I really don’t have much of a clue who reads what around here—I mean, I’m just sayin’, but…we do have a comments section, you know—but if you happened to have caught my column from April 25, then you already know a little bit about how I felt about Starz’s “Magic City” when it first hit the airwaves. At the time I wrote about it, however, I’d only seen the first three episodes, so I couldn’t really offer much in the way on incisive commentary. Indeed, to save you from clicking on the above link, the bullet points of my brief discussion of the series were…
1. It looks great.
2. The second episode rehashed too much of the pilot, but the third episode was much better.
3. As far as the cast goes, Danny Huston makes a great bad-ass, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is in fine form as well, and although Alex Rocco’s storyline was a bit schmaltzy for my tastes, he’s still Alex Rocco, which means his scenes are worth seeing simply because he’s in them.
All things considered, it’s probably best that I hadn’t yet seen the fourth episode when I wrote about the series, since not only did it prove to be the most disappointing installment of the entire season, but it left such a bad taste in my mouth—I believe the precise phrase I used to describe the series at the time was “infuriatingly inconsistent”—that, if I’m to be honest, I could’ve flipped a coin to decide my thoughts on whether it was going to get better or worse in the coming weeks. Pretty much all of the good will it had built up in the preceding three weeks had been shot all to hell in the span of a single hour.
Thank God it got better. In fact, it got so much better that, now that Magic City: The Complete First Season has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, I have absolutely no hesitation about recommending it as a must-buy. I really can’t speak to what happened behind the scenes to turn the series around in such a dramatic fashion, but it was one of the most impressive TV turnarounds I’ve ever seen.
“A minute ago, this moment was the future. A minute from now, everything could change.” So says the website for “Futurestates,” an intriguing web series from the Independent Television Service (ITVS), and this is a pretty good mission statement for the series. A collection of unconnected short films by various writers and directors, “Futurestates” explores the not-too-distant future by looking at what is already happening in the world today, from immigration issues to environmental and economic ones. Some of the shorts begin by informing the audience exactly what year it is in which their stories take place, while others do not. Many of them feel as if they could be happening in the present, and this is clearly an intention of the filmmakers behind them.
Amyn Kaderali‘s “The Other Side” thrusts the viewer into the year 2040, after “everything changed,” as Jeff (Brady Smith) puts it when explaining what a cheeseburger is to his young son, Tyler (Jake Short). Along with his sister, Jenny (Abigail Mavity), Tyler is traveling the desert with his father in search of access to the other side, across a border protected by the government. This short film explores the issue of illegal immigration in an unusual and effective way, casting it in a new perspective that might make a viewer think twice about his or her own views on the issue. Annie J. Howell‘s “Tia and Marco,” on the other hand, explores the same issue in a more heavy-handed and obvious way, which offers little justification for its 2025 setting.
Garret Williams‘ “The Rise” and Aldo Velasco‘s “Tent City” both explore the current housing crisis in very different ways, with “The Rise” ultimately touching on environmental issues more than economic ones, while Tze Chun‘s “Silver Sling” manages to comment on a number of current issues, including immigration, economic desperation and fertility technology. Now in its third season, “Futurestates” has many such issues to explore, and a panoramic array of viewpoints from which to explore them. Below is perhaps the most unique and original short film from the series’ first season, Ramin Bahrani‘s “Plastic Bag,” featuring legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog as the title character.
SPOILER WARNING: This post will appear every Wednesday following a new episode of “Sons of Anarchy.” It is intended to be read after seeing the show’s latest installment as a source of recap and analysis. As such, all aspects and events that have occurred up to and including the episode discussed are fair game.
I predicted the title of last week’s episode,”Laying Pipe,” meant something beyond the obvious: that Opie’s death would be the spark that lit the fire behind the rest of this season. As such, this week’s installment would offer both a proper send-off for the beloved deceased and begin to drive the story forward, laying foundation for everything to come. After what happened, a drop in intensity was unavoidable. I just didn’t expect the drop to be quite so far.
While “Stolen Huffy” did deliver that emotional goodbye, too much of the action was focused on wrapping up old plot threads instead of kickstarting new ones. The most obvious representation of this was the continuation of the same old shit between Gemma, Tara, and Wendy. When Jax took the gavel with Tara standing behind him, it was supposed to change things for Gemma. She was, both literally and figuratively, on the outside looking in. Instead, she keeps manipulating everyone, or trying to anyway, and stirs up drama from the same tired power struggle pot. Oh, and Wendy still wants to see her kid. Surprise!
There was also a lot of time to devoted to the aftermath of Nero’s brothel being raided. The gang the “companionator” is in league with believes Emma Jean (Ashley Tisdale) called the cops and wants her dead for it. Jax and company are forced to “rescue” the character, who we barely know and hasn’t done anything especially intriguing in the short time she’s been around. Besides the fact that she’s famous for starring in something on the Disney channel, at this point there’s not a whole lot of reason to give a shit. And by that I mean there’s not a whole lot of reason to give a shit. In fairness, all that stuff lead to Jax and Nero’s new partnership. But it took a significant chunk of screentime to get there.
That said, the story elements that did continue to develop were subtly engaging. Namely, I mean Clay’s continued behind the scenes plotting, which the club remains oblivious to. The camera work during the early scene at the table was revealing. Jax speaks and Clay retorts. Chibs and Tig back their president, while the newly-patched former Nomads seem to echo Clay’s concerns. It certainly lead credence to the theory that Clay is the one orchestrating the break-ins and likely notified vice about Nero’s establishment. Recall last season’s finale, when Jax first took his seat at the head of the table. Just sitting there made him the leader, and when Tig made a move for his customary position, all Jax had to do was raise his hand and say “no,” and so it was. Now these new guys think they’ve earned the right to spout off? They didn’t get that kind of gumption on their own. With Opie out of the picture, a weight has been taken off Clay’s shoulders. The old man is on his way back, regaining strength, as symbolized by his lifting weights. As long as Pope remains in the picture, it’ll be hard to return to his status as the series’ main antagonist, but this is Clay, he’ll get there before too long.
