Jane Lynch

TV Review: Beloved ‘Glee’ Returns With Stellar Episode

BrianTT — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:32:24 -0700

CHICAGO – We have written here several times about the genius of “Glee” (in May and again in September), but with the show having been off the air for a few weeks so the Yankees could win another World Series, we thought it was a good time to assess how the show has been progressing by taking an advanced look at tonight’s episode, the wonderful “Wheels”.

Television Rating: 5.0/5.0

Since the stellar debut, “Glee” has mostly been a series of highs but there have been signs of (no pun intended given the name of tonight’s episode) a show that could be accused of spinning its wheels. Some episodes have been a little lighter than others and some of the characters have threatened to become a bit repetitive. “Glee” is at its best when the character-driven humor is unexpected and unpredictable and there were recurring jokes in October “Glee” episodes that started to feel a little stale.

Don’t get me wrong. “Glee” is still the best new show of the year, but I can’t believe that I was the only one wondering how the series would progress not just through this season but the next one. Where does “Glee” go from here and how will they keep it fresh?

Quinn (Dianna Agron, L) and Puck (Mark Salling, R) work at the Glee Club’s bake sale in the “Wheels” episode of GLEE airing Wednesday, Nov. 11 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Photo credit: Carin Baer/FOX

Tonight’s episode, “Wheels,” displays how - by diversifying the focus of the show and providing depth to even the most supporting characters. The moments that stand out in the first arc of “Glee” episodes are the unexpected ones - Kurt (Chris Colfer) using “Single Ladies” on the football field, Rachel belting out a moving version of “Take a Bow,” the entirety of Kristen Chenoweth’s amazing guest turn on “The Rhodes Not Taken,” the best episode of the show to date.

Quinn (Dianna Agron) helps the Glee Club at a bake sale in the “Wheels” episode of GLEE airing Wednesday, Nov. 11 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Photo credit: Carin Baer/FOX

Tonight, the focus surprisingly shifts to Artie (Kevin McHale), who learns that the school won’t pay for the handicapped bus to take him with the rest of the team to sectionals. His arc, featuring his first solo performance (“Dancing With Myself”) is the thematic backbone of an episode that focuses on what Murphy does best with “Glee,” satirizing the expectations inherent in traditional high school roles. Kurt and Rachel (Lea Michele) have a solo-off to see who will take “Defying Gravity” (from “Wicked”) for the show with Kurt’s dad (the great Mike O’Malley) pushing for equal rights for his son. And even Puck (Mark Salling) and Quinn (Dianna Agron) have character-building plotlines. Most surprisingly, a bit of depth is given to Jane Lynch’s fantastic turn as Sue Sylvester. If she hadn’t locked up an Emmy nod already, she has after this episode.

One of my concerns about “Glee” in October was that a few of the characters were starting to become their archetypes. In particular, Quinn always looked defeated and on the verge of tears. In “Wheels,” not only do we finally get to see her smile during a cleverly devised food fight but we learn that she may not be through with Puck, another character who may not be as heartless as you first expected. Salling does his best work of the series to date tonight.

As for the writing (this ep was written by Ryan Murphy, the show’s creator), “Wheels” is as tightly scripted as anything on TV so far this year. It flies by and still feels like nothing else on television. I’m stunned that a show can weave together musical performances of “Dancing With Myself,” “Defying Gravity,” and “Proud Mary” and still not feel forced.

So, where will “Glee” go from here? What happens AFTER sectionals? “Wheels” is evidence of a show that is willing to allow background singers to come forward and take their time in the spotlight. With that structure in place and with an ensemble as deep and talented as this one, the future of “Glee” looks bright.

‘Glee’ returns on FOX on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 8pm CST. It stars Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Kevin McHale. It was created by Ryan Murphy.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: The Best New Show of the Year is ‘Glee’

BrianTT — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:10:46 -0600

CHICAGO – Ryan Murphy’s brilliant “Glee” is not only the best new show of the year, it’s off to one of the best starts for any series in the last several fall seasons. Much closer to Alexander Payne’s “Election” than Disney’s “High School Musical,” this is a clever blend of satire, pop tunes, laugh-out-loud comedy, and rich, interesting characters that you simply shouldn’t miss.

