Take 4 TV: Carnivale

Carnivale: Season One (2003)

What's Going On: Ben Hawkins, a young man with a mysterious past, is picked up by a traveling carnival and slowly begins to discover that the strange dreams he is having come with even stranger powers. From a strange, shadowy "Management" figure who never shows it's face, to an honest-to-goodness (albeit comatose) psychic, Ben ends up not being that much of misfit among the carnies and sideshows.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore: We're in the Dust Bowl of the Southern United States during the 1930's. Think Steinbeck. Think Okies. Not the most scenic of television series, but the stark and bleak mood is fitting a lot of the time. However, there's also a parallel storyline that takes place in California, involving a small-town priest who also begins experiencing strange visions and occurrences. More on this later...

Familiar Faces: You may recognize Samson, the "little person" who oversees the day-to-day operations of the carnival and answers to Management, as the mysterious Dwarf from Agent Cooper's dreams in Twin Peaks. He's played by Michael J. Anderson. There's also Adrienne Barbeau, who plays Ruthie, the Snake Charmer...I remember her from the 1980's classic film Swamp Thing (I think HBO played it three times a day for most of my elementary school years), but she was also in Cannonball Run, not to mention a slew of guest appearances on TV shows, including Hotel, Love Boat, and Fantasy Island. Finally, there's the character of Brother Justin, played by Clancy Brown. I wasn't sure where I recognized him from, but as my roommate was watching Lost on DVD, I noticed him: he played Desmond's "hatch-mate," who was introduced in the flashbacks of the final episode of Season Two.

Three Things to Look Out For: 1) A very beautiful and well-crafted opening credit sequence. 2) Several appearances by Robert Knepper, who also plays "T-Bag" in Prison Break. It's odd to see him play a likeable character for once. 3) Confusing parts that are either flashbacks, dream sequences, or some strange hybrid of the two.

And the Winner Is...: In the category of Most Succinct Plot for Revenge, the winner is Sofie, played by Clea DuVall. Short, sweet, and she even manages to take out two birds with one stone. Check it out in the final episode. It's not earth-shattering, but very concise and to the point.

Random Trivia: Nick Stahl, who plays Ben Hawkins, is rumored to be up for the role of John Connor in the next Terminator movie.

And I Quote: Justin: 'I'm reminded of the phrase "making a deal with the devil".' Tommy Dolan: 'Aw, come on. I'm not that bad.' Justin: 'No. You're not.'

Curt's Take: Not a Priority - I had high hopes for this series, and very much enjoyed the opening episode. Here you have a mysterious loner with strange powers he doesn't fully comprehend, placed against the mystical backdrop of a traveling carnival. Several states away you have a creepy priest, also bearing mysterious powers. I was expecting some sort of confrontation between good and evil, much like Stephen King's The Stand. But, you get through all twelve episodes, and the two characters never even cross paths, except for a handful of dream sequences! Major disappointment for me. Most of Season One is instead spent exploring the lineage of Ben Hawkins, and how some folks from his past may have interacted with the carnival before. There's not a lot of momentum, however, and I firmly believe that they could have condensed all the key plot points of Season One into maybe four episodes. I'll still watch Season Two, though...and just hope that there's more interaction and overlap between the two separate plots.

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Next Time on Take 4: In anticipation of new fall seasons, I'm hitting some of the shows I need to catch up on. Earlier this year, I checked out Battlestar Galactica, and was pleasantly surprised. Let's see how Season 2.0 treats me, as Season 3.0 is coming up quickly!

Take 4: Winner's Picks

A couple months back, I did a "Mystery Theme" review, where I asked you, the loyal reader, to guess what was the common bond that held together the four DVDs I reviewed. Three winning entries emerged, and as a reward, they earned the right to each pick a film for me to review. Below are the film selections of the three winners...along with a random fourth movie of my choosing. Also different this time around...I've replaced "Curt's Take" with "The Breakdown." Recognizing that a "one size fit's all" movie review doesn't always work that well, we'll see how this new "caveat" format takes off.

