#do you understand how surprised I was when I learned that Emmerich and that old veiljumper Strife were like. doing it

[largemandrill]

All criticisms of da4 are instantly canceled out by the canonical old man yaoi btw. Hope this helps.

[thepermanentrainpress]

THE PERMANENT RAIN PRESS INTERVIEW WITH AZRIEL DALMAN

He may only be 7 years old, but don’t let numbers fool you. Azriel (Azi) Dalman already has nearly thirty credits to his name! The accomplished young artist from Vancouver has had a big 2020, but there’s no slowing down for Azi, who has a number of exciting upcoming projects to share with the world. 

Your older brother, Aias, is also an actor. While you are only 7 years old, tell us about your interest in following his footsteps, and what made you want to start auditioning for film/TV?

I loved seeing the completed films my brother was in but I didn’t really understand how he got into them. One day, I was 3 maybe, we went to a commercial audition for my brother and the Casting Director came into the waiting room and asked the kids to practice singing “Old MacDonald.” I knew the song and sang it also. They took the kids in to audition as a group and I asked why this was happening. My mom said it was because they were going to see who should be in the commercial where they sing it. I realized what an audition was then, it meant they were trying out to see who got to be on the video. I asked if I could go do it too and my mom said no because it was not my audition, so I asked if I could get auditions too. After that I got an agent. I never got to audition by singing “Old MacDonald” though so I guess that ship has sailed.

What are your favourite movies or characters?

I love Wall-E and Soul for cartoons. For TV Characters I like Jim and Dwight from The Office a lot. I used to want to be Jake Peralta from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and I think I definitely look like him! And of course I love the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe)!

What is your favourite snack from catering? Is there a food item that you’re most excited to see on the daily menu on-set?

My favourite is a drink, it’s the iced tea. I also like M&Ms but I’m only supposed to have the yellow or orange ones or my mouth will change colours which annoys the people who do makeup... I don’t want to stress them out. I like beef jerky and ramen bowls too but they usually hide those on the truck so you have to ask for them special. For lunch I like trying the new things but my favourite most recent new food was crunchy pork! The 3rd ADs are so nice and deliver the food to my trailer but I like to go for a walk after we eat in the trailer and say hi to the catering people and look at the dessert. On this last project, they learned I liked watermelon on the first day and kept keeping special watermelon for me.

You recently wrapped Coyote Creek Christmas, your first Hallmark Christmas Movie! Congratulations! You worked opposite Ryan Paevey (as your father) and Janel Parrish, tell us about your experience working with Ryan and Janel.

Ryan and Janel are the best humans. They are both down to earth, kind, patient, friendly, funny, loving, talented, and FUN. It was so much fun to work with them because they treated me like a real friend and with a lot of respect. They included me in all of their talks and fun, and never made me feel like I was annoying them because I am a kid. I was very excited to see them every day and now I ask to see their Instagram posts because I love looking at their pictures! I am not surprised they work a lot, they are so good at acting and being around them is so easy. Ryan knows everything about bugs and Pokémon. Both of them are obsessed with dogs and when they saw someone walk by with a dog, they would hug and kiss the dogs... random dogs! It was really funny. They taught me a lot of acting tips also, both on purpose and by accident.

We saw on Instagram that Ryan took you to see Free Guy at the movie theater! Was it easy for you to bond as father-son?

It was easy and instant and it feels like I’ve always known Ryan as a real uncle or something. Sometimes when I am someone’s kid in a movie, I have to do real acting to pretend I am their kid, not because they aren’t nice but because I don’t know them well and I don’t really get to know them too well on the project. With Ryan I didn’t really have to do any acting to pretend I knew him, because I got to know him fast.

What can you share about your character, Noah Bailey?

I don’t think I can say too many spoilers, but I will say that Noah gets to be sarcastic and funny, and I love that. I don’t get to be funny on a MOW (movie of the week) usually, I just get to be cute or scared or sad. Noah was supposed to be a 10-year-old so I got to do some smart lines! And we have some funny scenes too. Ryan said one of the scenes we have together is his favourite scene he has ever done because it’s so funny and cute, and I thought that was really cool.

You can now cross this career goal off your list! Why was a Hallmark Christmas Movie on your bucket list; what do you (and your family) enjoy about them each holiday season?

Christmas movies are the kind of movies you watch every year like a tradition and I love things that are a tradition. My family lives in Vancouver, Canada but MOST of my family lives in America so we don’t get to see them at Christmas. I wanted to be in a Christmas movie so my family far away could see me on the TV at Christmas when they are missing me and so I can watch the movie with my kids when I’m a grown up and say “haha that is me!” For Christmas my family puts up a tree and we eat really good food. We also watch Christmas movies like Rankin/Bass movies, Home Alone, and Die Hard which is definitely a Christmas movie. I basically love everything about Christmas, especially the decorating. My birthday is 2 days after Christmas so I think I’m a Christmas Boy for sure.

