4 posts tagged “the house next door”
It would require a separate essay to break down every beat of this episode’s climax, which I will hyperbolically state to be the greatest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Faced with the dreadful possibility of killing it with both analysis and over-praise, I find I’d rather go off on a tangent and mention how cool it is that Meyer Dickstein’s (Willie Garson) fiancée is played by Baby-in-a-corner Jennifer Grey, or how awesome it is to see Deadwood’s Trixie, Paula Malcomson, doing tight T-shirt waitress duties. Such greatness, you see, strikes me fanboy dumb, leaves me gasping for air in its wake. I wouldn’t dream of ruining such a potentially profound experience for others with my inadequate words. Better, like Shaun with Tina, to trust in the quiet gaze, in the hope that – by merely bearing witness – the mystery, the miracle, shall reveal itself.
- The House Next Door: John From Cincinnati Mondays, Ep. 6 "His Visit: Day 5" by Keith Uhlich, 07.16.07
Somehow, despite it's concept, sometimes oft-putting performances, and my own general skepticism, "John From Cincinnati" has become my favorite show of this Summer. This most recent episode which was chock full of revelations and one absolutely amazing and engrossing scene was one of the finest pieces of television since "Six Feet Under" went off the air.
Having switched to the Scoble style of feed reading in Google Reader, I'm getting through way more of my feeds than I had been (no more Saturday "mark all as read" guilt sessions), so, now I'm wondering...what am I missing? What cha readin' kid?
Here are my current faves:
Smokin' Aces is fun while you're watching it, but frustrating once it's over -- a series of meticulous and gentle investigations into the little moments, flattened by heavy artillery and a too-large cast (I haven't even mentioned Ben Affleck, whose mustache is as rad as you've heard, or Martin Henderson's perfectly calibrated reaction shots). It's as if Carnahan set out to make an action movie with a few laughs, but then he started thinking about these characters as people, people he knows, about what they might feel in these situations, and suddenly he found himself with all these charming and deeply felt character-driven scenes in a big, bloody plot-driven mess of a movie.
- A Sincere Failure: Smokin' Aces by Sarah D. Bunting, The House Next Door, 02.01.07
My thoughts exactly.
...as with The Color Purple, none of these weaknesses will stop black moviegoers from loving Dreamgirls to pieces.
I was going to write a proper review of the film but despite my lack of love for Beyonce's performance, I think Steven Boone wrote the right one.