Television Rating: 5.0/5.0

Since I first reviewed “Glee,” I was worried about two things. One, is the show too quirky and unusual for TV? Could it suffer the same fate as other critically acclaimed shows that never found an audience like “Pushing Daisies” and “Veronica Mars”?

Two, would the quality of the premiere that was so good that Fox aired it four months early maintain itself? The jury is still out on the former but I’ve seen two more episodes (tonight’s “Showmance” and the fourth episode, “Preggers”) and can confirm that the quality of the show definitely does not falter.

The members of McKinley High’s Glee Club learn a new song and dance to perform in front of the school in “Showmance,” the series premiere episode of GLEE airing Wednesday, Sept. 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Pictured L-R: Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Lea Michele and Cory Monteith.
Photo credit: Carin Baer/FOX

The first new episode, “Showmance,” airs tonight on Fox and sets several plotlines in motion that will clearly be a better part of the first season of the show. One of the many great things about the first new episode of the debut season of “Glee” is that it makes clear that music will not merely be one part of the show, but often serve as a commentary on the characters and plotlines instead of just being filler.

Rachel (Lea Michele, L) and Finn (Cory Monteith, R) take direction on a new song and dance routine in “Showmance,” the series premiere episode of GLEE airing Wednesday, Sept. 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Photo credit: Carin Baer/FOX

For example, one of the driving plotlines of the first season of “Glee” will be the relationship between glee club manager Will (Matthew Morrison) and his crazy wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig) and the very clever writers of the show use the gang performing “Gold Digger” as not just a musical number but a commentary on Will’s home life. At the same time, a love triangle forms between Rachel (Lea Michelle), Finn (Cory Monteith), and his cheerleader girlfriend Quinn (Dianna Agron) and the episode ends with an amazing, passionate version of “Take a Bow” that makes the emotions feel more genuine than standard TV dialogue ever could.

That’s the amazing thing about “Glee”. It is definitely a satire of high school life but the writers and their incredibly talented cast find a way to make it emotionally resonant at the same time. A lot of credit for the latter should go to the best ensemble for any new show this year. Scene-stealer Jane Lynch is going to get a lot of credit but Michelle, Gilsig, and Jayma Mays are doing excellent work as well.

Yes, a lot of the characters at Carmel High fall into cliche and stereotype and I could see that turning off a few viewers, but cliche is an essential element to satire and if the dialogue is clever enough, which it truly is in “Glee,” that doesn’t matter. The writers of “Glee” are bringing the cliches of the high school TV show genre to the surface so they can be both satirized and made three-dimensional by exposing their untruths.

There have been plenty of shows that started strong and then fell from the peak of their first few episodes. “Glee” shows no signs of doing that. And even if it does, the first three hours that I have seen will stand among the best of 2009.

‘Glee’ premieres on FOX on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 8pm CST. It stars Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Kevin McHale. It was created by Ryan Murphy.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Julie & Julia’ Misses Some Ingredients But Still Goes Down Smoothly

BrianTT — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:08:30 -0600

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Like a long meal at a good restaurant where no one can agree on the best course of the evening, Nora Ephron’s “Julie & Julia” with Amy Adams and Meryl Streep will have different highlights for different viewers.

For some, it will be Streep’s pitch-perfect performance, while others find Adams lovable. Thematically, some will latch on to the “do what you dream” message of the film. For this viewer, “Julie & Julia” works best when it focuses not on how we make something of ourselves but the fact that no one does so alone. There is no “Julie” without “Julia” and even the women at the core of the film succeed mostly through the support of the men in their lives.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Julie & Julia” in our reviews section.