At the end of the day however, all that stuff was just a series of distractions from the last item on the agenda: Opie’s wake. More specifically, the various ways the characters coped with his death. Most of the club remained stoic despite the loss of their brother. Only Lyla and Gemma really seemed to outwardly struggle with the news.
The key word there is outwardly. After all, do we really want our big tough biker gang breaking down in tears? The montage sequence that ended the episode did a lot to show that despite their gruff exteriors, losing Opie really did hurt SAMCRO. Each dealt with it in their own way. Tig put a bottle of Patron in the casket, something for Ope to enjoy with his old man now that they’re back together (tequila was Piney’s favorite drink). Chibs did the Catholic routine and even sniffled a bit. And Clay, well, fuck Clay.
Protagonist that he is, it was Jax’s response that was the easiest to connect to. In tears, Lylya asked how she’s going to raise three children on her own. Jax replied by directing her attention to the people in the clubhouse, telling her “That’s your family.” It was a line that really hit home, especially when he placed the childhood photograph in the casket. Like Jax, I hadn’t really come to terms with the fact that Ope was gone until that moment. The move and all its connotations (that Opie saw death as more desirable than continuing the life he’d lead since that picture was taken, that he and Jax were once innocent children, that Opie’s own innocent children are going to grow up fatherless, etc.) hit even harder than seeing pipe collide with skull.
“Sons of Anarchy” is a series of peaks and valleys. After the ferocity of last week’s episode, “Stolen Huffy” did its best to be poignant and cerebral. That just means we can expect plenty of action to come, as foreshadowed by the shift from sadness to anger in Jax’s face as he slammed the hearse door closed. One can only hope it starts with fulfilling his promise to kill the prison guard that orchestrated Opie’s murder.
Check out the preview for next week’s episode below and follow the writer on Twitter @NateKreichman.
Many younger people do not know much about the Mini Cooper’s history. In addition to being a top-selling automobile since the middle of the 20th century, the Mini Cooper’s legacy is partially tied to its racing history. While most auto teams focused on improving their engine sizes, Mini Cooper drivers instead focused on the light weight and great cornering the Mini provided. In the middle of the 1960, the Mini Cooper dominated the Monte Carlo Rally, winning the race from 1964 until 1967. Its success changed how people envision cars. Today, the retro look of the Mini Cooper stands out among other vehicles. Here are a few ideas for styling a Mini Cooper.
Retro elements: Retro is always in, and those who emphasize the retro aspects of their Mini Coopers will find that their tweaks never go out of style. Homemade items were popular in the sixties, so a knit steering wheel cover will look great in a Mini Cooper. Consider hanging a peace sign, the leading symbol of the 1960s, from the rear-view mirror or elsewhere. The 1960s happy face will also remind people of the era and emphasize what the Mini Cooper should be: a happy, fun car. Particularly ambitious drivers can even consider painting flowers and other elements of 1960s style for an extreme look.
Racing heritage: The Mini Cooper’s racing heritage is legendary, and symbols of this dominance can look great on Minis. Simple, classy racing stripes look great on the Mini’s lines, and new wheels can complete the look. An upgraded exhaust can make the Mini look, drive and sound great as well as serve as a nod to the Mini’s history. Bold drivers may even consider painting their favorite number of the side of their car.
Focus on the interior: Some love the standard look of their Minis, but there are options for styling for them as well. By focusing on the interior, drivers can add fashion cues for themselves and their passengers. Beaded seats are both nostalgic and look great, and a new stereo system is always a worthy, stylish upgrade. Simple upgrades such as new floor mats and accessories to hang on the rear-view mirror can improve the interior look of the car tremendously.
Sophisticated themes: The Mini Cooper is a quirky, fun car. One option more are considering is taking steps to make the Mini a more sophisticated, stately vehicle. A simple black or white paint job paired with tinted windows can transform the Mini from a fun car to one that can even be a bit intimidating. While some scoff at this notion, it is possible to match the more serious look of the Fiat 500 in a car with a slightly larger footprint.
Extreme styling: While most people will stick with relatively minor style upgrades, some people prefer to radically transform their cars. For these people, the Mini Cooper is a great option. Its lines and simple structure makes it a great platform for extreme car design, and Mini Coopers have been transformed into a number of different looks. If the goal is to transform a car into a bug, a dog, a cat or anything else, the Mini Cooper is a great model to use.
The Mini Cooper sells well around the world. With the increased attention dedicated to vehicles that do not negatively affect the environment, the Mini Cooper is positioned to take see increased sales. Those who like to style their cars will find it is a great option.
Why do so many athletes end up broke despite making millions of dollars in their career? That’s the question posed by documentary filmmaker Billy Corbin in “Broke,” the new documentary from ESPN Films that relaunches the acclaimed “30 for 30” documentary series. The athletes interviewed range from Andre Risen to Bernie Kosar as Corbin tries to find common threads in their stories.
Corbin also directed “The U” from the original 30 for 30 series along with the excellent “Cocaine Cowboys.” The story of broke pro athletes is unfortunately a very common one, and recently reports surfaced that Vince Young has blown through millions.
