"The Raven" Makes Almost Perfect Narrative Sense

It’s best to say up front that director James McTeigue’s take on the final days of Edgar Allan Poe in The Raven probably falls far short of historical accuracy. While Poe did indeed die in Baltimore in 1849 – most likely from complications related to his rampant alcoholism or possibly rabies after being found hallucinating outside of a pub – his final mysterious days were likely nothing close to those depicted by writers Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare. The truth was probably far more depressing and sad than this mostly enjoyable Sherlock Holmes aping yarn befitting of the famed gothic author until a tragically misguided conclusion.

Arriving unwelcome in Baltimore as a washed up drunken prat turned literary critic, Poe (John Cusack) spends most of his time bickering with his editors about being pushed out of the local paper and teaching women how to write poetry for his rent and booze money. While the once mighty Poe seems to have fallen far, a locally based serial killer has taken to recreating Poe’s ghastly horrors and mysteries as actual gristly murders. The local police enlist Poe’s help to stop the killer, who has also targeted his new fiancée (Alice Eve).

Not a lot of what happens in The Raven makes logical sense, but it makes almost perfect narrative sense. Much like a lot of the real Poe’s work, this film lines up a trail of breadcrumbs that the audience has to follow to reach a final revelation, but that’s not to say that it’s dully handled. McTiegue keeps the action moving along at a great pace, and showing a visual style not too far removed from his work on V for Vendetta. Even when the film’s editing seems to fail him at sometimes the most inopportune of times, the film is good looking enough to shrug off some minor inconsistencies.

Cusack's performance as Poe injects a shot of adrenaline into director James McTeigue's carefully rendered but rather lifeless re-creation of 19th-century Baltimore. The actor plays Poe as a flask-swigging rapscallion, constantly spouting self-aggrandizing boasts that mask his inner insecurities. He's a jerk but an entertaining, flamboyant one. You wouldn't want to hang around him, but you don't mind watching his antics, and Cusack lets us see how Poe feeds on the negative energy he creates, the fuel to his self-destructive fire.

Poe is broke and questioning his own talents ("I've got nothing left," he mutters. "I've used up all my tricks.") He's madly in love with the beautiful Emily (Alice Eve), but her wealthy father (Brendan Gleeson) disapproves, so they keep their affair secret. Then the murders begin, with the killer leaving clues and notes aimed at Poe. Who is taunting the author and why? What does he want, and how far will he go?

"The Raven," written by Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare with an obvious affection for Poe's work, remains engaging as long as the murder investigation remains in the background and Poe commands our attention.

Cusack is primarily known as a gifted comedian, but he's equally good at roles that require him to reveal glimpses of his inner darkeners ("The Grifters," "The Ice Harvest," "Money for Nothing"). Unfortunately, McTeigue (who directed "V for Vendetta" and "Ninja Assassin") is more comfortable with pyrotechnics and flash than angst and brooding. The longer "The Raven" goes on, the less use the film has for Cusack, who visibly checks out of the picture once he's reduced to running around frantically, playing Sherlock Holmes.
By the time special effects a la "The Matrix" pop up, "The Raven" has drifted away into the land of brain-dead sensationalism and dunderheaded story knots. Poe, for one, would not have been pleased.

"The Three Stooges" Bring Back Memories Of Comedies

When discussing The Three Stooges movie from the Farrelly brothers, one has to begin with the brilliant work of Sean Hayes, Will Sasso and Chris Diamantopoulos as Larry, Curly and Moe. It is almost impossible to capture an icon, much less three, and the trio of actors headlining our 21st century rebirth of the brothers Stooge have not only paid respects to the legends, but continue their legacy.

After having the three leads nailing their part of the film, who helms the project has to be perfect, given the subject matter and its place in comedy and Hollywood history. The Farrelly brothers could not have been a better choice. One can almost imagine the sibling pair working with the three Depression-era performers and being on the same page when it comes to the science of delivering the funny, minus of course the modern push-the-envelope method of humor the brothers are known for.

Children have always adored the Stooges, and the 20th Century Fox film is no different. At our screening, there were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments that frankly surprised us, but the younger tones of laughter were emitted machine gun-like throughout.

The story of this film takes a few liberties with the Stooges' story that some purists may have issues with, but like the old serials, it is told in three parts -- each about 30 minutes long.