Julia Child found her passion through cooking. Julie Powell found it through writing. The fact that one passed along her drive to break out of her dull lot in life through the decades and allowed the other to escape her cubicle drudgery makes for a cinematic and arguably inspirational story. Ephron doesn’t do much more with the material (and two great actresses) than push it along like a TV movie director and there’s a ridiculously unecessary conflict added to the final act, holding “Julie & Julia” back from potential greatness, but there’s still more than enough to take a bite of this cinematic meal about two women with similar names.

Julie Powell (Amy Adams) tried to break free from her boring life and rekindle her passion for writing with “The Julie/Julia Project” in 2002. The goal was to cook all of the 500+ recipes in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in one year in her tiny Queens apartment and blog about it without losing her job or her husband (Chris Messina).

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Julie & Julia” review.

‘Julie & Julia’ stars Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Jane Lynch. It was written and directed by Nora Ephron. It opens on August 7th, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

Amy Adams as Julie Powell.
Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk and Columbia Pictures

Blu-Ray Review: Talented Comedy Stars Rescue ‘Spring Breakdown’

BrianTT — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:42:45 -0600

CHICAGO – When Tina Fey made the jump from “Saturday Night Live” to “30 Rock,” she was planning on taking her talented co-star and friend Rachel Dratch to the award-winning show. Before the season began, Dratch was replaced by Jane Krakowski and the rest is history. But there was a promising comedy with a great cast on Dratch’s resume that all of us thought would bring her back to the spotlight called “Spring Breakdown”. Now that comedy is being quietly released straight-to-DVD/Blu-Ray. There’s no justice in the comedy world.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

It’s not that “Spring Breakdown” is a comedy masterpiece that necessarily deserved a wide audience, but while watching it I was struck by the disparity between the sexes. Male-driven junk about horny boys looking for sex like “Fired Up,” “Sex Drive,” or “Miss March” automatically gets a theatrical release, but if a female-driven film isn’t seen as a typical “chick flick,” it’s tossed into the bargain bin.

Spring Breakdown was released on Blu-Ray on June 2nd, 2009.
Photo credit: WB

The double standard seems especially unfair given the pedigree of the talent on display in “Spring Breakdown”. Dratch, Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, Jane Lynch, Amber Tamblyn, and Missi Pyle are funny, funny women. The lackluster final act and some odd pacing problems and weak production values from director Ryan Shiraki sink the film in the end, but it’s better than half the junk in theaters and deserved a better fate.

Spring Breakdown was released on Blu-Ray on June 2nd, 2009.
Photo credit: WB

Dratch plays Judi, best friend to Gayle (Poehler) and Becky (Posey). All three girls are what you would politely call geeks. They sit around playing silly games and looking forward to “make your own pizza night”. They are socially awkward at best. Judi’s fiancee (Seth Meyers) is clearly gay, Gayle gets turned down by a blind guy (Will Arnett), and Becky works for a monstrous politician (Lynch).

When the politician’s daughter (Tamblyn) decides to head to South Padre Island for spring break, her mom tasks Becky with keeping an eye on her. Gayle and Judi come out of their shell - the best bit is one in which Judi thinks she drunkenly slept with a studly guy even though she just got into the wrong bed after a few too many shots - but Becky still struggles with social acceptance. The whole affair ends with an oddly conceived talent show (because spring break parties always have talent shows) where the girls get one more stab at social glory.

“Spring Breakdown” has plenty of jokes that fall flat and the whole thing looks a bit too much like a TV movie, but each of the talented lead actresses and most of the supporting ones find at least a few moments that connect with the funny bone. It’s worth a rental, especially for fans of the cast, and almost certainly would have made back its meager budget in theaters. Like the awkward girl who can’t even get laid at spring break, life isn’t always fair.

“Spring Breakdown” is a Warner Brothers Blu-Ray release, so it naturally looks and sounds good in HD. There’s nothing overly remarkable about the video and audio but they also aren’t deeply flawed enough to mention. It’s a standard Blu-Ray transfer.

The special features are pretty standard as well with a commentary by Shiraki and Dratch, additional scenes, and a gag reel.