Is it funny to see Christmas decorations and fake snow in the summer?

It was a little bit funny but it was also confusing! My brain kept forgetting what season it was. My mom warned me over and over again with every Christmas movie audition that it would be hot, but the joke was on her because we actually had some days that were cold! There were only one or two reallllly hot outside days. We got very lucky. I think the times it was hot on set it was mostly because of the gear and no air conditioning being on. Air conditioning is too loud for movies, I think. It wrecks the sound or something.

You are set to star in the short film Dragon Fruit. What can you share about this project?

Dragon Fruit is going to be so good. The Director, Jeremy Brown, is really nice and smart and made the whole experience really special for all the actors. His props and special effects are amazing... he makes them almost all himself... and the film is going to be... guess what... a sci-fi! It’s post-apocalyptic. A funny thing about it is that I am very dirty in the film so I would go to set clean and they would basically put fake dirt all over me and make my hair messy, then when I left they would clean me up! On one of the shoot dates I had to do a live interview in the middle of the day for another project, so they had to make me dirty, clean me up, and then make me dirty again, and then clean me up again!

Yvonne Chapman will play your mother. She is remarkable in the CW’s Kung Fu as Zhilan. Did it surprise you to see her as the villain in the show?

I was shocked she was a villain because in real life she is definitely NOT a villain type, she is so nice. She is obviously very good at acting! But I am not surprised she is so tough in that show because she does some really tough things in Dragon Fruit too! Yvonne is really nice to work with also, she sits and talks to me and makes jokes with me. I am wrapped on Dragon Fruit now which is sort of sad, because we did it for like 6 months or something, but at least it means the film will be out soon.

You have a part in the action sci-fi Moonfall out next year, and you even made it into the teaser trailer! How exciting! While you likely cannot say much about Sonny Child, what can you share about your initial reaction to booking this movie?

Everything about Moonfall was very exciting. The audition was one of the first ones I got after the forced break by COVID and when we saw it was in Montreal and they were auditioning kids all over Canada we thought it was a long shot, but auditions are opportunities that can be very rare, so you should always do an audition if you are comfortable with it, and always do your best. Anyway yeah, this one was far from Vancouver so when I booked it, we were extra shocked and grateful. Honestly even after the booking, we were not sure it would really happen because of the virus and how things changed every day, so we did not even believe it would happen until we were on the plane! Montreal was the best, I loved it there so much, and I hope I get to work at Grande Studios again!

Did you get to meet and interact with your director, Roland Emmerich? What did you learn from him, and had you (or maybe your parents!) watched any of his previous films?

Yes of course, Roland was the Director so he directed me! Before we left, I watched Independence Day and I was very impressed and thought “This guy really knows what he is doing! I better know my role well!” Roland was very nice and so was Harald (Kloser). They both gave me lots of compliments and I loved that! It was very full-on too, I worked every minute of my time on set there with the exception of my legal breaks and lunch. I loved it so much and I hope I will get to work with Roland on another project someday. I don’t know how to specifically describe what I learned without spoilers, but yeah it was a huge learning opportunity.

What is your favourite object you have gotten to take home from any set?

It’s impossible to choose just one! These are in no order, ok? The first thing is actually TECHNICALLY a lot of things because I often get to take home wardrobe from my character’s “closet” when we wrap. I am obsessed with clothes and was given really cool clothing from the costumers on many sets. Most recently I got a mint hoody I love. I audition in those clothes a lot for good luck. The second thing is a special prop that Jeremy Brown MADE me on Dragon Fruit as a wrap gift. There is a super cool secret weapon in the movie that I will not spoil, and Jeremy MADE me a safer toy version of it. Before my mom saw it was a toy version, she looked very scared when he handed it to me! Third, there are two special items Noah Bailey ALWAYS has with him in Coyote Creek Christmas (no spoilers!) and Ryan, David Strasser (the Director), and Antonio Cupo (the Executive Producer) presented them to me TO KEEP AS GIFTS at wrap in front of the whole crew. It was very special. I am saving these things forever, even some of the clothes! AND one more ok? Fourth, I get to keep the signs that say my name on my set chair and/or trailer door during projects. I hang those up on my wall in my room.

Is there a dream role or character you would like to play in the future? If not character, are there any specific film/TV genres or franchises you would like to be in?

Ok so here’s the thing. I had a few wishes that I wanted to come true in acting... one was the Christmas movie... and one was to play a very specific other actor’s sibling in something. GUESS WHAT? Both those things came true in 2021. Do you know the odds of that sibling thing coming true... my mom said it seemed impossible! But it did come true SOMEHOW. So now I am setting my goals super high and not worrying about how impossible they seem or how many there are. My biggest next goal is to be in Marvel ANYTHING. And you know what, I think Ryan should be in Marvel too, so I think my next goal is to be in Marvel with Ryan! I also want to be a voice of a video game character pretty badly! I also want to do some comedy!

