What’s good? #37

With so much stuff on Netflix, it can be a little overwhelming finding something to watch, especially when one scrolls through and half of what they see are foreign flicks and tv shows that they have absolutely no interest in. With that said, the purpose of these weekly posts is to share something that i watch on the service. Hopefully it will help someone find something new…or keep them from something they might have wasted their time with otherwise.

This week I’m going to cover…

Genre: Musical comedy, dramedy
Duration: 6 seasons (121 episodes; ~40-48 min each)
Cast: Lea Michelle, Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison, Darren Criss, Amber Riley, Grant Gustin, Melissa Benoist, Diana Argon, Naya Rivera, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Corey Monteith 

The world was a much different place back in 2009. First off, we had a competent president. Feminists and Twitter didn’t seem to rule the world. The MCU was still Marvel entertainment. Netflix hadn’t run Blockbuster out of business just yet and us nerds/geeks hadn’t inherited the world. Enter Glee, a show about a midwestern high school show choir. Who in the world thought this would be a good idea?

Well, it lasted for 6 seasons, had a full concert film and an American Idol type special, not to mention the cast includes a Dancing with the Stars champion and the CWs Flash and Supergirl (as well the Music Meister), not to mention the numerous big name guest stars. We’re talking Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Olivia Newton-John, Whoopi Goldberg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lindsay Lohan, Jeff Goldblum,Billy Dee Williams, Tyra Banks, Adam Lambert, Demi Lovato, and the list goes on.

The appeal of this show is two-fold. First, the cast, especially in the first few seasons, is not comprised of a over aged underwear models, unlike most teen shows, but rather average looking individuals. Granted, they still don’t look like typical high school kids, especially the kind that would be in a glee club, but that’s a discussion for another day.

The other aspect that brings people to this show, and is arguably THE thing that brings them in, is the music. During all 121 episodes of this show, you are sure to hear a variety of genres from rock, pop, country, broadway, r & b, and just about everything else in between. One question about all these songs, though, is how does the band know them all and can play them at the drop of a hat? With the exception of the piano player, they are all high school kids, it seems. Another topic for another day, I guess.

Six seasons….was that too many? A case can be made both ways. For me, we started out with a Glee club of apparent freshman and watched as they grew and developed over the years. Once they left, there was a new class that came in, and some of the older ones who hadn’t yet graduated, but we never really got to know them as well because the show kept flashing back to the original members and their drama. Maybe the og members should have had a spinoff show or the serieS moved with them?

There is a sense of woke-ness to this show that predates our current attempt at woke culture. Let me put it bluntly, there is a gay agenda to this show. I have no problem with characters being gay, please don’t get it twisted. What I do have an issue with is when every 5 minutes that is being thrown down my throat. I was talking to someone the other day about this. In season 2, especially, it seems as if half the season is devoted solely to Kurt, the club’s resident gay member. Tolerance, bullying, etc are topics that needed to be covered and this show helped the conversation get going in this country, but there were other characters that needed some screen time. Also, another gay character came later, Blaine, and he is treated like a normal guy who just happened to be gay. Granted, he also doesn’t wear hissexuality on his sleeve, as it were, so that may have been a part of it.

The character is this series are all unique, from a neurotic, ego driven Rachel, to diva in training Mercedes, quarterback turned leader of the Glee club, Finn, etc. These unique characteristics merge well and make this a memorable show. I have to mention Sue, though.

Every show needs an antagonist and Glee has Sue Sylvester, portrayed by Jane Lynch.Originally, she is just the (national award winning) coach of the cheerleaders, but as the series goes on, she seems to become more and more detached from reality. I can’t recall the circumstances, exactly, but she gets a segment on the local news, runs for office, becomes principal of the school twice, coaches the rival Glee club, and ultimately vice-president of the US. This is all while attempting to destroy everything that has to do with the Glee club. She does show moments of humanity, though. Sue does not tolerate bullying and has a soft spot for down syndrome individuals (thanks to her sister). It is her schemes, especially in the final season that make you wonder why this woman isn’t behind bars or in an asylum!

All in all, though, Glee is the kind of show that has a little something for everyone, music, comedy, drama, an insane antagonist, social issues. You may not be up for watching all 6 seasons, but I can bet you’ll see an episode or two that will float your boat.

Give it a shot! What else do you have to do right now, anyway?

Movie Review: Whiplash

PLOT:

A young and talented drummer attending a prestigious music academy finds himself under the wing of the most respected professor at the school; one who does not hold back on abuse towards his students. The two form an odd relationship as the student wants to achieve greatness, and the professor pushes him.

REVIEW:

What did I like?

Jazz is life. Full disclosure, not only am I an avid jazz fan, I also perform here and there when I get the chance on one of my other lives. With that said, I may have a slight bias toward the subject matter of this film, but it should be noted that the number of films that deal with jazz, at least in this authentic way, are few and far between these days (they were a bit more commonplace between the late 40s and 60s). Seeing a film that deals with jazz education in a loving, reverent way, as well as giving audiences a soundtrack that will get their toes tapping and fingers snapping is a true feat, not to mention throwing in some jazz history in the dialogue (listen to Fletcher speak on Charlie Parker).

