Cleverdick

Lights Out 

Catching up with my gaping lack of TV this last month, I found Cleverdick on Sky Anytime. Airing on the normally reputable Sky Atlantic, Ann Widdecombe comes off poorly here in every light which, not to be too mean, should have been expected by any who have seen her in the light. I doubt the producers will be "toasting their success", to borrow one of her more famous phrases.

Looking like a decayed Anne Robinson - I'd say older, but it's amazing how well plastic and toxins can hold up - she's out of place and out of synch with the world.

Despite being quite an interesting new quiz show - the format strongly similar to a DVD home pub quiz I played last month - it needs some swift restructuring. The opening title sequence is some noir attempt reminiscent of Mad Men but lacks any of that shows humour or engagement. The panel is made up of regular people it seems, although at least two are professional quizzers, so that may be a requirement.

A clever dick is defined, by Ann Widdecombe, as someone "irritatingly and ostentatiously, knowledgeable or intelligent", and despite claiming herself to be one, she matches up to only the first pairing of adjectives there, so logically she becomes half a cleverdick, although I doubt it would be the former half in this comparison.

She cites her own qualifications for being a c-dick as having "read Latin with Greek supplementary" and that she "almost ran the country" a fact which is repeatedly brought up.

Moving away from the Widde-rant, for now, the show does provide a nice range of information and some challenges to stay-at-home quizzers. It is, Ann professes devoid of any pop culture - at her apparent own personal edict. Which is then followed by questions on music, football and most gratingly for the host, Lady Gaga, who becomes part of a mocking diatribe after the round.

The contestants could have been better selected. Not to come off too sexist, but the one woman, Susan, on the show would have been better off elsewhere. She scored the lowest and lacked any presence or personality. The two established quizzers are, if not personable, at least engaging - David producing a phenomenal opening round, and the other, Rob, being quite endearing, and reminiscent of a young James May. The remaining contestant Steve, is the most "everyman" of the four, not for his presumed male genitalia, but for being the one most identifiable to the every day viewer.

The subjects of the questions cover an interestingly diverse range, even with the proclaimed boycott on popular culture; film, music, football, the Oscars ... And of course history, geography, art, animals etc etc

Aesthetically, the set is a bit dour and somber, a merge of red and blue and black, and the podium has a notably phallic implication when aligned with the four contestants and the show name.

It's a tolerable show, but to become something worth watching for entertainment, it needs rebranding, rehosting and rewriting. The tone should be decided upon instead of flitting between Widdecombe's barbs and the pompous nature she exudes, or if a mix is required, a more host with which the audience can empathize with should be recruited.

There are a few smirks, mostly at rather than brought about by the jokes, and the contestants should be more involved, with time spent talking to them so that the audience can become invested in their successes and losses. The apparently unintentional riffs on the show name could also be more self-deprecatingly addressed for some cheaper humour if the possible offence to the more erudite viewers is weighted as worth the engagement of the rest of the television tribe.

Steve Hogarth & Richard Barbieri - Not The Weapon But The Hand

A short, but beautifully composed album, the artistic flare extends to the sleeve, which takes the form of a miniature coffee table book. The songs are abstract, kitsch and laidback, distilling a melancholy and lethargic air across the album's eight songs. Excellent for lazy day background music, or for unwinding to after more hectic activities, it's the perfect complement to a book and beverage evening.

Top 10 - Alternative Musicals

Andrew Lloyd Webber can be said with some certainty to be the most renowned contemporary composer, and the musicals which bear his name have the same tendency of success as Holly Willoughby would have on the pull in a Forbidden Planet. 

There have been however, a significant number of other musicals in recent, and the not so recent, years with just as much right for your viewing - and above all, aural - pleasures, if not more. 

Hopefully we can avoid any Cats-fights with the disclaimer that these are based on their songs over the films themselves - although the films are bloody good too, for the most part at least (Is it more or less? Who knows ...) -  and should be viewed whenever the chance arises.


And remember kids, these are alternatives, so Fiddler on the Roof, Pal Joey, Phantom of the Opera, Singin' in the Rain et al are taking a back seat here.


#10 - The Blues Brothers (1980)




 
Riding on the success of their SNL skit, Belushi and Aykroyd star as the eponymous siblings who seek to save their childhood home. The songs are recent (at the time of release) hits and popular songs. It's a cut favourite, but it only makes the cusp of this list because the songs are (sorry to the fans) quite mediocre and unoriginal. Despite that, it's aged well and retains its humour and relevance in contemporary culture.



#9 - Team America: World Police (2004)




  The notorious cast-creators of South Park continue their satirical war against the world with an homage to someone that it seems they never really liked. Inspired by Gerry Anderson, they nevertheless found Thunderbirds and the like too expository and serious - overtones obviously missing from their puppet parody. The parody extends into the songs as well, with expertly displayed genre-awareness of the types of music more conventional films would exhibit.
 