‘Spring Breakdown’ is released by Warner Brothers Home Video and stars Rachel Dratch, Parker Posey, Amy Poehler, Amber Tamblyn, Seth Meyers, Sophie Monk, Jonathan Sadowski, Missi Pyle, and Jane Lynch. It was written and directed by Ryan Shiraki with a story by Dratch. The Blu-Ray and DVD were released on June 2nd, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: Ryan Murphy’s Excellent ‘Glee’ is Unlike Anything on TV

BrianTT — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:39:09 -0600

CHICAGO – Much closer to Alexander Payne’s “Election” than Disney’s “High School Musical,” the pilot for Ryan Murphy’s “Glee” is one of the best of the last several years, a clever blend of satire, pop tunes, laugh-out-loud comedy, and rich, interesting characters. The one thing I kept thinking during the pilot of “Glee”? This is too good for network TV. It will never last.

Television Rating: 5.0/5.0

“Glee” is about a high school Spanish teacher named Will (Matthew Morrison) who takes over a glee club of misfits including the overzealous Rachel (Lea Michele) and a football star (Cory Monteith) who refuses to be the bully he’s supposed to be.

Will wants to break down a few of the clique walls at his high school and bring joy back to the halls. Music will clearly be a major part of the show, as popular tunes like Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” are featured in the pilot and creator Ryan Murphy has revealed that current pop tunes will be a regular part of the program.

GLEE: Members of the Glee Club try to prepare for a performance in a special preview episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Pictured L-R: Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz and Kevin McHale.
Photo credit: Carin Baer/FOX

But this is not a show about singing, dancing, happy teens who learn a lesson at the end of every episode. It’s about expectation, ability, difficult decisions, and finding your passion as a student or as a teacher. And expressing yourself in whatever way you can…and, yes, sometimes that has to be through song.

The entire cast on “Glee” is exceptional with Matthew Morrison, Jayma Mays, Lea Michele, and Cory Monteith standing out and Jane Lynch is always great, but it’s the script for the pilot by Ryan Murphy (“Nip/Tuck,” “Popular”), Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan that is truly remarkable. This is sharper, wittier dialogue than most movies I’ve seen this year, much less the sorry state of television in 2009. Do you love Murphy’s “Nip/Tuck”? The pilot for “Glee” is better.

Yes, a lot of the characters at Carmel High fall into cliche and stereotype and I could see that turning off a few viewers, but cliche is an essential element to satire and if the dialogue is clever enough, which it truly is in “Glee,” that doesn’t matter. The cliche needs to be brought to the forefront to be undermined by something deeper and that’s exactly what “Glee” does. It doesn’t wallow in stereotypes, it makes them three-dimensional by blowing them up.

What’s even more remarkable about the script for the pilot of “Glee” is its emotional impact. Murphy and his co-writers take dialogue that if reprinted might send you into sugar shock, but they make it work. It’s a show about creativity, passion, and ambition done both as a satire of high school life but also as an honest ode to pursuing your dreams.

Glee: Members of the Glee Club rehearse in a special preview episode of Glee airing Tuesday, May 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Pictured L-R: Jenna Ushkowitz, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Amber Riley and Lea Michele.
Photo credit: Carin Baer/FOX

Full of completely unpredictable twists and turns, “Glee” is simply fantastic. And FOX clearly knows it. Do you think they would be bringing it out for a four-month early “preview” is they didn’t?

And “Glee” is clearly a tough sell, the kind of show that is going to need glowing reviews and great word-of-mouth if it wants to survive. Most people checked out at the word “musical” and show with teen casts have a well-deserved stigma. I worry that “Glee” will struggle to find an audience but I find it interesting that Fox is experimenting with different ways to build word-of-mouth, giving their show a well-in-advance preview and allowing fans to download and re-watch it all summer long.

Not only am I anxiously counting the days until “Glee” airs again, this hardened, cynical critic plans to do something that he hasn’t done since the earth-shattering first episode of “Lost” - watch a pilot again. “Glee” is that good. The message of “Glee” is that the only life worth living is one that you’re really passionate about. I’m really passionate about the quality of this unique, excellent show and I really doubt I’ll be alone.