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Logan's Run (1976)

Recommended By: Aaron Brown, of Rapp Collins Dallas. The only person in the RCW network to guess right, he earns top spot in this review. He gave me three options to choose from, and I'd already seen the first one, so it came down to either this one or Blade Runner. I opted for the one I was less familiar with.

The Premise: Welcome to the 23rd century! Life is great, and everything is provided for you, in order to better allow the pursuit of whatever pleasures are most appealing to you. One catch...it's all over on your 30th birthday. Once that hits, you have two choices: 1) Participate in the ritual of "Carousel," where either you are renewed or burst into flames, or 2) RUN!

Leading the Pack: Michael York plays Logan 5, a Sandman. Sandmen are a police force of sorts, who hunt down Runners (people who try to avoid Carousel when they turn 30). You may recognize him as Basil Exposition, from the Austin Powers films, or from the film adaptation of the stage musical Cabaret, as well as many other films. Of course, given the title of the film, it's not too hard to guess what happens to him. The female lead, Jessica 6, is played by Jenny Agutter. Having watched a lot of British programming, I have seen her pop up several times (Red Dwarf and MI-5, just to name a couple things I've reviewed on here)...so she's a bit of a pop culture icon in Britain. As for the supporting cast, Farrah Fawcett (Majors) has a small role that's kind of fun, as does the great Peter Ustinov.

You Know You're in Blade Runner When...: Your surroundings look like a 1970's take on what the 23rd century will look like. A great special feature on the DVD is a featurette on the making of the movie, and how the "latest technologies" were used in bringing to life the 23rd century. Ooo...lasers! Holograms! People with faces wrapped in tin foil! The line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail kept coming to mind: "It's only a model." The film tries to be very advanced for its time...but it is also a contemporary of Star Wars, and it does pale a bit in comparison to that. That having been said, the sets and effects are interesting to watch, in a "you got it so wrong" sort of way. Or who knows...maybe in the next couple centuries, technology will start going retro and we'll see a return of dot-matrix printers and rotary-dial telephones.

Random Trivia: The waterfalls and steps that Logan jumps into to get back into the dome are real. This is the "active pool" of the Water Gardens located in Ft. Worth, Texas. The active pool has been closed since June 2004, when four people drowned there, near the spot where Logan and Jessica dove in.

And I Quote: Jessica 6: [seeing the sun for the first time] "What is it?" Logan 5: "I don't know. Whatever it is, it's warm."

The Breakdown (formerly "Curt's Take"):

• "Must See" - For any die-hard sci-fi fan, this one's a classic...and along with Star Wars and 2001: A Space Oddysey, is a film that you probably shouldn't let your fellow sci-fi friends know you haven't seen yet. Or, if you've ever played the game Paranoia...well, come on, they live in a big dome. have color designations, and are ordered around by a computer (and bonus points to those of you who know what the hell I'm talking about). And because of that more obscure latter reason, this is where I fall.
• "Worth Considering" - If you like the cheesy special effects of B-Movies, but during an era when they still drew in big-name stars to act in them, this movie is pretty entertaining. Also, if you saw the Star Wars movies, but were content waiting until they came to DVD, you might fall in this category.
• "Don't Bother" - Pretty much everyone who doesn't fall into the two prior categories. If you don't like science fiction, this movie isn't going to make you come to the light side of the force, and if dated set design/special effects bothers you, you're probably not going to be able to look beyond that and just have fun watching this.

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Do the Right Thing (1989)

Recommended By: Brian Dauernheim (aka "The Weasel"), a good buddy from my undergraduate days at Michigan State who now lives in the Washington, DC area. Let's see...a Spike Lee Joint or The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Spent about two seconds deciding between the two.