 
#8 - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)





The video has been flipped horizontally by the uploader for some reason.  A combination of classics including Phantom of the Opera and The Picture of Dorian Gray, it lacks the success of the similar Rocky Horror, or to be blunt, the charm, but it still stands as a great novelty movie for a campy night in with the girls / boys / assorted others, and gives a novel take on some great literature - just in case you ever need a reason to justify a peek at what still remains a non-mainstream classic.



#7 - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)




  More main-sea than mainstream, TNBC has become the kitsch cliché for the goth-abbe clique. Like most of the cast, it's a hard one to kill, the songs being catchy, generally upbeat and have been the subject of some amazing covers, although admittedly by artists on the "darker" side of music such as Amy Lee, Marilyn Manson and Panic! at the Disco - I take a small amount of pleasure in bunching all three together, but for those who object, and don't appreciate the point being made, remember I could always have used Fallout Boy.


#6 - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)




  With an impressively large number of nominations and awards, both for the film itself and the soundtrack,  the film was a greater success than I'd suspect Matt and Trey ever anticipated. Another full-frontal lampoon towards the world at large and censorship in particular, the lewd and obscene songs are as catchy as many of the more fashionable types of STI and just as fun to spread around. Even if you abhor the series from whence it came, once watched, the  music will be bouncing around in your head for long after.


 
#5 - The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)




   A slight break from formation here as this was originally a stage musical. The success and gaudy flare with which screenings and performances alike have been enjoyed, and the mass cult appreciation / dislike of the film have wedged it firmly into the pop culture of the last few generations. The songs are memorable and can even be considered beautiful in the right light - a thought appropriate to the majority of the film, with the characters and sets often benefiting from limited lighting. An intensely sad story, for those who see through the camp casing, the songs range from the humourous to the melancholy and are a great condensation of pop culture in the tail-end of the 20th century.


#4 - Little Shop of Horrors (1986)




  A subtly cathartic joy-ride of thrills, spills and kills, this will draw you just as literally as Audrey 2 could, and is another movie that sprouted from a musical. Steve Martin plays a dentist who'd make you prefer The Marathon Man's specialist, and the songs are all suitably over-the-top. It isn't for everybody, but even those averse to schtick and schlock may find it growing on them. #8, #5, this and the following #3 would be a great run of films to watch together if you ever have a spare night and are in the mood for a meretricious musical marathon.


 
#3 - Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
 

  I debated putting this in the number-two slot, and even dallied with giving it the top-spot,  but I think my overt appreciation for Anthony Stewart Head may be at play in my considerations there. Despite any possible bias, it more than deserves the bronze medal for the incredible storyline, mis en scene, casting (well, most of them), and of course the songs. Disturbing, enthralling and above all thought-provoking, Repo! is still something of a sleeper hit. Buy it now before it breaks and HMV jacks up the price 500%.



#2 - The Lion King (1994)






  A second, more traditional Disney musical, it remains the only stereotpical Disney outing here as it has the quantity of quality which Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast etc. lack. The songs are fun, the story sad but fulfilling and it has great supporting characters who more than steal the show. This is the one most likely to have been seen by everyone on the list, and deservedly so as it remains a solid example of how to rip off other peoples' work and make a profit from it.


#1 - Moulin Rouge! (2001)




  With more songs sampled than you can wave a conductor's baton at, it took almost two years to secure the rights for all of the songs used. It's a meta-musical and I find it astounding. The overt sexuality of the subject is handled remarkably well, prioritizing entertainment and true vaudevillian entertainment over more illicit and explicit possibilites. The mix of songs and pop references is staggering and they are masterfully concocted that repeat viewings will continue to refresh and imbue if not another smile, then at least a continued appreciation for the phenomenal crafting of the music and the showmanship. The story is sweet (and again, what shall politely be called eternal) with the roles well cast and the theatrics articulated and choreographed with deceptively precise abandon. It's a must-see for any who enjoy music in any form.



And as a special mention, the enjoyably awkward The American Astronaut's songs are engagingly baroque and ellicit a visceral pull upon the viewer as they are so engrained within the film's narrative. Imagine David Lynch doing The Blues Brothers and you'll be half-way there.




   

A Breakfast Quickie

A positively healthy option compared to the Waffle-wich, these snacks are hot, filling and tasty with a capital "-ty". And in keeping with the innuendo, cheap and fast too.

   

• Paninis / Bagels
• Chicken / Turkey
• Stilton / Brie

Job done.