The first finds our tawdry threesome arriving as mere infants on the doorstep of a Catholic orphanage. They soon hit the terrible twos that seem to last well into adulthood. The story, when it comes to The Three Stooges, is almost irrelevant. It’s all about two things: The bits and the bond that binds these three.

The lovely Sofia Vergara is the femme fatale who is behind the plot of the story (that’s as much of a spoiler as I’ll give.) She, along with the attractive female cast of Jersey Shore are not above getting “slap-sticked” in the movie; you’ve got to admire beautiful women who don’t take themselves too seriously.

The story starts out at a Catholic orphanage when someone throws a canvas bag out of a moving car onto the front steps of the home. In the bundle are baby versions of Moe, Larry and Curly. The good Sisters are delighted with the babes—for a while.

The story is of the “fish out of water” genre but isn’t stale. Moe, Larry and Curly set out to raise money to save the orphanage, but have to go out into the world for the first time to do it. It made me think of the similar plot of The Blues Brothers (1980) movie starring Dan Ayckroyd and John Belushi. I don’t know if it’s a nod to them or not but it works.

And speaking of nods, there are at least two nods to the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch. The first is when, after being victim to one too many antics of the Stooges, Sister Mary-Mengele says she’s leaving. When asked where she’ll go she replies that her brother is in the Alaskan crab fishing business.

Soon the trio is about to set out on their journey astride a bicycle built for three (if that makes sense.) The salute comes when Moe throws a hook that latches onto a passing truck. If you watch Deadliest Catch you’ll see the deckhands throw the same kind of hook in the sea to bring up the pots that are hopefully filled with crabs.

When it comes to the bits, the Stooges 2012 carry on the spirit of the originals. All three actors not only know their way around a laugh, but also possess keen insight into the public persona of the characters they are portraying. Second, the kinship that the original stars channeled that drew a nation into their web of wickedly physical humor is still present. Despite slapping and eye-poking each other all day long, they are able to forgive and forget, and snore away the night together when the day is done.

The supporting cast is mostly up to the challenge. Jane Lynch is her usual awesome self while Larry David shocks us with his self-deprecating humor as a nun. Yes… a nun! Unfortunately the overall story of The Three Stooges lets us down… just a wee bit. But an enormous amount of respect has to go out to all those involved for even tackling the challenge of bringing a unique America-of-a-different era enigma to the world of today.

Watch "The Simpsons Springfield Is Springfield" Online

We know which Springfield is the real Springfield that inspired the town in The Simpsons.

But now people are wondering which local landmarks made it into the hit show.

Okay, point of clarification: The Simpsons don’t actually live in the Pacific Northwest. Yesterday, the world learned that Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie’s hometown was named after Springfield, Oregon.

But Simpsons creator Matt Groening never claimed that the series really takes place in the Beaver State. As everyone knows, Springfield is located in a state that borders Ohio, Nevada, Maine, and Kentucky — that is, one that’s fictional.
Ask most people around the area, and they'll tell you some places in and around Springfield bear an uncanny resemblance to those in the cartoon.

Springfield's museum might shed light on the city's history, but the museum's director holds another original piece. It's a spoof the city created for a contest years ago.

Written by Niel Laudati and Steve Woodward, it highlights the similarities between the Simpsons' Springfield and Oregon's Springfield.

For example, some wonder if Max's Tavern in Eugene could be Moe's.

"Moe's is a huge bar in the series, been in there for 20 years, and that was a connection people always made," Laudati said.

And the wood products mill, some say, bears a resemblance to the power plant.

The Springfield Simpson comparisons are definitely creative. We'll give them that. But there's also one no longer here -- the Springfield arch.

"That's the old lost arch that used to be in the Glenwood area, and a flood took that out many years ago," Laudati said.

Then there are the characters.

"I look like Bart. No, I mean Homer," said Sweety's owner Jack Koehler. Koehler says he's not Homer but says for a certain amount he would be.

All kidding aside, while the show at times can be unflattering, those on Springfield's Main Street struggling to revitalize see this as an opportunity to turn yellow into green.

"I think Springfield, if they take advantage of it, it is something that could be globalwide known," Koehler said.

"I think people will start looking to Springfield and finding what we have to offer here, so I think it's amazing," said Eugene resident Leslie Taubenfeld.

