of course that was 1990, and things have certainly changed. For instance, Hawkeye artist David Aja does all his drawing on computer, and most coloring for books is done digitally as well. Mark Wheatley contacted me a few months back to inform me that he and Hempel are looking at "remastering" the Breathtaker project, and even possibly looking at a sequel. Here is a video, which gives a little more background on their exciting news: 

Time flies... I can't believe it has been seven years since we hosted this exhibition, and a whole year since we had comic book artist Alex Ross' work on display. I actually received a call the other day from a reporter from The Wall Street Journal, looking for information about Ross (who I also interviewed for an award-winning Museum exhibition video). It turns out that his exhibition of masterful superhero paintings is heading to Paris (the Mona Bismarck American Center for Art & Culture) this March. Well, if the bon vivants are starting to take note, then you know that comic book art has reached a new pinnacle... keep it coming, I say (this means you, Aja!). 

Related Links:

Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel's Breathtaker Remastered (indiegogo Campaign)

"Exclusive First Look: Hawkeye #15," January 15, 2014, comicvine.com

Earthworld Comics, Albany, NY

I'm All Ears

To celebrate a week that finally saw an end to my annoying ear infection (not a pleasant way to start the year), I thought I would share some examples of what I am listening to these days:

Soul singer Sharon Jones found herself battling an even more serious health problem (the big "C") over the last year, forcing her to postpone a tour and album with her band, the Dap-Kings. I'm so happy to hear that she is better and that her new album, Give The People What they Want, was released last week. Soul music fan that I am, I had really been looking forward to hearing this one, as the first two singles, "Retreat" and "Stranger To My Happiness," are slamming! The rest of the album mellows out a bit, contains some "iffy" lyrics, and I wish there was more "fire" on the other tracks, but you can't deny its overall musicality.

Continuing on the retro-tip, Sarah and I love the cover of the old American folk song, "Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song)," which is featured on the soundtrack for the new Coen Brothers' movie, Inside Llewyn Davis. I haven't seen the movie yet (which I hear is "loosely/controversially" based on the life of singer Dave Van Ronk), but if the music is any indication, it should be interesting! 

Lead actor/singer Oscar Isaac joins Marcus Mumford (of Mumford & Sons) on the track. Every time I hear it on the radio, it makes the thought of our currently bitter cold weather a little more bearable...

Speaking of warmth, Shins frontman James Mercer continues to come up with the heartfelt goods on his latest single with side project Broken Bells:

"Holding On For Life" is the latest in a string of interesting, melodic tracks from Mercer-- this one has sort of a "Bee Gees" kind of vibe to it, which might explain the title of Broken Bells' forthcoming album, After the Disco (set for release on February 4). It's funny... I once resisted The Shins, thinking they were a bit pretentious, but this is classic pop song craft. Maybe I need to give the rest of Mercer's back catalogue a try... (The Shins did surprise me by releasing my favorite album of 2012, Port of Morrow). 

So bring it on, 2014... if this is any indication of the year to come, and my own musical aspirations pan out (doing more singing, and just got a new amp for my electric guitar!) I like the sound of it.

Related Links:

"Sharon Jones on Beating Cancer and Career Advice From Inmates," 

Rolling Stone, January 17, 2014

"Ring The Bells," Halesowen News, January 18, 2014

"T Bone Burnett: 'Inside Llewyn Davis? It’s the story of my life,'" The Independent, January 22, 2014

Bye Bye Love

Sad to learn this weekend of the passing of Phil Everly, who (along with his brother Don) made up one half of the legendary singing duo The Everly Brothers. One of the first popular groups to meld country, folk and r&b (thus ushering in the sound of rock and roll), the brothers released several classic hits and albums during the 1950s and 1960s, and went on to influence countless generations of musicians in the years to come.

It was during my second year of college that I got my first taste of working in radio/broadcasting, scoring an internship at WKLX in my hometown of Rochester, New York—I was thrilled! My job was to call listeners and get feedback on songs that the oldies station had in their musical library. I was already a big fan of the Beatles, but playing snippets of all these songs from the 1950s and 1960s served as quite the musical education. 

I suddenly became obsessed with such artists as Chuck Berry and The Everly Brothers— the latter, in particular, had such beautiful harmonies (Phil generally taking the highs, and Don the lower range) and guitar work, and their music was an interesting blend of upbeat rhythms and darker themes (think "Bye Bye Love," "All I have To Do Is Dream," "Wake Up Little Susie"). The following year my respect for the Everlys grew even more, when A-ha covered their introspective 1962 hit, "Crying in the Rain"—it turns out that Phil and Don Everly influenced many of my all-time favorite acts, including The Beatles, 

A-ha, and Simon & Garfunkel (you could certainly hear it in the latter).

The Everly Brothers join Simon & Garfunkel onstage at the Pepsi Arena,
Albany, New York, June 10, 2004. Photo by Jeremy Clowe.

