Off the Radar #2: Billy Crudup

Just hours ago, the majority of the world was introduced to what is easily the best superhero movie ever made; "Dark Knight". After emerging from the movie, it may be hard to think of anything but The Joker, Batman and Harvey Dent, but hopefully audiences will also remember one of the previews that, to the joy of the many superhero fans in the midnight audience, premiered before "Dark Knight" began. Based on the trailer for "Watchmen", it seems that Zac Snyder's (300) big screen adaption due out this March will be in keeping with the legacy of the source material as one of the greatest graphic novels yet written. I've written about "Watchmen" briefly before on this blog, but to give you a quick reminder, the plot unfolds in a world on the edge of Doomsday as the Cold War rages on, and nations become more and more powerful and careless in their responsibilities. In the midst of this war, another one brews as "masked vigilantes" (notice, not superheroes, as only one among them has actual powers), who one attempted to fight crime and evil are protested against by the very people they were trying to save. The most lengthy and visually stunning scene in the trailer comes at its beginning as we see the making of Dr. Manhattan, a scientist transformed into the government's ultimate weapon; a walking nuclear bomb capable of dismantling matter at his fancy. Oh yeah, and in this reality, he just happened to win the Vietnam War. If you or some reason haven't seen the compete preview yet, here is a link:

www.apple.com/trailers/wb/watchmen

Yes, that devastatingly handsome man who unfortunately gets shocked by the particle cannons is Mr. Crudup. It's not too much a misfortune though, as once he is transformed into Dr. Manhattan, he goes around wearing nothing but a radioactive glow the rest of the movie. It was Zac Snyder's intention in casting "Watchmen" to not use any prominent stars in Hollywood, for fear that they would overpower the material itself. While Mr. Crudup may not be a household name, his body of work is already extensive and varying. He seems to prefer playing creative types; artists and writers, and manages to consistently flesh them out to their very soul. His most commonly seen roles are those in "Big Fish"Will Bloom, Edward Bloom's son, and "Almost Famous" as Russell Hammond- the reckless guitarist who memorably takes an acid trip to the roof of a house and jumps into a swimming pool screaming "I am a golden god!!" However, it is in his less known roles that he excels the most. My high school theatre teacher swore by his work in "Stage Beauty", a movie whose glory was crippled by the release of the far inferior of "Shakespeare in Love"a few years earlier. Crudup plays Ned Kynaston, the greatest and last of the Shakespearian cross-dressing actors and manages to retain al dignity and beauty in a role that could easily be played for farce. 

Crudup, while already sporting a respectable film resume, has made an even more respected name for himself on Broadway. I personally have seen him onstage three times; and all three plays now occupy a spot atop my favorite dramatic literature list both for his own performance in them, as well as the strength of the productions as a whole. In 2005's  "The Pillowman", he was mesmerizing as the leading character Katurian K. Katurian, a short story writer being questioned by two police officers in a fascist state for the presumed murder of several local children. Guiding the entranced audience through four-page long monologues and gruesome tales, Crudup was the emotional anchor of the production; our own navigator through a world we would like to think is too horrible to be called our own. More recently, I witnessed his Tony-winning performance in 2006/2007's "Coast of Utopia" trilogy, in which he was featured in the first two parts. While the Stoppard material itself could have bored many who didn't have a familiarity and affection for classical Russian Literature (I can't speak to this, having written my high school thesis on Crudup's real-life character and Dostoevsky), Mr. Crudup, as the suffering literary critic, Vissarion Belinsky, was the humanity behind the constant revolutions being detailed in the show, the character that stole hearts and souls with his honesty and passion. Before the first of the trilogy, I had the enormous privilege of meeting Mr. Crudup outside the stage door on his way into the theatre, and, after carrying on a short conversation with him, found him to be a most agreeable and humble man. While I can only give him praise and tell you that he is one of many reasons to see "Watchmen" when it arrives in March, in my heart I am secretly hoping that it isn't too big a hit, so that Mr. Crudup may soon return to the stage and I may hope again personally witness his diverse and touching performances. 