What are your favourite places to visit or eat at in Vancouver?

I am obsessed with sushi and Korean food and lately my favourite place is Shabusen Yakiniku House because you can get both. There’s also a place on Granville Street called The Colony that has a bunch of old arcade games and I love that place too but we haven’t been since before COVID. I hope it’s still there.

You also enjoy other forms of arts like ballet, reading, and writing comics. How do you find the time for all your activities, school, and your growing career in film?

Oh I have a lot of free time. It’s weird. It sounds like I do a lot of stuff but lots of other kids tell me they do like 10 activities really well! I don’t want to do 10 activities because I really like relaxing, so instead of doing like 10, I want to do a few and just do them really well. Ballet is great because I feel like a ninja in the clothes, I don’t have to audition to do it, and it’s definitely a sport. Reading and writing comics I can do while relaxing, and even when I’m on set!

Tell us about the role your parents play in your life and career, not only for you but your brother as well! You keep them busy, but they must be so supportive of you.

My mom does mostly all the acting stuff like keeping track of the auditions and taping and going to set. My dad is a little nervous about going to set for some reason, but I think he would be fine! We are very busy but no one seems to ever complain. The only time it’s a little sad is when we are apart for long during filming but we always do video calls then.

For other young actors like yourself, do you have any advice for how to be confident in front of the camera? What (or who) has helped you prepare for roles and memorize lines?

I think to feel confident you have to know what you are doing. I was confident when I was 3 for some random reason, and then I took some acting classes at LeBlanc School of Acting and those helped me know what I was doing for sure. I have had lots of coaches teach me stuff like Julian, Athena, Kirsten, Natalie, Brian, and Beatrice are a few of their names. Sorry if I forgot anyone! For most specific auditions, I use the things ALL those people taught me and then I work with my brother on the specific scripts. Oh and on the set of my last movie, my new actor friend Naomi King told me that you should learn the scene not the lines... but you will definitely learn the lines once you learn the scene!

We have our signature question for you – if you could be any ice cream flavour, which would you be and why?

Well... I would not want to be ice cream! But if I had to be, I’d definitely be Green Tea or Mango.

Thanks for the insight into your projects and thoughts, Azi! We cannot wait to see you return to action on our screens, and follow as your career grows. To stay up to date on Azi’s upcoming projects and get a behind the scenes look into his busy and exciting life, follow him on Instagram. 

Photo credit (top) to: Candace Woods Special thanks to: NoodleHead Productions

[racingtoaredlight]

Profiles in IMDb Greatness: Glenn Fleshler

I love the Internet Movie Database. was that the big boy from Modern Family working the front desk at a hotel in Almost Famous? Sure was. As such I enjoy looking over random performer pages and arbitrarily judging the scope and quality of their careers to determine if they merit entry into my vaguely defined IMDb Hall of Fame. Today’s enshrinee: Glenn Fleshler

Hello old friends, hope everyone is doing well during this pandemic and instead of protesting at state capitol buildings with the shittiest people alive you’re safe at home enjoying wholesome blog content. While riding out quarantine the mind has more time to wander and ponder the deeper mysteries, like what are the moral obligations a government has to keeping its population alive and in the nearly 50 years of HBO has there ever been a more vital figure in its programming than Glenn Fleshler over the past decade?

Much like Gus Frerotte appearing out of nowhere to be every team’s backup quarterback at some point in the last 20 years, Fleshler just strolls from one prestige television set to another covering the gamut from drama to horror to comedy. I considered writing this post months ago when I first realized we were dealing with Mr. HBO here but quarantine boredom was just the propellant needed to get this baby off the ground.

First Listed Role: While fans of the IMDb HOF may remember my affinity for these actors getting their starts in soap operas the true character actor spirit is captured from appearing in network crime dramas so of course Glenn Fleshler opening up with an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street which also featured friend of the HOF Jon Polito! The episode description is simply “The team investigate a woman who appears to be murdering her husbands for the insurance money” so I’ll assume they ripped the whole thing from the plot of Addams Family Values and Fleshler played Uncle Fester.

Newest Role: Of course after calling Fleshler Mr. HBO I’m immediately served up a role on Showtime’s Billions. I didn’t get into that show when it premiered since I don’t trust Showtime original programming anymore and when I tried to start it up a couple weeks ago I made it five minutes before realizing that a show about rich assholes talking about the stock market wasn’t what I was looking for in 2020. I’m sure it’s delightful.

CSI/Law & Order/NCIS Guest Spots: Three episodes of Law & Order and three more of SVU, six different characters. This is legendary stuff. Let’s go in chronological order where I play my favorite game of trying to guess who the character was in each episode.