The Premise: It's a quiet, sweltering day in a downtown New York City neighborhood, as Mookie heads to work at Sal's Pizza. The rest of the movie is largely a slice of life on this city block, with tensions escalating along with the heat: very slowly, but steadily and uncomfortably. Not so much a "plot" as a culmination of events.

Leading the Pack: The two big names and focal points of the film are Spike Lee (who plays Mookie) and Danny Aiello (who plays his Italian-American boss, Sal). There are a ton of other notable names in the film, though: Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Rosie Perez, John Turturro, Martin Lawrence, and Samuel L Jackson (billed as "Sam Jackson")...just to name a few.

You Know You're in Do the Right Thing When...: The day seems to stretch on...and on...and on. No, I'm not saying this was boring, but more a nod to the fact that the entire movie (for the most part) takes place across the span of a single day. This works for the movie, though, as you get to know the different characters and ethnic groups during a more cohesive time period...and there are a lot of characters and groups to keep track of. People of every cultural background...Whites, Blacks, Asians, Hispanics...have a role to play in this day's events.

Random Trivia: This film was inspired by an actual incident in New York where some black youths were chased out of a pizzeria by some white youths in a section of New York known as Howard Beach.

And I Quote: Tina: "Trust you? The last time I trusted you, Mookie, I ended up with a son."

The Breakdown:

• "Must See" - For any sociology or political science students out there, I'm assuming you've seen this already. In fact, I'm surprised we didn't get to watch this in my Introduction to Sociology class during my freshman year at Michigan State. While the movie is definitely dated, and perhaps more relevant during the late 80's/early 90's, it's still a great portrayal of the salient issues of the time. Plus, it's a classic Spike Lee film. The acting isn't great, in my opinion...and, yes, it did drag at points...but, really, you should still just see it. Especially if movies that explore social issues tend to be absent from your regular movie-viewing list.
• "Don't Bother" - There really is no in-between here. If the idea of a socially-relevant film that gets you thinking and raises discussion sounds painful, steer clear.

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The Aristocrats (2005)

Recommended By: Tony Pawli, fellow Summer Institute-r from my high school days back in Michigan. The guy introduced me to Whose Line Is It Anyway? back in the day, so this movie choice is somewhat fitting.

The Premise: A documentary by Paul Provenza and Penn Gillette (of Penn & Teller) that takes an inside look at what may be the longest-running inside joke among comedians. Basically, the joke kicks off with a man walking into a talent agent's office in order to sell through the idea of a novelty act starring him and his family. It ends with the talent agent asking if the man has a name for the act, to which the man responds "The Aristocrats!" Everything in between is an effort by the person telling the joke to be as vividly crude, vile and downright raunchy in describing the novelty act, usually improvising as they go. The documentary contains interviews with famous comedians, with some telling their version of the joke and others talking about the history of the joke, or the different approaches that people can take to telling it.

Leading the Pack: Nobody really...close to one hundred different famous faces in the world of comedy participated in the making, allowing themselves to be interviewed, including Gilbert Gottfried, Jon Stewart, Phyllis Diller, Martin Mull, Larry Miller, Sarah Silverman, Rita Rudner, Richard Lewis, Steven Wright, and Andy Richter. There is a lot of buzz in the film about how far Bob Saget is able to take the joke, and wow...he does a good job...but there are other just as memorable attampts, too.

You Know You're in The Aristocrats When...: You find yourself alternating between laughing in delight and laughing in horror...only to stop laughing when you get to the punchline. I can understand that...the joke is a subtle one that relies on contrasting a truly atrocious, graphic and distinctly low-brow novelty act with a high-class name. But just like improv comedy, the humor in "The Aristocrats" is targeted more at one's fellow comics than for a layman audience...with the genius and the humor residing in how far one takes the joke and pushes the boundaries on the fly, with the journey being much more interesting than the destination.