Midnighting Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

On July 21, 2007, every light occupying a house where the words "magic", "spell" and "Avada Kedavra" had even briefly been mentioned, was burning into the wee hours of the morning, as well as the afternoon following as fans and casual readers from America to Japan lay sprawled across their beds devouring every syllable of the final installment in J.K Rowling's seven part series chronicling the adventures of a young wizard- but more importantly, a young man as he struggled with the forces of love and evil in the world around him. But, do I really need to even tell you that? The Harry Potter series has become part of the world cultural lexicon. In my own classrooms at school, discussions on Camus or ethics frequently carry analogies and references to events Harry Potter. The films draw record audiences to their own midnight releases, and millions of young kids who would otherwise never pick up a book go through the 700-page Potter novels in record time. 

I always felt that I was born in a special year; 1990 was not only the final year of the Cold War time period, but also the ideal time to be born to fully take advantage of the Harry Potter series. I was just seven years old when "Sorcerer's Stone" was released, eight when "Chamber of Secrets" arrived on shelves, and nine when "Prisoner of Azkaban" came out. While I was still younger than the Harry of the novels during that period, by the time the fourth and fifth books came out, I was slowly gaining on the Potter gang in my own years, and by number seven, experienced my own 17th birthday just days before I read about Harry's own. Selfishly, my friends and I always have thought that the Harry Potter trilogy was "our generation's" treasure, and that those more than a year removed from us in age were either too old or too young to fully appreciate the magic. However, when I went to Barnes and Noble at 12:01 am to pick up my copy of "Deathly Hallows", that opinion changed completely. Going off to college the next year, I was suddenly feeling... old. Responsibility was weighing down upon me, and in my secret heart of hearts, I was wishing that Peter Pan would somehow show up on my windowsill and whisk me away to Neverland. Even though I couldn't yet legally buy an alcoholic beverage, I was already wondering about how my generation and I would be remembered. As I looked around the bookstore, I got my answer. Everywhere there were children, their parents and even the occasional grandparent dressed in black Hogwarts gowns or the striped scarves of their favorite houses. Lightening bolt scars were applied to faces, and wands both plastic and wood were waved about, not without the faintest hope that maybe sparks might this time fly from its tip. Though of course the books themselves were entirely J.K Rowling's own wonder and creation, I couldn't help but feel some strange sense of pride that the gift of my generation was magic. While we can't lift feathers with a flick of our wrists, the fantasy novels, films and even fan fiction that have come out over the past decade are enough to make even the staunchest realist believe in prophecies, phoenixes, one rings and dragons. From some primal desire to depart from the chaos and depression in our own lives, we joined together and created new ones together. To see young children and ones still young at heart brought literal tears to my eyes at how powerful these universes could become. The evening of the book's release, a show I had been working as a dramaturg in opened, and our stage manager had to quite literally pry the copies from the hands of each actor in the company as they squeezed in a few more pages before they went onstage. When I finally arrived back home, I finished the last chapters in the comfort of my own bed, and as I read those final words; "The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well," I once again broke into uncontrollable sobs. To close the cover of this book meant closing the object which had defined my childhood and adolescent years- becoming an adult and facing the end. As I cuddled my teddy bear and cried hot tears into its fur, I slowly removed the wizard's hat I had been wearing both then, and the midnight before, and remembered the kids at Barnes and Noble who had found Harry on their own and been touched by his magic years after I had found it myself, and then of the children who in the many years to come would also come to be touched by that light. This wasn't an end. This literature was something eternal- a story- one which could be passed down for generations which have yet to be born. And as I sit white haired in my floating rocking chair sixty years from now, something in my heart tells me that I will still be able to brag that I was there that midnight- that midnight when Harry's last tale was born, and have others around me who also came to know of Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore stare wide eyed, gaping that the magic they still experience has lasted just this long. That's what midnighting is all about. The bragging rights. And the magic that will never die.