Don Hamilton, 2/6/02 - A former aide for a state senator has turned up missing and it’s revealed that she was having an affair with the senator and was pregnant. My money’s on Fleshler as the murderous, fertile politician.

Dr. Noah Kamens, 11/1/02 - Yikes, child sex ring episode here. Fingers crossed that Fleshler was just appearing as a child psychologist and not as a predatory pediatrician but as we’ll visit later he can pull off menacingly creepy well.

Rick Kawalchuck, 4/20/05 - A porn star is murdered, safe to assume Fleshler is the corpse and this light-hearted episode is filled with wisecracks about how with his rigor mortis they won’t be able to close the coffin.

Jimmy Curren, 12/3/08 - A man from upstate New York is found dead in Chinatown, a realistic crime based on my knowledge of midupstate New Yorkers and their appreciation of a good Chinese buffet. This crime leads all the way to the governor’s office and since Jimmy doesn’t sound gubernatorial I’ll guess Fleshler is an adviser who kills the victim over the last potsticker.

Corrections Officer Kravitz, 10/7/09 - This game isn’t fun if you do all the work for me, character name.

Phillip Altshuler, 12/6/17 - A true pro still doing these gigs when at this point he’d been in some truly great TV. this episode is about the rape of a social media star so he’s the venture capitalist funding the app and trying to keep the story under wraps.

One of these days I really should watch an episode of Law & Order.

Hall of Fame Ballot Submissions: Just from the HBO division we got Sex and the City (he looks like Charlotte’s type based on the schlubby lawyer she ends up marrying down the stretch), Boardwalk Empire (not the best show but I did love him as George Remus who always referred to himself as “Remus”), True Detective (hope everyone’s working from home in case remembering the “Making flowers” scene gets you understandably horny), The Knick (technically Cinemax but I always thought they were owned by the same crew, if not when a show has a guy taking a shot of cocaine to the dick it gets in here), The Night Of (kind of became a mess at the end and there entirely too much John Turturro foot picking but the pilot was great), Barry (fantastic show, Fleshler should do more comedy) and then he turned up in the best episode of the incredible Watchmen season.

What a run, when Glenn Fleshler passes on down the road I hope this kicks off his funeral.

Miscellaneous Credits: I didn’t think Joker in any way deserved a Best Picture nomination and the conversation around it was embarrassing all around since in the end it was a mostly entertaining Taxi Driver ripoff but hey, Glenn Fleshler can say he was in award nominated motion picture.

Highest Rated IMDb Entry: Kinda surprised that the True Detective finale landed here since I remember there being disappointment with it even though I thought it and that whole season were fantastic (his relative/ladyfriend Ann Dowd would be a good one to cover in the next post so keep that in mind for the next pandemic) but here it is at a robust 9.6. Fleshler is the right kind of unnerving after a season of buildup to who the killer was. I can see how a fella like that would catch on in multiple Law & Orders universes even if he’s appeared enough times for people to question why everyone in New York City looks like Glenn Fleshler.

Lowest Rated IMDb Entry: A 2016 film called The Rendezvous where Fleshler’s the only name I recognize on the cast list. Let’s learn about this movie together, shall we.

Oof, I was rooting for armageddon to come take me less than a minute in to that. My only intrigue in diving in further is to see if the “we work for a higher power” sticks with that Steel Magnolias accent all throughout the movie. And the quips, my god the quips. The “you think?” line is what happens when Marvel movies are oversold for their witty banter, everyone wants a taste of jokes they don’t have to work on.

IMDb Fun Fact: The only three I had to choose from

Off-Broadway, he has appeared in such plays as Measure for Measure and Pericles, Prince of Tyre.

Fleshler studied acting at New York University's Tisch School of the Performing Arts, from which he has an MFA.

Fleshler's Broadway credits include Death of a Salesman, Guys and Dolls, Arcadia and The Merchant of Venice.

Neat.

IMDb HOF Members: Looking for a Mother’s Day gift for the special ladies in your life? Just send her this list of links and they’ll wish quarantine would never end so long as there are more to read!

Bob Balaban

Jim Beaver

Clancy Brown

W. Earl Brown

Reg E. Cathey

Gary Cole

Keith David

Cary Elwes

Noah Emmerich

Glenn Fleshler

Jami Gertz

John Hawkes

John Michael Higgins

Toby Huss

Allison Janney

John Carroll Lynch

Margo Martindale

David Morse

Joe Morton

Robert Patrick

Bill Paxton

Jon Polito

Alan Rickman

Stephen Root

Matt Ross

Alan Ruck

Peter Stormare

Daniel von Bargen

Next Time: If the pandemic is still ongoing, the monkey from Outbreak. If not, the monkey from Outbreak.