It’s impossible to say for sure after seeing only one episode, but if the rest of this series lives up to the potential of the first hour, “Glee” will easily be one of the best shows of 2009-2010.

Check out this great trailer for “Glee” before you go:

‘Glee’ premieres on FOX on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 8pm CST. It stars Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Kevin McHale. It was created by Ryan Murphy.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Ryan Murphy Dances His Way to ‘Glee’ on FOX

BrianTT — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:11:16 -0600

CHICAGO – Ryan Murphy is not a TV writer who believes in following the rules. He reached nearly iconic status from the loyal followers of FX’s “Nip/Tuck” and is trying to create water-cooler TV yet again with FOX’s very unique “Glee,” a show that we’ll review later this week (but you can check out a great clip here if you’re impatient).

“Glee” debuts on FOX…in the Fall? In an unusual move, the network is using the juggernaut of “American Idol” to introduce audiences to their new show next Tuesday, May 19th, 2009, but it won’t air again until the beginning of the 2009-10 season. Get your taste now and have the full meal in the fall. It’s an interesting idea.

Murphy took time out of his busy schedule for a conference about the new show and we have the highlights. Don’t miss our review on Friday and the preview of “Glee” on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 8PM CST.

Ryan Murphy On How They Choose the Music For “Glee”

All the episodes, we’re writing them thematically. Obviously you don’t do that for a pilot because a pilot is just sort of an origins tale, but it really just comes down to stuff that I like and stuff that I think it’s the characters and moves the story along. And also, with every episode, we do between five and eight music numbers, and my goal is to really try and give the audience something for everybody. We have a hip-hop. We have an R&B. We have a top 40. We have country.

On If There Could Be “American Idol” and “Glee” Crossovers With the Winner Singing on the Show

You know, I get pitched stuff all the time, but shockingly that has not been something that I have been pitched. No. Also, I’ve sort of been very specific with the casting about if we are going to sort of guest cast or stunt cast. I want it to be with people who just are wildly talented like Victor Garber and Kristin Chenoweth, so no, but they haven’t said that. I haven’t been pitched that.

On A Soundtrack For the Series

We’re sort of in the midst of dealing with a soundtrack, and the great thing about it is musically the show is really, really been supported wildly by Fox network and studios. We do between six to eight, between five and eight songs per episode, like I said, and it takes a long time to produce and to get all those songs ready, so what we’re doing is we’re – to make sure that the production value is wildly as high as the pilot, Fox has been so gracious as to give us sort of scheduled music hiatus where we can sort of take a couple days and catch up and produce the demos and have the kids come in and record them and do the choreography. That being said, one of the reasons why we’re doing that is because there’s going to be a series of albums where I think we’ll probably put out an album every couple of months because we will have so much material.

Then also, we’re going to have all of the songs, when you watch the show, available that night immediately on iTunes, so if you like something, you can go buy it. But the music part is obviously the most challenging, but also the most exciting and the soundtrack was bid on by seven different companies, so we’ve had a lot of luck with that, and that’s something that I’m really interested in. I’m glad that the network and the studio continue to support it in the manner that they have.

On Hesitation About Doing a Major Network Show

I’ve never had much luck with it just because I think my voice is pretty specific and a little bit subversive. And I told Kevin Riley when I pitched it that if I was going to do it, I wanted to do it in a very specific way, and Kevin was the person who bought Nip/Tuck in the room, so he kind of got my sensibility.

And to my surprise and udder pleasure, Fox network has really kept their word. In fact, they’re pushing me to make it much more in the vein of the pilot, and they’ve never once tried to take anything out because they thought it was too sort of nuts, but I’ve also been very conscious that I think the key to the show is to – it’s a show with a lot of heart, and it’s a show about underdogs, and you want it to have a certain kindness to it. But it also does have weird elements, like you said, but they’ve been very supportive of those knowing that that’s my tone, and that’s what keeps me interested, so I’ve been surprised, and it’s been a really great give and take so far, and I haven’t had any BSNP problems or anything like that.