Midnighting

As we enter into this third week of the hottest summer month, there's only one thing on the world's mind- not the next trip to the beach, but "The Dark Knight". The movie has been awaited for years, even before the release of its forbearer, speculation was at hand as to when the next installment would arrive. When Batman flipped over a card to reveal the telltale Joker at Part One's conclusion, I vividly remember the audience gasping at the obvious cliffhanger, and the guts it would take director Christopher Nolan to overturn the legendary interpretation by Jack Nicholson in the 1989 incarnation of the superhero franchise. Since that road was first introduced as the intended direction, the hype surrounding the hero has only multiplied after the death of supporting actor Heath Ledger, a perfectly executed viral campaign, the rising career of its leading actor, and the remarkably high quality of  reboot "Batman Begins". Being the pop culture and comic book fanatic that I am, I purchased midnight tickets for this Thursday night almost a month ago today, and laugh and evil chuckle inside whenever I overhear a conversation in which the subject was unable to procure tickets, "like a whole week ahead of time". Filing into my local megaplex in the late hours of the evening is by no means a rare occurrence of mine. Falling a little short of the Z list, it's the closest thing that I have to experience to a movie premiere. Only, I consider it to be a lot more fun. Instead of ten foot dress trains and strangling tuxes, the featured wardrobe is nerd chic, with costumes of related characters both obscure and obvious, and ceaseless chatter about all things in the related universe. I can't accurately remember the amount of "midnighting" that I've done in my lifetime, but more memorable experiences have been at the "Harry Potter" films and book releases, the most recent "Indiana Jones", "Star Wars Episode I" (tragically), "Hellboy 2", "Iron Man", "Snakes on a Plane" and the iphone 3G. While I won't go into the details of all these events, I can write a little regarding the two which stand out for me the most, one for its sheer stupidity, and the other for being something of a life affirming experience.

"Snakes on a Plane"

I can't believe I'm even admitting that I midnighted this one. Truly, it pains me to relate this on a public medium, but on a July night not too long ago, I donned a pair of-get ready- snakeskin boots and a stuffed cobra and set out to view the film that, through its most famous line (all together now)" "That's it! I've had it with this motherf****** snakes on this motherf****** plane!" and its infallibly adorable internet acronym (SOAP). I wasn't really caught up in the entirety of its online hype, only reading about it in publications and hearing about it as something of a watercooler joke among friends. For lack of better things to do, I decided to midnight this odd little movie and see what all the fuss was about. While the movie itself was pathetically stupid, good only for the aforementioned moment and one particularly gruesome reptilian originated homicide in an airplane toilet, the audience had me banging my head at giving my best Herbert Morrison imitation of "Oh the humanity!". Yes, I'm likening the viewers of "Snakes on a Plane" to the Hindenburg. Once the lights went down, the entire theatre filled with hissing mixed with cries of "Whoo! SNAKES!" I'm not done yet. When "the" line was said, the audience actually gave a standing ovation. I only wish this were an exaggeration. Anyway, while I wasn't really expecting that much out of the product itself, it was intriguing enough to see just how powerfully internet hype could affect a movie. But I wasn't thinking about that at the time. I was more concerned with covering my face and hoping that no one from the civilized world recognized me that night. The giant stuffed cobra around my neck would probably be a dead giveaway as to my intentions. On the other hand, last summer, I experienced a midnighter which was a spiritual experience to confirm the purity and goodness of the human soul.

Continued tomorrow!

Off the Radar #1: Reefer Madness

I'd like to take this chance to introduce to you all a new weekly feature that will now begin appearing on this blog. I finally decided to make "Who's Afraid" a tri-weekly "publication", and now feel like some more continuity should be added to the scheme of things. Starting today, two out of the three entries will be as always- related to trends or occurrences in pop culture today, but the third will be much like this first installment- something I am calling "Off the Radar", in which I'll introduce something- a movie, book, show or celebrity that flies just a little too low to be openly noticed by the regular consumer. I hope you enjoy it! And without further ado....