How you mix / prepare will depend on your tastes, but in the photo above we have turkey and brie paninis and stilton and turkey bagels. Toast your buns, butter them up as required and include any sauces or similars.

Not much else to say, except for enjoy.

The Muppets

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights. The muppets are back, after a decade of their felt getting fuzzy.

They've retained their original values - there's no CGI, no animation. Just real people, real puppets. Maintaining the vaudeville kitsch that entranced their original audience, their rehearsals in the theatre will stir the memories of any long-term fan.

The film starts with enough lip-twitching moments to make the back-story palatable, and even pleasant, although the initial musical number was a bit too saccharine for my own taste. Opening in the utopia-burb of Smalltown - which seems to share the muppet-world acceptance of the clothy ones - the fourth wall is quickly broken and the snorts, exhalatations and other breath-evacuating sounds of humour begin their march from your lungs - occassionaly twanging into your heart if you're a long-time muppet fan - and out into the world.



The walking plot-hole and lead role that is the unaware-of-his-true-muppet-self Walter is shown to be becoming quickly jaded as his apparently biological brother Gary (Segel) grows up, unknowingly leaving Walter to wallow in the Lost Boy lifestyle. He soon finds his Wendy-bird though in the form of The Muppet Show television programme, becoming a huge fan of the series and its stars.

Gary and his long-term girlfriend are going to Los Angeles on a romantric trip for three. The ecstatic, and possibly elasticated, Walter eagerly anticipates a trip to the muppet studio lot, but becomes dejected upon finding the cast disbanded and the grounds dilapidated. In a conveniently-timed moment, he overhears the aptly named Tex Richman (Cooper), an oil baron, planning to destroy the property.

Enter the frog.

Finding the mansion, built by one little pig, the following scene is well managed, extracting a laughs and nostalgic smiles amidst a subdued, forlorn musical number and setting. And here begins the Blues Brother style, getting the band together series of vignettes and self-referencing montage.

The ending - or at least the credits coda - sadly falls short, and seems oddly trite compared to the obvious thought and dedication that has gone into the film. It does little to sour the experience, and can even be seen to fit into the muppet-verse's laws of normality, but it still seems tacked on, more so after the extravagance of the preceding musical number.

The music itself is spectacular - mixing the talents of original crewmember Bret McKenzie and the edgier sounds of Flight of the Conchords' James Bobin. It mixes the twee and the original. The return of Rainbow Connection is a particular high point, with a certain Nirvana cover coming a pretty close second and Cee-Lo Green's Fuck You is used to great effect, although the fowl language (sorry, I can't help it) may not be to everyone's tastes.

The film will satiate repeat watchings, especially if you buy the expected extended edition, if only for the celebrity hunt, which I find apt for a Hollywood movie. Its cameos have become something of a legend, and whilst sadly some never made it from paper - seeing Elmo in this would have replaced Walter's reflection as the highlight of the movie for me - there are still an incredible amount of stars to be seen, both for those who are hardcore muppet fans, and those who just like seeing contemporary celebrities. Of those who were left on the cutting room floor, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are perhaps the most wanted for the DVD feature, but there are plenty of musicians in the film already to watch for.

For the die-hard and the newborn devotees both, the film is engaging, whimsical, and a great romp back and forth between memory lane and the modern world. It's therefore a greater shame about the stinger (credits scene) as the major narrative of the movie is concluded with a mundane plot device, reducing what would have been a fantastic story to an incredible show - but then, that's arguably what The Muppet Show is all about.

Original Auteurs

It's a child's instinct that we mostly only hone over time, but claiming you were first, someone stole the idea, someone copied you - they happen everywhere. There are even safeguards to formalise and prevent this in law, such as the patent office and copyrighting.

It's a brush that is largely used to paint those in the entertainment industry - especially the film and music branches.

In some cases, usually in movies, it's quite clear when a film is ripping off another area, or paying homage to it, if those behind it own up to it / use only a slight aspect.

In music, it becomes a bit harder as voices have a tendency to mimic what they here, so any new music in the same genre will sound similar. Fashion and clothing, or the supposed individuality of character they can represent can also merge with another artist - it's seen all the time in cliques or sub-cultures.

A slight overlap can be allowed then.

But when the overlap is too great? A few years back, the subject of Avril Lavigne copying songs made it onto BBC News. The year after, there were claims that Miley Cyrus copied Avril. It's likely that someone will have copied Cyrus by now. In some cases, this is due to music sounding alike, if not identical - an odd point here is that I've never heard it said that Will Smith copied anyone, despite most of his famous songs being set to other people's music. If not the backing track, the voices sound alike, or the subject of the songs are the same. Or we have the ubiquitous individuality of appearence. Even amongst the sets renowned for appearing similar.

