From the Couch Hole: Exaggeration on the Truth

Previously on FTCH, the bad monkey met up with the baby driver who said, “Open your eyes and squeeze me.” One was a heretic who ate Christmas cookie ice cream while reading a magazine. This week I was able to make it mostly a four-day weekend. The holiday was limited to one child home for a couple of days. Christmas will be the week with everyone here. It was still nice to relax, watch some movies, and start to plan what I need to watch before the end of the year. This week the Penguin was wicked in the back of the black cab. The limey gave us his ode to a boy and late-night ramen. Remember, you deserve a break today at FTCH.

Pop Culture Ephemera

• Wicked: Part One (2024) (Directed by Jon M. Chu): “The best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy.” – The Wizard. Let’s just start by saying that whatever I say after this isn’t meant to denigrate the amazing effect this movie has had on people who went to see it four times last weekend. More power to them for finding their “thing.” I’m a big fan of The Wizard of Oz (1939), but I haven’t read the original books nor the Gregory Maguire book that this musical was based upon before being translated to the big screen. Casting the amazing voices of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo almost guaranteed that this couldn’t go too far off the rails.
  
  The original movie was partially about the loss of our agricultural society as we transitioned to the Industrial Age. The old “City vs. Country” story. It was also in small part about the rise of authoritarianism in the late ’30 with the Wizard being nothing but a man behind a curtain. This film takes that minor theme and places it first and foremost. It’s so shoehorned into the plot that it takes away from the “hero” journey of Elphaba. The choreography and music is great. The chemistry between Galinda and Elphaba is the glue that keeps the film moving forward. It just wasn’t the first half of a longer story that I was expecting to see. It’s not a positive when I say that the best moments in the musical were the moments when no one was singing.

Buy Wicked Paperback

• The Penguin – “After Hours” (2024) (S.1 E.1) (MAX): “Maybe I’m more than what you think.” – Oz Cobb. I don’t know that not being Oswald Cobblepot makes this any better. This show picks up not longer after the end of The Batman (2022) and gives Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) some much needed time to shine. The show is off to a good start, maintaining the look and tone of the film in a way that few shows can do that follow-up a great film. A Mafia/gangster show at heart, there isn’t much DNA other than The Sopranos (HBO) when you are talking about one from the perspective of the criminals. That’s a heavy lift to live up to, but I haven’t watched it yet, so I’m good. We are seeing this story through the eyes of young Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz). The scenes with him and Oz have the most energy. Sophia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) has just enough screen time for us to know she’s going to be a formidable foe to Oz through this season. Like any good first episode, the characters are in place, and I’m interested in all of the characters and stories that are in place.

Buy The Batman Blu-ray

• Yazoo – “Ode to Boy” (1983) (from You and Me Both): “He caught me looking then / But soon his eyes forgot.” This simple tune is almost like a poem set to Vince Clarke’s synth background. So many of the Yazoo songs are faster dance songs with Allison Moyet driving the vocals along with the beat. She’s at her most smokey voice here, and I love it. This song is a good bridge between their two albums, not sounding like it belongs to either, but illustrating the evolution of the band.

• Black Cab (2024) (Directed by Bruce Goodison): “Let’s have a quick five.” – Ian. I gave it a chance. I wanted another example of current British horror films. It didn’t hurt that Nick Frost was the lead actor and involved in writing the film. Sigh. It’s terrible. Nick Frost is the only slightly redeemable part of the film, but he can’t carry this by acting like characters he’s seen in various other horror films. The concept of the cab driver kidnapping his fare and taking them to a haunted place isn’t new, nor very interesting on the surface. The two or three minutes across various scenes where there is actual tension-building isn’t enough to sustain 90 minutes. I rarely recommend a film to someone by saying, “They really did a great job at setting a mood with the lighting and camera angles, but the rest of it you can ignore.” I won’t throw all of the British horror film industry under the bus for this mess. I hope it was just a single bad ride.