Every October, one of my closest friends and I spend hours scouring the internet for any trace of a showing of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" within the entire state of Colorado. After five years of searching, we still haven't found a regular theatrical showing in any month of the year in our own state, as well as any of the ones directly bordering it. Somehow in the past twenty years, Dr. Frank-N-Furter seems to have packed up his lab once and for all and left popular culture for the planet of Transsexual. While many musicals have been hailed as its replacement (Snakes on a Plane comes to mind first), none seem to have really fulfilled on their promise. While it would please me greatly to herald to coming of a new Brad Majors, I can only tell you all that while "Reefer Madness" may never enjoy the widespread acclaim, or maybe, total lack of it, if you can persuade a group of friends with a flexible sense of humor to a in-house showing of it, you might once again be reminded of the glove-snapping, Time-Warping days of yore. 

After a 2005 premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, "Reefer Madness" was given an airing on Showtime, after which it picked up an Emmy for best music/lyrics and received nominations for choreography and makeup design. With a surprisingly strong roster of actors, including Alan Cumming (X-Men 2), Kristen Bell (Heroes, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Neve Campbell (Scream), Reefer Madness is a tongue in cheek, cautionary tale satirizing the 1937 film of the same name, which preached to parents the danger pot posed to their children. Oddly enough, the one great fault I found with the film was that the tongue wasn't quite planted firmly enough in the cheek, and I cared about the leading characters almost too much to take the joke completely. Nonetheless, the musical numbers were catchy and ridiculous- with titles that are almost as telling as the songs themselves, ranging from "Listen to Jesus, Jimmy" to "Jimmy Takes a Toke". The story begins with a government agent (Alan Cumming) explaining to a group of nervous, 1930's-era parents how the demon weed was taking over their communities, using the parable of "The Harper Affair" to illustrate his point. "The Harper Affair" follows little Jimmy and Mary Lane who finds themselves staring into the face of temptation- the lit joint. You don't have to be a marijuana fan to enjoy this film and the humor within it- having never touched the stuff myself, I still was able to appreciate the sensationalized hype that still today can seize a society in its grip. The film, though satire, doesn't fall into the fatal trap of using throwaway characters and hoping we might take heed of their plight, but seems to genuinely examine their arcs (however ridiculous), and is assisted by some top-notch performances on behalf of its lead actors. Kristen Bell as Mary Lane is particularly delightful to watch; as both a sunshine-y Sandra Dee-esuqe throwback and latter, as a naughty S&M fiend. While the formula of the movie as a whole may seem a little too close to comfort to "Rocky Horror", that's part of the appeal of the piece itself. Much like its predecessor, "Reefer Madness" takes one of the underbelly aspects of our society, marijuana, (or as those in the movie say, "Mary Jew Wanna", and laughs in the faces of those who are too afraid to look into it a little closer. It's not quite "out-there" as aliens from the galaxy of Transylvania creating a sex-monster, but in my opinion, that's for the best in our more realist, contemporary age. Take a watch for yourself and see. Maybe in a few more years, "Jimmy Takes a Toke" will have beat out "The Time Warp" as the geek-dance of choice. Maybe. But frankly, I'm not sure I'm quite ready to let it go.

A Rainbow of Culture: Part 2

While Christian Siriano and "hot tranny mess" might be many peoples' first words association with gay men, the popular classification has evolved significantly since the days of Jack's diva attacks on "Will and Grace". Even lesbians, a topic Hollywood has found somewhat harder to tackle, have gained widespread representation on shows like "The 'L' Word" and (my favorite) "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". A recent revelation in the Season 8 comic books of the series even revealed to us that The Slayer herself was open to a little bisexual lovemaking. Arguably one of the most influential gay figures today is gossip blogger, Perez Hilton. Both Latino (real name: Mario Lavanderia) and gay, 'P-Nasty' has shown time and time again his power across several realms of the entertainment sphere- most notably in fashion and music. By one promotion on his blog alone, a young artist can sour to the top of the itunes charts within mere minutes. Hopefully Perez will take enough of an interest in the new Sean Penn-headed biopic, "Milk" following the life of California politician, Harvey Milk, to help it fulfill its quote for most buzzed about movie of the Oscar season.