But also, I want to do a show that appeals to everybody. I’ve done a cable show and that to me was a big challenge. I’ve done sort of eight years of darkness and really adult stuff, and I was like, okay, I want to try something different. I want to do a show that has a bigger heart and is kinder, but make no mistake. It still has an edge, and they’ve been supportive of that.

On Similarities Between “Glee” And His Short-Lived (But Now Beloved) “Popular”

To me, it’s a completely different tone. It’s a completely different show. The thing with Popular was Popular was a satire that made fun of everything else on that network at the time, which they never apparently got, and they wanted me to do some sort of Dawson’s Creek-esque thing, and I didn’t want to, and that show was about ambition. That was show was a very specific one. It was about as seen through the microcosm of these girls. It was sort of Heathers-esque, but they never really got and I think the show was really ahead of its time, and it’s had quite an amazing life on DVD, which I always find surprising and rewarding. People liked the show. They were fans of the show. But I always thought that that was sort of a culty, sort of darker thing that had a very cynical tone to it, and I don’t think this show does at all, and I’ve been very careful not to really try and cross-pollinate the ideas of that show with this.

GLEE: The new one-hour comedy musical series about a group of aspiring underdogs will special preview Tuesday, May 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Pictured Top row L-R: Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer and Lea Michele. Bottom L-R: Jayma Mays, Jessalyn Gilsig, Matthew Morrison, Kevin McHale, Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz, Mark Salling, Dianna Agron and Jane Lynch.
Photo credit: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX

On the “American Idol” Lead-In And Unusual Premiere Structure

It was an interesting thing where they called me up and they proposed it, and I was sort of hesitant because I said, well, I like that you believe in it so much, and I like the support that you want to put behind it. But it does bother me that it would be off the air for four months, like you would think that – or three months. But as Kevin explained it to me, this is really just a great – it’s a preview. It’s what they’re calling it. It is a preview. And I keep saying it’s like having a movie trailer before the movie Titanic.

It’s just a great way to get as many eyeballs to sample your show as possible, and the thing that sold me with it is that it’s airing after the ultimate episode of American Idol this summer, but then it’s immediately going to be made all available to people all summer long. You can buy it and download it off the Internet, the pilot episode, and also we’re going to be, throughout the summer, not only can you get it, and I think if people get it, I will love that, renting it and buying it. But also we’re going to have music available starting in August. We’re going to be teasing some big numbers that we have coming up in the show.

To me, it also seemed very brave and like nothing that had ever been done on network television, and I think it’s a really big night of television. We’re up against some great, classic shows. To me, it’s – and it’s Kevin and Fox. It’s not necessarily about popping a number. It’s just about slowly getting people to be aware of the show in a way that I think is very original, and I like it because there’s no other fall show that will have that. It’s just, they’re spending a lot of time and money on marketing it in May for one night only and then selling it all summer, and slowly teasing stuff out before it comes in the fall, so I think it’s a really good idea.

Glee: The new one-hour comedy musical series about a group of aspiring underdogs will special preview Tuesday, May 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Pictured clockwise from L: Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Lea Michele (C), Jenna Ushkowitz, Cory Monteith and Kevin McHale.
Photo credit: Matthias Clamer/FOX

On If He Was Involved in Musical Theater When He Was Younger

Yes, I was. There was three writers, and two of us were, and one of us wasn’t. What I like about that is sort of the one that wasn’t is always like, wait, this really happens? We were like, yes. He’s like, well, nobody will believe that, so it is through the prism of, for the most part, the writer’s experience. What I love – you know, what I remember about that time when I was doing all those shows and stuff is that I grew up in Indiana. But when you do get the lead in something or you’re performing, you sort of feel that the world is suddenly available to you, and you have so much optimism about what you can become, and it doesn’t even have to be about being a performer. It’s just about a belief in yourself, and I remember that feeling, and it was very important to me. And that’s what I wanted the show to be about, so I do sort of draw on that experience that I had.