[randomrichards]

10) HIGH MAINTENANCE This anthology series started out as a critically acclaimed web series on Vimeo. Now High Maintenance moves on up to an HBO series, with its style and premise intact. The show centres on a small time marijuana drug dealer (Co-Creator Ben Sinclair) and the rounds he makes. In each episode, we look into the lives of two people who buy from him. Though we get hints of his quirky personality, we don’t learn much about the dealer. He serves as a means of connection for the series. Instead, writers Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld put their focus on the lives of the clients, who are unique and relatable. These people come from a wide range of backgrounds, from an elderly Asian couple to a human embodiment of toxic masculinity. Sinclair and Blichfeld are amazing writers who are able to take the most oddball characters and turn them into relatable human beings. The most powerful is in the first episode, where we meet a guy who seems to embody the gay best friend stereotype. But as the “Gay Best Friend” copes with his meth addiction, he comes to realize his friendship with a spoiled socialite is toxic. Plus, they are able to capture New York in all its quirkiness. During one drug run, the dealer is stalled so a film crew can shoot an episode of Girls. We also get glimpses into the many subcultures of the city, including a nightclub that opens its doors at 5 am. I mean, if the show can make an episode of a dog falling for a dog walker and make it adorable, you know its one standout show. 9) ADAM RUINS EVERYTHING For anyone missing the good old days of Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, allow me to present to you Adam Ruins Everything, a new comedy series dedicated to debunking common misconceptions about particular subjects. In each episode, Adam Conover annoys some innocent bystander by debunking their preconceived notions. This season, Conover debunked popular beliefs on Housing, Christmas and Hollywood. With well researched information and experts, we learn how Prostitutes formed the Wild West, why electric cars aren’t that green and how trophy hunting can save endangered animals. This show will be compared to Penn & Teller’s debunking show, but I believe this show improves on the formula. First of all, he presents the source of his info on screen, allowing the audience to look up the information themselves. Second of all, Conover isn’t afraid to make fun of him. He portrays himself as an abrasive, inconsiderate dweeb who’s unable to make any friends, which provides many gags at his expense. There are even moments when he has to learn lessons, like the monopoly on eyeglasses and the screwed up public defense system. In the wrong hands, this character would come off as irritating to the audience, but Conover has a charming, self-aware presence about him. It helps that he surrounds himself with excellent foils to play off of. Rhea Butcher is excellent as Adam’s chagrined lawyer sister. But his most frequent victim is Emily Axford, who makes an excellent straight person for him to play off of. No matter how depressing the information, the show always ends on a ray of hope. When Rhea points out how screwed up the public defense system is, she celebrates public defense attorneys who still fight on. When reveals the true history of Christmas, he also embraces the idea of people having their own Christmas. There’s no dark cloud that can’t have a silver lining. 8) THE GOOD PLACE After blending comedy with optimism via Parks and Recreation, creator Michael Schur takes aim at the concept of being good with The Good Place, a criminally overlooked sitcom unlikely to get a second season but guaranteed to get a cult following. Welcome to the Good Place, a hipster heaven where only the most saintly go after death. Among them was Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) who’s awarded with a dream house, her soulmate and frozen yogurt galore. There’s just one problem; she’s the wrong Eleanor Shellstrop. Due to a glitch, both Eleanors died at the same time and the other Eleanor ended up in the Bad Place. Now the glitch is screwing up the Good Place into a Roland Emmerich version of Wonderland. To maintain her cover and save the good place, the selfish Eleanor must learn to be a good person with the help of “Real” Eleanor’s soulmate Chidi (William Jackson Harper), who happens to be an ethics scholar. Like Schur’s previous series, this one’s full of unforgettable characters. Bell sinks her teeth into her role, bringing on the charm while presenting Eleanor’s selfishness and pettiness on full display. The flashbacks of her screwing over friends are dark comedy gold. Harper makes the perfect straight man for Bell to bounce off of, portraying Chidi as a man who so uptight about being good that a friend’s cowboy boots sends him into a moral crisis. But the real scene stealers are Janet and Michael, played respectively by D’Arcy Carden and Ted Danson. Carden finds many laughs out of info hologram Janet, especially when a glitch causes her to confuse files for cactuses. Danson delivers another amazing performance as the Good Place creator Michael, who has this childlike fascination for human. The real star of this series is the Good Place itself. It feels like a warm and inviting place, with the bluest skies, greenest grass and colourful buildings. Adding to the personality are the various rules, including character’s inability to swear and the futuristic hologram screens. Adding to the hilarity are the leaders of the Bad Place, with Adam Scott’s leering devil Trevor and the group’s love of Richard Nixon karaoke. This universe has as much personality as Pawnee and is just as unforgettable. It’s a shame this show isn’t getting as much attention as it deserves, but we can only hope word of mouth will give it more attention. 