While widespread stereotypes still remain on the gay community, many out celebrities have taken advantage of one of the more prevalent associations; which is that gays love to have fun. Indeed, some of the most juicy commentary on our society today has been coming from LGBT stars. It makes the average straight guy feel like a gray crayon when he is suddenly confronted with a shimmering prism of the gay culture. While the community is still serious on its battle for civil rights and unions, they've brought sparkle and rhinestones into our country in the midst of the years in which they've been needed most. With national pride at the lowest its been in decades, it seems that many Americans could stand to take a page from the men and women who can still find time to fight for love, hope for the future and look absolutely fabulous while doing so.

A Rainbow of Culture: Part 1

It was just over two decades ago that five homosexual men were diagnosed with what was, at the time, a nameless, fatal illness. It wasn't long before this anonymous killer was granted a name- HIV- and societal stigma. Based upon the primary group who appeared to be contracting the disease, the gay male community, feelings of hate and disgust arose throughout the nation, and those within the stricken sect, ostracized. Throughout the Reagan and Bush presidencies, this neglect continued both in the government, and ignorant civilians. Members of the gay ad transgender communities fought on, and gradually, science also came to back their cause. In 2008, the hysteria surrounding HIV and AIDS has all but subsided stateside, though the battle continues overseas in impoverished third world countries. Without going into an in depth commentary regarding the past and future of gay rights, I'd like to take a small fraction of that issue; popular culture, and attempt to briefly touch the surface of it.

Saturday evening, I had the enormous privilege of attending the final stop of the 2nd annual True Colors tour at Red Rocks amphitheater in Morrison, CO. While my love of Cindy Lauper, the tour's headliner, stops after "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", one of my favorite party bands, The B-52's, were also along for the ride; and a few listenings of "Love Shack" and "Funplex" gave me enough reason to head online and buy tickets. The group behind "Rock Lobster" gave a spirited and fittingly insane showing, but the real stars of the night were in the audience. Upon the time of my ticket purchase, I had absolutely no idea what the "True Colors" tour consisted of, other than some crazy 80's flashbacks, but after some pre-concert research, I discovered that is was in fact a yearly LGTB pride festival traveling to cities across the country. Hosted by "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"'s Carson Kressley, with special guest Rosie O' Donnell; after seeing the lineup, I was not surprised once I arrived at the venue (in my opinion, one of the most beautiful concert venues in the country), that my fellow audience members came bearing rainbow flags, pink monkey suits (?), pumps (only for the gays, of course) and some intense pride. While being actively involved in the theatre community has given me a wonderfully numerous amount of out-and-proud friends, in the while sitting in the rain and listening the opener Joan Armatrading, a thought began to form in my head. Why should the gays get all the good culture?! 

Many artists typically classified as a fad fueled mainly in the LGBT are presently transforming into the most domineering and tasteful forces in the entertainment community. While twenty years ago, the stereotypical gay culture conjured up pictures of drag queens and Barbara Streisand, nowadays, it's difficult to pin down just a few points of focus. Gay artists and straight performers backed by the gay community, while still maintaining their ties to the homosexual community, are hitting the Top 10 charts like never before. Madonna, Kylie Minogue and The Indigo Girls are no longer just reserved for pride parades and the Culture Club, but mainstream fads. Reality TV has acted as another platform, with personalities on shows such as "America's Next Top Model" (Fierce!), America Idol, So You Think You Can Dance? and The Real World. The rainbow of gay culture has grown more vibrant, diverse and beautiful than ever before....

to be continued tomorrow!

Is Anybody There?

While I do realize that a list of the Best 4th of July Movies is something almost every film website feels compelled to put up on this day every year, in this case, I feel that I still must offer my own endorsement of just four of the most patriotically perfect flicks that I feel Hollywood has mustered up.