Random Trivia: Rodney Dangerfield and Buddy Hackett were both invited to appear in the film and were supportive of the film, but declined due to their failing health (they would both die before the film premiered). Also, the filmmakers intended to have a private screening for Johnny Carson at his home, as this was one of his favorite pieces of comedic history, but he died only days after the premiere at Sundance. They then decided to dedicate it to him.

And I Quote: Bob Saget: 'Can I get a copy of this? I'd like to send it to the kids from the show "Full House".'

The Breakdown:

• "Must See" - For any die-hard stand-up comedy fans, or folks who have done stand-up...there are a lot of great comedians in this film. You're likely to enjoy this, along with the historical perspective that the documentary takes at times. Also, if you've ever done improv comedy, the joke of "The Aristocrats" is largely developed as it is told on the spot, with true artists being able to stretch it out to ten, twenty, thirty minutes...sometimes even over an hour. This aspect of the film is what drew me in.
• "Worth Considering" - If you're just a fan of documentaries and the ins and outs of that style of film-making, you may want to check this out. Hours and hours of interviews were conducted with top-name comedians, with some of the unused footage appearing the extra features. Plus, if the premise as I've described it just makes you curious, you may want to check it.
• "Don't Bother" - Some of you aren't easily offended...but also just won't get it. If the art behind comedy doesn't interest you, and you only want to sit back and laugh at the end result, you probably won't enjoy watching this.
• "Run in Fear" - I won't lie...this film isn't for everyone. If your humor and sensibilities run more in the G, PG or PG-13 range, rather than R...or even NC-17, to be honest...you should just steer clear. You'll thank me for it. Seriously.

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Wolf Creek (2005)

Recommended By: Nobody. Only three of you guessed the "Mystery Review" correctly, so I had to throw in a fourth movie to round out the quartet. This has nothing to do with the above three movies, and is just a random movie that resided in my 400+ DVD queue on Netflix.

The Premise: Three friends take a road trip across Australia, only to have their car breakdown in the middle of the Outback. From there, the movie is somewhat of a Crocodile Dundee meets Deliverance. Or The Road Warrior meets The Hills Have Eyes. You get the idea. Regardless, it doesn't make one keen on the idea of trekking through the wilds of Australia. Especially since the film is "based on actual events."

Leading the Pack: This is an Australian-made film, so I didn't recognize any of the actors. For what it's worth, the three students are played by Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi and Nathan Phillips. I checked their filmographies, and didn't recognize them from anything I've seen before.

You Know You're in Wolf Creek When...: One of the female protagonists actually listens to what you're shouting at the screen. "Hit him with the rifle if you can't get it to shoot!" "Remember to take the keys from the ignition!!" "Just run him over!!!" Atta girl. Too bad I didn't think to add "Check the backseat!!!!" Oops.

Random Trivia: There had been no rainfall in the area of the set for ten years. It started raining as soon as the crew arrived, causing script changes and altering the setting for the entire movie.

And I Quote: Liz Hunter: 'You didn't really shoot kangaroos, did you?' Mick Taylor: 'I was doing people a service really, by shooting them. There's kangaroos all over the place... like tourists.'

The Breakdown:

• "Worth Considering" - This is where I fell. The premise isn't a new one, but it is very well-crafted. The acting is pretty good, as is the writing. And it's pretty damn intense...a decent example of the independent thriller. Also, too often in these types of films do you see the protagonists acting like idiots. But in Wolf Creek, the main protagonist, Liz, actually has a good head on her shoulders. Was entertaining and engaging to watch, and you feel sincerely sympathetic towards the plight of Liz and her friends, silently rooting them on.
• "Don't Bother" - I guess if you really don't care for thrillers...or have something against Australians...you probably won't enjoy this.at all. It's a little dark, and there are some tense, nail-biting moments. Plus, it takes some nasty twists and turns toward the end, so if those sorts of things aren't up your alley, you should likely just pass.

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Next Time on Take 4: We hit another HBO series, this time set among the carnies and sideshow acts of Carnivale.