7) THIS IS US This show is the perfect example of less is more. There are no big stars (except maybe Mandy Moore), no big action scenes and no big premise. It’s just a simple dramedy about random thirty somethings trying to get through live despite their personal problems. And yet, this show has become a sensation among critics and viewers. Its success is not so much despite its simplicity as its success is because of its simplicity. Created by Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love), all This Is Us needs is extraordinary writing and astounding performances. Fogelman combines both to give us a group of relatable characters. First, we get a young couple (Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore) expecting triplets. There’s a sitcom star (Justin Hartley) who despises his show and wants out. Meanwhile his twin sister (Chrissy Metz) sees her overweight body as a burden, until she falls for an easygoing overweight guy (Chris Sullivan). Finally, there a family man (Sterling K. Brown) who confronts his estranged father (Ron Cephas Jones), who abandoned him as at baby. All these actors bring so much depth to these characters they feel like ordinary people. The most notable standout is Metz, who brings out the shame overweight people are forced to feel by their environment. Since the opening montage of the characters celebrating their 34th birthday, the show has brought us one extraordinary episode after another. Each episode has a plot twist, presented with a subtle touch to bring more depth to the characters. Fogelman and his writers show a surprising understanding of human nature. They understand people’s stubborn refusal to accept changes in their lives. They understand a person’s tendencies to let bitterness towards loved ones seethe inwardly until it explodes in pure anger. They understand that even the worst actions are done with the best intentions. But in the end, loved ones will always reach a bit of understanding. 6) BRAINDEAD Looking at a preview of this underrated series, you would not expect it to have come from the husband/wife team behind The Good Wife. On the surface, it seems quite fitting for creators Robert and Michelle King, being a political dramedy and all. But then we have space ants eating people’s brains and suddenly we have “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” These two genres shouldn’t fit each other and yet the Kings blend them both together to create a paranoid political satire. Documentarian Laurel Healy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) would rather film tribal dances than get involved in politics. But a government shutdown forces her to reluctantly head to DC and assist her brother, Democratic Senator Luke (Danny Pino). At the same time, space ants are taking control of politicians, creating further divide. With the help of conspiracy theorist Gustav Triplett (Johnny Ray Gill), Nurse Rochelle Daudier (Nikki M. James) and republican senator Gareth Ritter (Aaron Tveit), Laurel must find out the ant’s plans and try to stop them. Of all the shows on this list, this one is definitely the most experimental. This show isn’t afraid to make unusual decisions with their storytelling. For their recaps, the show has a folk singer sing about previous episodes. But with later episodes, they take the recaps a step further. One episode will have the singer do a song about writing a recap for an episode, shown from his point of view. In another episode, he will suddenly start recalling an episode of Gunsmoke out of boredom. Despite these strange directions, the show keeps its full focus on the story. At its core, the ants serve as a political commentary on partisan polarization. In recent years, we have seen a political environment more divided than ever. The most extreme members on both sides are represented by Republican Red Wheatus (Tony Shalhloub) and Democrat Ella Pollack (Jan Maxwell). The show puts equal blame on both sides, both demonizing the other and neither able to compromise. The ones who do try to reach a compromise are shot down by their more extreme superiors. In one brilliant scene, we get a montage of two infected people demonizing each other’s party in the YouTube comments, with both typing the shit out of the exclamation points. Through Laurel and Gareth, The Kings calls on both sides to engage in an understanding. Both hostile to each other at first, these two learn to work together for a common goal, while engaging in the classic will they/won’t they trope. Instead of one trying to change the other, they learn to respect each other’s views and reach a compromise. Unfortunately, a show like this is too original for mainstream TV. If this is the only season, it was a brilliant way to go out. 5) STRANGER THINGS In such a short amount of time, this little series sucked us into the upside down and has ingrained itself into pop culture. It wouldn’t be a surprise if this show led to increase purchases of Eggos. From the moment the show’s neon titles slide in from the screen, Stranger Things sucks you in with it eerie sense of mystery and nostalgic tone. From the moment Will Byers (Noah Schnapps) vanishes, a group of ordinary people are forced into a world of Government Cover ups, world bending monsters and a psychic girl named Eleven(Millie Bobby Brown). The Duffer Brothers seem to draw inspiration from the X-Files with the cover up storyline.[1] But it seems to draw more from Fringe through its creative, unsettling imagery. The Cronenberg-esque environment of the Upside Down unsettles from the slimy settings and limited lighting. But the brothers take the inspiration and make it feel like their own. Unlike those two shows, it’s not agents who are solving this case, but Will’s friends and family. The closest thing we have to an authority figure in lead is the small time Sheriff Hopper (David Harbour), but he’s also an average Joe. Many characters stand out in both their storylines and performances. Though obviously inspired by the Goonies, Will’s friends stand on their own with unique personalities and great performances. Whether it’s the lisping Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) or the mysterious Eleven, the kids stand out in their own way. Winona Ryder gives an extraordinary performance as Will’s desperate mother Joyce, who finds her son can contact her via Christmas lights. With little screen time, Shannon