#4: Glory

This movie holds a special place in my memory for being the first non-animated film (Lion King was the very first) to permanently traumatize me. My 6th grade history teacher, in covering the Civil War, felt that it was necessary to show a class of 11-year olds a scene in which a man has his head quite graphically blown to pieces. I vividly remember the audible gasp that arose from my fellow elementary school students to this day. While I do applaud my teacher for showing a high quality piece of cinema, I think that many of the intended viewers were too shell shocked or occupied with covering their eyes to fully enjoy the material. Several years later, I settled in for a repeat viewing, and was fully moved by the story of Shaw and his regiment of African-American soldiers. To see men, who under their government's laws, were not even given rights as human beings ready to die for their country is both haunting and inspiring. It carries a powerful message that in America, a man may give his life and love for a cause, but not the system which backs it. 

#3: 1776

I once read a statement that there are only two things in this world that are truly American: jazz, and the musical theatre. Taking the latter of the two, and some historical liberties (no pun intended), "1776" bypasses the stodgy old portraits we so often see of our founding fathers and pours a hearty mug of ale all over them. Instead, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson and the Continental Congress are given makeovers as bawdy alcoholics and lusty womanizers; they balance their composition of the Declaration of Independence with a little Afternoon Delight, and of course, singing. Nothing more American than that! While most of the movie takes a comedic tone to the proceedings, the three final songs of the film call to attention issues which many of us would never occur to think about passing through the minds of men who our country has effectively fashioned out to be gods. My favorite, "Molasses to Rum", sung by South Carolina representative Edward Rutledge, is an intense accusation of the Northern States' hypocrisy regarding the African slave trade, and that the New England seafarers- not the southern plantation owners, are the ones who "stuff them in the ships" and move them to an unfriendly new continent. "1776" not only reminds us of our more well-known accomplishments in the past, but also the issues which still today go unresolved.

#2: "Yankee Doodle Dandy"

The musical makes a second appearance on the list, but once again shows that it is more an American institution than apple pie. Even when our country has gone through its darkest and most controversial days, watching James Cagney in this George M. Cohan biopic can inspire even the most hesitant patriot to bust on the American flag. To see the life of a man who dedicates his life and spirit to his country through the forms of song and dance is awe-inspiring. While he never held a musket in battle or crawled through the trenches, the original "Yankee Doodle Boy", Cohan, is the greatest American of us all. Brash, witty and earnest, he is the tap-dancing, singing incarnation of the very spirit of our country. In the final scene, as he marches alongside a soldier in a WWII pride parade, harmonizing to one of his most famous numbers, "Over There", I dare anyone who has ever called themselves American to not shed a tear for the man who embodies the greatest in us all.

#1: "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"

I beginning to realize just how depressing patriotism is, as I write that once more, during this movie, I bawled my bloody eyes out before the credits began to roll. Much like the message within "Yankee Doodle Dandy", "Mr. Smith" puts into action that one of the greatest principles of American government is that any man with a heart large enough can make a difference in the way our country is run. For a movie unfolding almost entirely in the senate chamber, a modern day viewer may expect constant party-centered jabs and nudges in comedic form, but "Mr. Smith" is entirely independent in its views, apart from being singularly American in form. While we may have escaped from the rampant political machines and bosses of the early 20th century, anyone can realize that the goings-on in our country aren't always as moral as we would like to believe. But while we may (quite often) disagree with what our government says or does, the most patriotic thing that we may do as Americans is exercise our right to dissent. To fight it. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Adams didn't form our country by politely disagreeing with the British empire- they told Parliament just where they could shove their taxes, and then proceeded to make America! "Mr. Smith" illustrates that concept better than any movie I've ever seen, and I think that in 2008, as many Americans look up towards the upcoming presidential appointment, and the blunders that have resulted from the last one, this movie is more relevant than ever- simply for it's basic premise- that America is never beyond saving. I'll leave you with it's final scene, brilliantly delivered by James Stewart:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=p1d19wV1GZQ&feature=related