• The Limey (1999) (Directed by Steven Soderbergh): “Bide your time, and everything becomes clear, and you can act accordingly.” – Wilson. Had this starred Michael Caine, George C. Scott, or Lee Marvin, you would have been forgiven for thinking this was made in 1970. Soderbergh dispenses with the first two acts and proceeds to start the film in what should be the third act of a story where an estranged father gets revenge for the death of his daughter on the older rich man he blames for it. Terence Stamp plays the Michael Caine role of the man set upon revenge. The target of his ire is record producer, Peter Fonda. The film doesn’t take its foot off the gas for long. There are short flashbacks, but I think those were done so that Soderbergh could show us that he loves French New Wave films and their quick jump cuts. There are more modern elements to the story that could have dropped out of an Elmore Leonard story, but the story doesn’t let them overtake the feeling that this is an older film. Soderbergh isn’t afraid to take chances in his direction and he manages to turn very little material into a very entertaining film.

Best of the Rest

• When she was a solo artist in 1994, eleven years after the original release, Alison Moyet released a cover of her own song. It’s uptempo, as is her style. I know she wrote it and has full control over the song, but the lyrics just feel rushed here and the dance beat forced. I don’t like to criticize her because I am in love with her voice, but this is one of my least favorites of her solo songs.

• This better not be the start of some FTCH curse. A couple of weeks ago I talked highly of a show. Then I see Scott Pilgrim Takes on the World cancelled at Netflix after one season. I have read various claims that it was either only meant to be one season or that they had plans for multiple seasons. Either way, I hate to see creative ideas meet an unsatisfying end.

Buy Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life paperback

• Entertainment Weekly (3/28/97): “Best Commercials of All-Time” #42 – Hush Puppies – “Ventilated Hush Puppies” (1988): It was a simple ad that was a take off on the Marilyn Monroe shot over the subway grate. These ads feature the cute basset hound were some of my favorites of the late ’80s. This one was cute but I’m not sure it stands out as a Top 50 in my mind.