In terms of music, 2004 was a big year for me: I began hosting the TV show "Berkshire Soundstage" and attended several memorable concerts (I called it "research"). One of the absolute highlights was getting the chance to see Simon & Garfunkel's "Old Friends" tour in Albany, New York, which included a set from the duo's own heroes, The Everly Brothers. I remember being quite impressed by their stripped-down set, and those gorgeous harmonies, still intact all those years later... I believe their brief performance actually outshone Paul and Art's that night!

Prior to Phil Everly's death, I had actually been thinking quite a bit about the legacy of his group —2013 saw the release of two strong tribute albums of the Everly Brothers' music ("What The Brothers Sang" by Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie Prince Billy; and "Foreverly" by Norah Jones and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong), and the sheer perfection of their arrangements captured my attention once again. In addition, my growing awareness of the Appalachian folk music traditions, which the Everlys combined into their sound, has made me appreciate their work even more. 

There is obviously something to the fact that such artists as Paul Simon and Graham Nash talk about the Everly Brothers' influence, or that their work would be covered so reverently by artists such as Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (on their beautiful album, "Raising Sand") or A-ha (who played original guitars gifted by the brothers on their final tour): "gone, gone, gone," but surely never to be forgotten.

Related Links:

everlybrothers.net

"Phil Everly, Half of a Pioneer Rock Duo That Inspired Generations, Dies at 74," New York Times, January 4, 2014

"Phil Everly Dies; Transformed Rock 'N' Roll With Brother Don," NPR, January 4, 2014

"Serendipitously Intertwined" (statement from A-ha about Phil Everly's death), January 4, 2014, www.a-ha.com

"10 Great Covers of Everly Brothers Songs," USA Today, January 3, 2014


"Phil Everly, Everly Brothers Vocal Legend, Dead at 74," Rolling Stone, January 3, 2014

Step In Time

Happy New Year... or in my case, happy new 'ear-! We literally ended 2013 on a quiet note, as I recovered from an ear infection I picked up over the holidays... oof. 

Otherwise, we've been having a good time. On New Year's Eve we decided to go see the new movie Saving Mr. Banks, which tells the story of Walt Disney's attempts to win over author P.L. Travers for the rights to bring her book Mary Poppins to the big screen. Sarah and I both enjoyed it, agreeing that actress Emma Thompson, starring as Travers, really made the movie (I liked the New Yorker review of the film, which remarked that "a spoonful of her medicine makes the sugar go down."):

Of course I have always enjoyed Tom Hanks (at one point in college, I made a point of watching EVERY film he had appeared in); here he does a commendable job of bringing Walt Disney to life. It's a Disney film, and some of the scenes are fictionalized, but I felt that it struck a nice balance between the magical kingdom and "real-world"... in other words, the story was well-written, engaging, and didn't seem as sweet as the jelly beans sitting on Uncle Walt's desktop. Having recently become addicts of the TV show Mad Men, we also enjoyed watching the filmmakers' attempts to recreate the time period: 

Cover of 1957 biography on Walt Disney, signed by the filmmaker
to my father (a big Disney fan). The book was co-authored by Walt's
daughter, Diane Disney Miller, who died this past year.

It seemed somewhat fitting to end the year on a Disney note, after I had spent a good part of the year promoting our Snow White exhibition at Norman Rockwell Museum. In the process, I learned quite a bit about Walt Disney, including his friendship with Norman Rockwell (it was fun to see Rockwell's portraits of Disney's two daughters hanging in his office in the film). Sadly, Walt's daughter Diane Disney Miller, a member of the Museum's National Council, passed away in November, and never did make it to Stockbridge to see the exhibition. A nice touch was a note of dedication to Disney Miller in the movie's end credits—it was her love of Travers' original Mary Poppins books that inspired her father's 20 year effort to bring the character to the big screen.

Sarah ushers in the new year...
with another book (a 1943 P.L. Travers
original)!

A big part of Saving Mr. Banks also deals with Ms. Travers unresolved feelings for her departed father, who inspired several themes and characters in her novels. There was a great moment in the movie where Disney finally convinces Travers to bring her creation to the big screen, revealing the conflicted relationship he held with his own father and how also had used creativity to overcome some of life's trials: “That’s what story tellers do. We restore order to imagination. We bring hope.”

Damn it, Hollywood... another film this past year about the legacy of fathers, and it nearly choked me up (again). 




Later that night we ushered in the new year by watching the original Mary Poppins—I don't think I'd ever seen the movie all the way through. It was charming in many ways:  Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke (his physicality was amazing!), the music, and some fun special effects. Yes, I'd say it was a supercalifragilistic way to end a fairly pleasant year... 

Related Links:

"Saving Mr. Banks" official website

Norman Rockwell Meets Walt Disney (short clip from interview I conducted with artist Jarvis Rockwell, son of Norman Rockwell)

Marge Champion, the original "Snow White" (short clip from interview I conducted with the famed dancer/model for Disney's first feature-length film) 

Radio Disney Albany's "Backyard Show" (interview I conducted with the station re: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic"), July 28, 2013

Marge Champion: The Real Life Snow White, 94, Danced in Her Dad's Footsteps," Babble, July 2, 2013

"Walt: The Man Behind the Myth" (trailer for decent documentary I saw this past year)