Youtube plays host to hundreds, if not thousands or more, of videos comparing artists, videos, films etc.

One of the most enjoyable, largely due to the song it's set to, can be viewed below:



This was inspired by a dispute I oversaw where there were claims that Jessie J has been impeaching upon Katy Perry.

Domino can be seen here: (or a live video which shows the merging of image more clearly can be found here)



and Last Friday Night can be compared here:



The music is the point of the comparison, but the videos compare well too.

Jessie J has a more serious / deep voice than Katy Perry and contrasts nicely. It would be nice to see a duet by them. Their voices match up the same way that I think Lana Del Rey and Paloma Faith's do.

Lana:



Paloma:




Both have similar assurance and inflection, but they sing with such individual distinction that a merger of them both would be quite aurally interesting.

The Riddler

As I've been reading up on him for an upcoming Batman story, I'll be quickly glossing over and superficially analysing Edward N, AKA The Riddler.

Long seen as one of Batman's most intelligent villains, Nygma is characterised by what has now been written as a compulsion to leave a riddle, stemming from a long stream of childhood abuse, both physical and mental. His father, a less than cognitive man, was jealous of his son's superior intellect and would vent his frustrations through a physical admonition of the young Edward to "tell the truth".

This, along with being awarded a riddle book as a prize for completing a puzzle - in which he cheated to ensure his victory - formulated the idiom which would eventually become his major alias.

The issue of his surname, variously Nashton and Nigma / Nygma, has been addressed by his name having been legally changed to the various scripted Nigma / Nygma upon leaving the small pickings of normal criminal life and entering into the Gotham City arena.

Beginning as a profiler and informer, he would help the underworld, including Batman himself, by providing information and insight, before establishing himself as a notable criminal within his own right.

The major events for the character are his development and subsequent curing through a Lazarus Pit of brain cancer, which evoked an epiphany within Edward, revealing the identity of Batman.

In a poignant, if perhaps unintentional mimcry of his original backstory, Riddler is then humiliated and beaten by his peers once again, becoming introverted and furthering his insanity, ending up as one of the many homeless on the streets of Gotham.

After another rebirth, this time from a codebook rather than a pit, he returns to an impressive form against the Green Arrow and Aresnal. His predictable imprisonment after this is once more disrupted as the Secret Society of Super Villains arranges a global breakout - which culminates in his being hospitalised by Shining Knight, comatose for a year.

This fall and rebirth cycle continues when he awakens, but this time, there are some facets cut differently.

His compulsion for riddles is gone, he has amnesia, possibly retrograde amnesia, but establishes himself once more as an informer and profile, completing the circle of his life in Gotham.

His role as a detective in this manner had him working alongside both Batman and Nightwing, deducing Grayson's identity whilst harbouring a suspicion towards Bruce Wayne.

Since then, he had been held in a torpid state by Poison Ivy, who, along with Harley Quinn had been using his rooms as a hideout. Brought out of this by a villain out to make a name for himself by killing Catwoman, he begins to show signs of slipping by beating the already downed villain viciously with his ?-cane.

Still continuing as a law-abiding detective, he saves the life of a woman, collaborating with Batman and earning some small measure of trust, although Batman is still dubious.

Whilst conducting more detective work, Edward's face was marred by an explosion, which prompted him to use his old domino mask and reawoke his dormant psychoses. After being used and betrayed once more by Quinn, Ivy and Catwoman, he begins to ruminate over returning to his criminal ways, eventually stepping back onto the crime scene with Enigma, his daughter, who it is indicated he later kills.

His powers, such as they are a reasonably unknown talent for escapology and an incredible intellect, knowledge and deductive process - he was able to deduce through purely mental activity, something which Dick Grayson required both Alfred and the Bat-Computer for.

The constant, near phoenix-like, cycle of rebirth which has defined the character - more so than usual, as it unusually repeats along much the same lines each time - identifies Edward / The Riddler as a man not so much bad as unguided.

Betrayed time and again, out-muscled rather than out-brained by those who would be considered family - a stretch admittedly, for the other villains - he has forever held the sanctity of truth paramount. His riddles are a way to deal with his compulsion towards honesty, whilst still satiating his undeniable psyche, as his id, ego, and super-ego can all be seen manifested in his crimes, an incredible focus of being. This has led to his introversion, and more cerebral approach to crime, and placed him in something of a second-tier on the criminal scale.

His mental capacities are undeniable, and often sought after by others, but his lack of brutality, or finite violence has lowered his standing. This can be considered quite wry as Riddler has often deviced quite inegnious, if not sadistic ways in which he can have his victims kill themselves.

His general character portrayal has matured over the years, but he still remains a somewhat fey character. I have however, yet to encounter him in the new 52, so consider this to refer to the previous workings.