Sunday Morning Tuneage Flashback

• On the Sunday Morning Tuneage from 6/14/2009, we had some freak storms the previous week. I still talk about the absolute crazy flash flooding that I drove through on the way home from work that night. All-Star baseball was on the horizon for the boys. My #25 Favorite Film of All-Time was Apocalypse Now (1979). This has consistently been one of my favorites since seeing it in theaters as a 12 year old. This is an absolutely accurate ranking for a film that still fascinates me. There are times when a filmmaker’s obsessions turn into above average films. True Blood (HBO) was back and was illustrative of exactly what a summer show should be. The Singing Bee (CMT) was abandoned by NBC, showed up on CMT, and was just what I didn’t like about summer shows. The list of the week is one that I often re-rank in my head.
  • BEST BATMAN VILLAINS OF ALL-TIME (2009)
    • 10.  MR. FREEZE (Dr. Victor Fries):  Despite Arnold’s turn as him in the movie – he’s still very cool.  Especially in The Animated Series.
    • 9.  CATWOMAN (Selina Kyle)
    • 8.  CLAYFACE (Basil Carlo).  Beautifully done in TAS.
    • 7.  SCARECROW (Dr. Jonathan Crane)  Love him but he always seems to get defeated too easily.
    • 6.  POISON IVY (Pamela Isley):  Since Harley Quinn doesn’t make my list – I’ll mention her pairing with Ivy here as a high point.
    • 5.  DR. HUGO STRANGE.  His appearances in TAS are usually among the best.  Very underused.
    • 4.  RIDDLER (Edward Nygma).  Not the Jim Carrey quizzer – but the less funny, more crazy version from the comic-book world.
    • 3.  RA’S AL GHUL.  Thank you Denny O’Neil and Neil Adams for giving up the Demon’s Head.  The man is intelligent and evil – a great combination and a worthy adversary for Bruce.
    • 2.  TWO-FACE (Harvey Dent).  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde done perfectly for the Batman world.  You still can’t top Neal Adams version in print – beautifully done.  His story as it intertwines with Bruce Wayne’s life is the richest (even more than #1).  I really like the directions they took with Harvey in TAS and then again in The Batman.
    • 1.  THE JOKER.  I’d be stupid to pick anyone else just because of what he means to the franchise.  As much as I loved Heath Ledger’s take – I’m still partial to the comic book “crazy” Joker (see “The Killing Joke”).
  • BEST BATMAN VILLAINS OF ALL-TIME (2024)
    • 10. CARMINE FALCONE (aka The Roman): Created by Frank Miller, this character floated around the comic universe for a long time until getting a new lease as an important figure in The Batman (2022) as possibly being responsible for the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents.
    • 9. HARLEY QUINN (Harleen Quinzel): I prefer her comic-book origins as a psychiatric resident at Arkham Asylum. It’s a stretch to put a character here who straddles both sides of the law. I’m not as much a fan of the Harley Quinn of the Suicide Squad.
    • 8. POISON IVY (Dr. Pamela Isley): She’s been around for over 50 years, as kind of the first eco-terrorist. She’s unique in that she has a noble cause but just goes about it in an evil way.
    • 7. PENGUIN (Oswald Cobblepot): Around since 1941, he was just an afterthought most of the time. It’s just recently in movies and television that they’ve given him his due, moving him up the list.
    • 6. RIDDLER (Edward Nygma): This might be heavily influenced by the comics I read in my youth. He’s a breath of fresh air in a series that is full of such tortured and dark characters. He relies on intelligence and manipulation. He works well in the comic books.
    • 5. SCARECROW (Dr. Jonathan Crane): He’s moved into the upper echelon of the villains over the past couple of decades. His backstory with the abusive father makes him slightly sympathetic. The fear toxin is a terrifying concept that I love to read about in the books.
    • 4. CATWOMAN (Selina Kyle): The character had lost identity from overexposure for a portion of the 2000s. The Zoe Kravitz gave the character new life in The Batman (2022). Her solo comics of the ’90s are still some of my favorite stories in the Batman Universe.
    • 3. TWO-FACE (Harvey Dent): A villain around since 1942, I love the way they use Harvey Dent when he’s given time to develop in a comic story or TV series. He’s got the tragic origin story, and his duality is only a fine line of difference from Bruce Wayne. The comparison between the two is always interesting. Aaron Eckhart has done quite a bit with the character, but there’s so much more there.
    • 2. RA’S AL GHUL: Liam Neeson just couldn’t get to the heart of this character for me. When he’s written well, he’s the best there is. I have often seen him as Moriarty to Wayne’s Holmes. He’s obsessed and driven, like Two-Face. Those two are great villains because they are versions of what Bruce Wayne could have become.
    • 1. THE JOKER: I was tempted not to put this villain at #1 again. He’s all over ever medium where Batman appears. He’s the first villain you think of when you think of Batman. They are perpetually tied together. He suffers from a huge variety of origin stories recently. Just when you think this character might be too cruel and violent, you read a genre-defining graphic novel like Arkham Asylum (1989), A Death in the Family (1988) or The Killing Joke (1988) and realize this character has the most potential of any of them.
  • The list isn’t significantly different, but the subtle changes are reflective of the more recent films and television series. I’m far behind on recent comic stories and animated films, but I try to keep up with the live-action options. Some of the best authors in the industry have done their best work while writing Batman stories. I think that says something about the character.

1974 in Review

• December – Batman #259 (DC Comics): Cover by Nick Cardy, Tatjana Wood. Written by various including Denny O’Neil. Art by various including Dick Giordano. “How I came by that information is not important! Rest assured, your secret is safe with me! Now, I bid you… farewell!” – The Shadow. The original story amongst the reprints includes the Shadow. He’s a character that seems to be a favorite of writers every couple of decades but just can’t get any traction amongst fans.
• December 1 – TWA flight 514 flew into the side of Mount Weather in Virginia killing all 92 people aboard on a flight from Columbus, Ohio to Dulles Airport in Washington D.C.
• December 28 – TV Guide: Cover illustration by Ronald Searle. The parade was still a big deal for television in 1974. The Orange Bowl parade was a New Year’s Eve tradition. On New Year’s Day, you had the Cotton Bowl parade and the grand daddy of them all, the Tournament of Roses parade. This year’s theme is “Heritage of America” and Hank Aaron is the Grand Marshall.

What the Hell Did I Put in My Mouth?

“When he moves, I watch him from behind
He turns and laughter flickers in his eyes
Intent and direct when he speaks
I watch his lips” – Yazoo

Stay hard.

Shawn