On If the Show Came About Because of the Success of “American Idol” and “High School Musical”

No. It wasn’t because of that. Basically, for me, I had sort of been doing Nip/Tuck for many, many years, and when I got this overall deal at Fox, one of the first things I said to them was I want to do something that’s very different that’s completely the opposite of that because if you have success in one genre, they want you to keep doing it over and over again, and I didn’t want to do something dark again, although ironically my next thing will be dark.

I said, I kind of want to do a musical, but I don’t know what that would be. And they said, well, we’ve been wanting to do a musical forever, and we can’t figure out how to crack it. I said, give me some time. We’ll think about it, and then literally like two days later I was approached by Mike Novak, who is a producer on the pilot, and he said, I had this idea. A friend of mine wrote something that I think is a great movie that we want you to produce. I read it, and I said, well, I don’t think this is a movie for me, but I love the title, and I love the idea. Let’s just do that, and maybe we can turn that into a TV show, so we threw sort of the script away. Then Ian, who wrote it, and myself and Brad sort of sat in a room and came up with what you see in the pilot. We went and pitched it. Shockingly, they said yes, and we wrote it, and they picked it up the day we turned it in. So it happened very, very quickly, as sometimes good things do.

But I have never seen High School Musical. I know the conceit of it, and I know kind of what it’s about. I certainly know the cast, but I’ve never watched it. But I admire it. I think that what they’ve done is fantastic, but we were never sort of, you know, trying to do anything like that. I was trying to do something that was much more like a musical version of just sort of movies that I loved that were a little bit sort of high school is the metaphor. High school is not actually what it’s about, if that makes any sense.

On the Building Buzz Before the Show Has Even Aired

It’s so funny to me about the life that this thing already has. I already have an offer to turn it into a movie, and there’s somebody who already wants to turn it into a Broadway show, and also there’s somebody who wants to turn it into an ice-skating show before it’s even aired, so all those things, I keep saying, well, that’s very kind and wonderful, but let’s get it on the air first, you know.

“Glee” will be on the air on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 8pm CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: Join the Club With FOX’s ‘Glee’ From ‘Nip/Tuck’ Creator Ryan Murphy

BrianTT — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:24:19 -0600

CHICAGO – “Nip/Tuck” creator Ryan Murphy brings his twisted worldview to the American high school with a new Fox series that looks bound to create a love-it-or-hate-it argument - a weekly musical comedy series called “Glee” - and we have an exciting new clip for you below.

The blend of “High School Musical” and Murphy’s former cult hit “Popular” stars Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, and Jenna Ushkowitz. Jane Lynch guest stars in the premiere, directed by Ryan Murphy. The sneak preview of the new series airs on May 19th, 2009.

The official synopsis courtesy of Fox:

glee (gle) n.

1. great merriment [syn: hilarity]; 2. malicious satisfaction [syn: gloat]

From Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Nip/Tuck” and “Popular,” comes GLEE, a one-hour musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the school’s Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of them all: Nationals.

McKinley High School’s Glee Club used to be at the top of the show choir world, but years later, a series of scandals have turned it into a haven for misfits and social outcasts. WILL SCHUESTER (Matthew Morrison, Broadway’s “Hairspray”), a young optimistic teacher, has offered to take on the Herculean task of restoring McKinley’s Glee Club to its former glory with the help of fellow teacher EMMA PILLSBURY (Jayma Mays, “Ugly Betty”). It’s a tall order when the brightest stars of the pitch-imperfect club include KURT (Chris Colfer), a nerdy soprano with a flair for the dramatic; MERCEDES (Amber Riley), a dynamic diva-in-training who refuses to sing back-up; ARTY (Kevin McHale, “Zoey 101”), a geeky guitarist who spends more time avoiding bullies than chasing girls; and TINA (Jenna Ushkowitz, “Spring Awakening”), an awkward girl who needs to suppress her stutter before she can take center stage.

Will’s only hope lies with two true talents: RACHEL BERRY (Lea Michele, “Spring Awakening”), a perfectionist firecracker who is convinced that show choir is her ticket to stardom; and FINN HUDSON (Cory Monteith, “Kyle XY”), the popular high school quarterback with movie star looks and a Motown voice who must protect his reputation with his holier-than-thou girlfriend, QUINN (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant teammate, PUCK (Mark Salling).