"They are pretty famous, and it sounds pretty cool that our city can be an icon of that," said Adey Gabuya.

"We're already hearing it from the arts community," Laudati said.

Another noted comparison is the names of streets in Portland are the same as names in the show.

Also, some say Shelbyville is Eugene, which is the wealthier larger city close to Springfield.Guess we'll all just keep wondering.

But don’t tell that to Homer Simpson. Since Groening’s revelation spread across the internet, the yellow-bellied kwyjibo has been tweeting up a storm about his city’s supposed locale. Shortly after the Springfield story broke, the Simpson patriarch’s official account reacted to the news: “Springfield’s in Oregon, I am the walrus, and Maggie killed J.F.K. Now you know,” he declared. (People have simply got to stop giving that baby guns.) Later tweets celebrate Oregon as “California’s toupée,” employ pun-tacular dad humor, and express misgivings about Groening’s home state. Evidently, Homey isn’t totally sure how to take this tidbit of information.

And he’s not the only one who feels conflicted. For a record-breaking 23 seasons, the mystery of Springfield’s exact location has been one of The Simpsons‘ most enduring running gags. Even though we know the town can’t really exist, speculating about where it might be is a favorite fan pastime — it’s up there with ranking the series’ best episodes and debating when, exactly, its “golden age” ended. Revealing which Springfield inspired Homer’s Springfield doesn’t solve the riddle, but it does take some of the fun out of guessing.

Delightful And Fun-Watch "Mirror Mirror" For Free

The magic mirror, the poisoned apple, the Seven Dwarfs, the evil queen, the handsome prince, and the fair maiden called Snow White all make appearances in Mirror Mirror. But with director Tarsem Singh at the helm, the enchanted qualities of the Snow White saga are muffled by the weight of visual peacockery. The director of Immortals and The Cell never met a lily he didn't want to gild and then photograph through a kaleidoscope. And his curiously unemotional, obsessive attention to the superficial look of things, combined with a screenplay by Marc Klein and Jason Keller (from a story idea by Melissa Wallack) that layers a jokey post-modern sensibility over an old Grimm fairy tale, makes for a dull and unbewitching movie.

Julia Roberts enjoys herself immensely as Snow's evil stepmother the Queen. And well she might: The character is a psychological classic, a woman vain about her beauty, depressed about aging, and jealous of the young women who will inevitably unthrone her as Fairest of Them All. Playing step-mama with a wink (the heartless bee-yotch also spends money like a sultan while her subjects suffer in poverty), Roberts gets to act out the meanest, pettiest, and most amusingly wicked of urges, laying on the cartoon cruelty. Confidently still one of the Fairest of Them All among her own generation, the movie star has fun with the cute contradiction of a pretty woman playing an ugly competitor.

Anyway, the Queen might just as well save some of her dragon breath: As played by Lily Collins (The Blind Side) with an assist from her screen-hogging, disorienting dark eyebrows, our Snow is a rather bland girl with none of her stepmom's charismatic personality. In a nod to Tangled and the present-day preference for young heroines who know martial arts, archery, or other forms of kicking ass, Snow is, as they say, an agent in her own self-empowerment. (At least I think they say that, in some women's magazine or other.) The young woman takes lessons in swashbuckling from her friends the Seven Dwarfs, and proves to be such a deft hand with a sword that the Handsome Prince — played with true easy charm by The Social Network's Armie Hammer — almost doesn't know what to make of her.

The Seven Dwarfs? They're jokey and squabbly and physically rambunctious — all those things that come with being a) an all-male comic-relief element and b) dwarf actors in a comedy. The guys spend their days as woodland bandits. And when they fight, they look awfully cool when they suddenly become tall, lifted up by their stilt-like giant accordion pantaloons.

Oh, those pantaloons! Mirror Mirror is a film that's all picture and no propulsion, each scene static in a basic set-decoration color scheme of teabag and banana. But those pantaloons — and every other costume in the movie — are marvels of artistry by the late, great multimedia artist Eiko Ishioka. Sprung from Eiko's unique imagination, every garment is an art installation, every hat a fantastical sculpture. And that's just for daily wear. When the Queen plays a chess-like diversion with living pieces moving across a game board floor and, especially, when the Queen throws a fancy ball, the designer dresses the players in creations that display more vitality, standing still, than the whole movie does, joylessly pushing towards its Happily Ever After finish.