Purser brings such presence to her timid geek Barb that her character started a hashtag trend. Albeit, there are many generic characters, especially with the bullies, but our heroes are so well written you forget about the rest. You can bet many fans will be eager for second season, ready to see what mystery’s in store for the kids. 4) WESTWORLD It’s rare for a reboot to not only match the original source, but improves on it in every way. As Glen A. Larson and Ronald D. Moore did for Battlestar Galactica, creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy take Michael Crichton’s 70s cult classic Westworld and elevates it into a thrilling labyrinth that asks what it means to be human. Welcome to Westworld; a simulation of the old west, where clients get to live their cowboy fantasies. Here is a place where they can unleash their inhibitions to the “hosts”, getting to kill them or worst. But there’s trouble afoot. Android maiden Maeve (Thandie Newton) finds herself growing suspicious of the world around her. Human client William (Jimmie Simpson) falls for “host” Dolores Apernathy (Evan Rachel Wood), who’s hearing a mysterious voice named Arnold. Not to mention the Man in Black (Ed Harris), a menacing veteran client in search of…what? Not to mention the problems within the company, with programmer Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) growing suspicious of program founder Dr. Ford (Anthony Hopkins), who’s resisting changes in the storytelling insisted by the executives. These are just the surface of a complex labyrinth of stories. I can’t say too much without giving away the many twists and turns this series. What I can talk about the themes that run throughout the show. Through the androids, the show asks a lot of questions about humanity. With lack of consequences, some clients get to unleash their worst natures, killing some hosts and forcing themselves on other hosts. It brings up questions of what this says about them. Plus, it brings up questions of how much freewill these androids have over their actions. What I can talk about is the visuals. The set pieces are astounding, each unique in their style and tone. Westworld itself has this gritty beauty fitting for a western. Plus, there’s the saloon piano which plays modern tunes like “Black Hole Sun” and “Paint it Black,” which provides an interesting feel to the universe. In contrast is the laboratory, which has a sterile futuristic look to match the bureaucratic feel. This adds a more unsettling feeling in scenes of the Lowe’s “therapy” with various hosts. The result is a sci fi thriller that reels you in with its stunning visual and complex storytelling. To top it off with many great performances, from the menacing Anthony Hopkins to the commanding Newton makes this show a near masterpiece. 3) BOJACK HORSEMAN Bojack Horseman took an axe and gave Hollywoo forty whacks. When he saw what he had done, he gave the sitcom formula. Starting off as an inappropriate adult cartoon about the life of a has been sitcom actor (voiced by Will Arnett) in a world of humans and anthropomorphic animals, this series went from a Family Guy wannabee into a cynical masterpiece of vicious satire and existential human drama. This show’s fearless in its portray of misery and empathize with the worst in humanity, while adding some animal puns for good measure. In this season, Bojack has finally achieved his comeback with “Secretariat”. Now there’re talks of him getting an Oscar nomination for his dream role. But to get there, he has to deal with awkward film interviews and film festivals. Despite achieving his dreams, he still finds no sense of fulfillment in his life. The same seems to go for his roommate/squalor Todd (Aaron Paul), his ex-girlfriend/agent Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris) and wannabe journalist Diane (Alison Brie). Not so much for Bojack’s obliviously cheerful rival Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins). In its third season, Bojack Horseman continues to stare into the worst of humanity and laughed in its face. From the opening tedious interviews Bojack endures, the series takes aim at SeaWorld, the Academy Awards and the year 2007. On the subject of abortion, an episode does a brilliant job of portray how both sides exploit the subject for career gain. This season takes more risk with its storytelling; with one episode travelling back to 2007 and another nearly dialogue free. There are of course many funny moments, including a scene where he offends the underwater nation with a simple hand gesture or another where Todd accidently tips a waitress millions of dollars. There are as many sad moments, including the Heartbreaking Planetarium scene with Bojack and Sarah Lynn. I imagine years from now, there will be classes analyzing this series. There are already essay discussing its theme on religion, meaning of life (or lack thereof), and human misery. The subjects are so complicated it would take all day to discuss them, so let’s discuss Bojacks’ actions. Bojack remains a selfish, toxic character who constantly screws over all those around him. Whether he’s sleeping with Todd or forcing recovering addict Sarah Lynn into a weekend bender, his behaviour can be infuriating. Yet you still kind of sympathize with him. His actions are a desperate attempt to escape the emptiness of his life and set things right. But he constantly gets in his own way, leaving himself in guilt and misery. Yet, the series argues Bojack uses the guilt as an excuse for his behaviour, or as Todd says “You can’t keep doing shitty things and just feel bad about yourself like that makes it okay.” Through Todd’s rant, the show holds Bojack responsible for his actions, stating that “you are all the things that are wrong with you.” This offers a bit of hope because it means Bojack can choose to be a better person, and he does some good deeds, including returning a seahorse baby to its daddy. Each audience member comes out of it a different perspective on life. 2) GAME OF THRONES No longer able to fall back on the George R.R. Martin books, series developers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss faced the challenge of going forward with an original storyline while matching Martin’s storytelling style. The writers meet this task head on and the result is another glorious season for Game of Thrones. There will be spoilers ahead. The series picks up where the last season left off. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) tries to maintain order after Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is forced to flee her people. A resurrected Jon Snow (Kit Harington) joins forces with his half-sister Sansa (Sophia Turner) to take on the sadistic Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). Cersei (Lena Headey) tries to regain control of her son’s after he’s corrupted by the religious fanatics known as the High Sparrow (lead by Jonathan Pryce). You know what, if I have to go through all the storylines, we’ll be here all day. What I can talk about are the many unforgettable moments. Fans cheered when Snow was resurrected and faced Ramsay one of the greatest battles in TV history. Fans also cried during Hodor’s (Kristain Nairn) unforgettable “Hold the Door” sacrifice. Plus we got some unforgettable guest appearances including Max Von Sydow as the three eyed raven and Ian McShane as a peaceful carpenter who tries to lead the Hound (Rory McCann) to a peaceful existence. It’s just an entertaining season with lots of intrigue and kickass action scenes. 1) (TIE) AMERICAN CRIME and THE PEOPLE VS OJ SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY I know a tie is kind of cheating, but these two have so much in common they had to be put together. Beyond both having “American Crime” in their titles, both are anthology series with each season focusing on a particular crime. Both have reoccurring actors portraying multiple roles. Fortunately, both are astounding, masterfully written shows which use the crime as a means of discussing multiple subjects relevant for many viewers. The first series, American Crime, is an anthology series written by Academy Award Winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave). In its second series, we look into an elite high school, where Taylor (Connor Jessup) believes he had been raped by a member of his basketball team. This escalate quickly was Taylor’s mother Anne (Lili Taylor) seeks justice for her son while Principal Leslie Graham (Felicity Huffman) tries to protect the school’s reputation and the Coach (Timothy Hutton) tries to maintain team loyalty. Through this crime, Ripley dives head on into issues like sexual assault, homosexuality, class, and a little about race. There’s also a great episode focusing on school shootings and its effects on a town. The strength of the show is the misconceptions that lead to misguided decisions. Many characters have their priorities mixed up, yet their motivations are understandable. The Coach lives under a misguided idea of loyalty for his team, but some part of him wants to get to the truth. Principal Graham seems to care more about the school’s reputation than punishing the rapist, yet you can understand the pressure she’s going through. Even Anne’s crusade for justice causes her to go behind her son’s back. Their decisions are morally questionable, but they’re always understandable. As in the earlier season, Ridley never offers any easy answers in this show, forcing the audience to ponder moments long after each episode. The People VS. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story looks at OJ’s murder trial. Most of the media’s focus is on Ryan Murphy’s contribution to the series, but the real credit should go to Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Having worked together on screenplays for Ed Wood, Man on the Moon and Big Eyes, these screenwriters are the masters of biopics. They bring their A-game in this series, bringing us into the court cases from many perspectives. We get all of the infamous moments, from the low speed car chase and the gloves moment to the controversial Time Magazine cover and prosecuting attorney Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson) many hairstyles. This time, we get to see it from the point of view of the players. It allows us to see the inner workings of lawyers, media and their families. Like American Crime, this series uses the crime to discuss multiple issues. It was inevitable, considering this trial triggered these discussions in the first place. At the centre of the trial was of course race. The series begins with a montage of newsreels of the assault on Rodney King, which cultivated in the riots when the cops were acquitted. With anger at the LA Police’s racism, this became more than just a murder trial. It embodied how the law targets people of colour. Adding depth to this is prosecuting attorney Christopher Darden (Sterling K Brown). As the one person of colour among the prosecution team, we not only see the perspective of the rare person of colour who believed OJ was guilty, especially thanks to Brown’s low key performance. The show also deals with sexism through Marcia, who had to deal with media making shallow comments about her looks, especially when she keeps changing her hairstyle. Paulson makes you feel every painful humiliation Clark suffers. But the most fascinating aspect of the series is its look at media and how it screwed up the trial so much. Led by the charismatic Johnnie Cochran (Courtney B. Vance), OJ’s defense team knew exactly how to manipulate the media in their favour. With no media savvy, the prosecuting team failed to see the media war they were in the middle of. As the show progresses, it becomes harder for the courts to keep the news from interfering with the outcome of the trial. Both of these shows bring out the complexities of their crimes, handling many issues with clear focus and honest maturity. The actors bring out the humanity in their characters, thanks to brilliant writing. These shows are an experience, guaranteed to get people talking after every episode. [1] I could imagine Agents Mulder and Scully investigating these scenarios. Who’s up for a cross over between Stranger Things and the X-Files?