Practice pain. Whether you played an instrument or not, at some point, everyone wants to play drums because it is the “cool” instrument. At least it is until you get to high school and see the extra fees, time, etc that come with being a good percussionist, rather than just a drummer. It takes lots of practice to be good, even more to be great. As a freshman drummer at a prestigious music school, one can imagine the pressure to stay on top. Add to that an instructor who is hard as nails and pushes his players to their very limits and it is no wonder Andrew, played by Miles Teller, was practicing so much his hands were bleeding. I can’t say that I have known any drummers that have practiced that hard, but I never went to a music school where your whole life revolves around performing, either. The pain of watching Andrew make sacrifices to be the best, especially at his young age is real, and the audience can sympathize.

Fletcher. Think for a minute about J.K. Simmons. What do you best know him from? For me, it’s his perfect casting as J. Jonah Jameson in the Toby Maguire Spider-Man movies (and the quick cameo at the end of Spider-Man: Far from Home). As good as he is in that role, no one would ever call him Oscar worthy. That is until he takes on the role of Terrence Fletcher. Fletcher gives Simmons the chance to really flex his acting chops, relish in being a complete asshole of a person, and is quite the memorable character. I had a few jazz instructors in my day, none of which were anything like this guy. They were more nurturing and understanding. However, I can’t help but wonder had they been more like this how different things would have turned out with my continuing jazz education.

What didn’t I like?

Make it look real. The general public won’t notice this because most are not musicians and/or have not picked up a horn since they quit middle school band to take art, but in almost all of the band scenes, it is more than obvious they are not playing. For me, this was most obvious in a scene where the band is performing the title track “Whiplash” and the trumpet section is supposed to be muted, but not a single one of them has a mute. There aren’t even any on stage! Granted, as a trumpet player, that sticks out to me more than it would anyone else. I will give Miles Teller credit, though. His drum skills looked real. From my understanding, he actually did play drums at one time, so it was easier for him to learn some more advanced techniques (or how to make it look like he knows some advanced techniques) than it would be for a non-drummer. Please don’t get me started on how some of the tracks sound more like a midi device, rather than an actual band. That is a topic for another day.

Death by rushing. I find it rather funny that a film where one of the most quotable lines is “are you rushing or are you dragging” happens to do both. The ending is rushed. In the last 30 minutes, something happens between Fletcher and Andrew that causes a rift, spurred on by the one time we actually see some emotion from the former that isn’t pure rage and anger. It would have been nice to get a little bit more about that situation and the fallout from it, rather than just a quick mention, then something happens, and then the next thing we know everything is hunky-dory. As far as the dragging part goes, well, any scene that doesn’t involve music in some way drags this film down. For instance, there are some scenes where Andrew watches movies with his dad and these just seem to grind the film to a halt, especially since his dad isn’t really much of a character in the film.

Supergirl. I love Melissa Benoist as Supergirl and have recently been watching her time on Glee. She is that attainable level of cuteness that leads you to believe she is approachable, even if you’re a hideously deformed “chud”. Jennifer Garner has a similar vibe. Benoist is also a really capable actress, but that isn’t shown in her scenes. Had this been a romantic comedy, her character would more than likely have been integral to the plot, but as it is, she is the token crush that is sure to be spurned for a sexier model. In this case, said model is Andrew’s desire to become great. As someone who dumped a good girl like this in college for a similar reason, this really hit me hard. Benoist’s character isn’t into music, especially jazz, but for some reason I can see her being totally supportive, maybe even pushing Andrew to even greater feats and heights, but alas, the poor girl is dumped and save for a couple of phone calls, we don’t see her again.

Final verdict:

What did I think of Whiplash? Again, I have a slight bias because of my relationship with the subject matter, but I can say that this was a highly enjoyable films. Fletcher is a quote machine. Teller’s work as Miles is worthy of recognition. The music is top notch, totally fitting the ensemble we are watching as far as level of difficulty. This is a drama, but not a heavy, slit your wrists and spiral into depression drama. For all the accolades this film received, after watching I feel as if it actually could have won more. Kudos to director Damien Chazelle, a man who has a real affection for jazz (as seen with this film and La La Land) for bringing his love and experiences with the genre to the public. I wish more would take their passion for certain subject matter and purvey that into their work. We would surely have better, more entertaining films, rather standard studio poisoned flicks. Anyway, do I recommend this? Yes, very highly! Whether you’re a fan of jazz or not, you’re sure to get a kick out of how well this film is made, as well as enjoy Simmons throwing chairs, stands, screaming obscenities, and other antics that no instructor would be able to get away (legally) today.

5 out of 5 stars