Driven by his secret past, Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, even though everyone around him thinks he’s nuts. He’s out to prove them all wrong – from his tough-as-nails wife TERRI SCHUESTER (Jessalyn Gilsig, “Nip/Tuck”) to McKinley’s cheerleading coach SUE SYLVESTER (guest star Jane Lynch, “Best In Show,” “Role Models”) to an über-hip world that thinks jazz hands and sequined tuxedos litter the road to infamy rather than pave the way to Hollywood dreams.

Featuring a soundtrack of hit songs from past and present, GLEE is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Dante Di Loreto serve as executive producers, while Ian Brennan and John Kousakis serve as co-executive producers. Murphy directed the pilot.

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By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Role Models’ With Paul Rudd Good Movie, Great Blu-Ray

BrianTT — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:36:09 -0700

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – David Wain’s “Role Models” is far from a perfect comedy, but the Universal Blu-Ray release of it is one of the best of the year so far. The release of “Role Models” includes a great video transfer, entertaining series of special features, and a comedy that holds up pretty well on repeat viewing. What more do you want?

“Role Models” features a great set-up with a fantastic cast, but the film itself doesn’t quite have the follow-through that I wish director David Wain had delivered. Despite the near-miss of the entire project, the first half-hour is laugh-out-loud funny and will be more than enough to justify a rental.

Role Models will be released on Blu-Ray on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott are perfectly cast, the former’s sarcastic delivery proving to be an amazing balance for the latter’s physical, usually sleazy, style. Scott has a goofy presence that works perfectly with Rudd’s more cynical, intellectual brand of humor. A lot of the film’s success can be attributed to these two underrated actor’s comic timing and chemistry.

Role Models will be released on Blu-Ray on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal

Rudd plays Danny Donahue, a negative, pessimistic s.o.b. who has been driven crazy by modern slang and catch phrases like saying “A-sap” or the fact that it’s a “venti” at Starbucks when it really should be a “large”. He work’s with Scott’s Wheeler selling the energy drink “Minotaur” to high school students. When Danny realizes he’s been hocking liquid chemicals for too long for a grown man, he kind of snaps.

Danny awkwardly and unsuccessfully asks his girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) to marry him and gets into a scrape with a tow truck driver and a security guard that earns him 150 hours of community service. They spend those hours in a big brother program led by Gayle Sweeney (the hilarious Jane Lynch), where Danny is paired with the awkward, live-action role-playing fan Augie Farks (“Superbad“‘s Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and Wheeler spends his time with the raunchiest pre-teen on the planet, Ronnie Shields (Bobb’e J. Thompson).

There’s a lot to like about “Role Models,” including a generally great theme about letting your freak flag fly and just being who you want to be. The entire ensemble, especially Rudd and Lynch, is fantastic. With a great first act and wonderful cast, the only problem with “Role Models” is that the set-up is essentially the entire movie. Once you realize that Augie is into live-action role-playing and that Ronnie isn’t as tough as his vocab, there’s nowhere else to go.

I kept waiting for another subplot or twist that never came. From the director of the hilariously off-kilter “Wet Hot American Summer,” I expected more than “funny but predictable”. “Role Models” is clever enough to recommend but it almost seems too easy for people as talented as Rudd and Wain. I expected a bit more. Like a lot of role models, it lets you down a bit after the first impression.

Role Models will be released on Blu-Ray on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal

Great Blu-Rays can make you think more fondly of the movie itself and Universal accomplishes that goal with a wonderful release for “Role Models”. The nearly fifty minutes of deleted scenes and alternate takes are surprisingly hilarious. It’s not hard to see why they were cut for the flow of the film, but some are laugh-out-loud funny, a rarity for deleted scenes. And Rashida Jones (appearing with Rudd in the upcoming “I Love You, Man”) even appears in a deleted cameo.

The deleted scenes are just the beginning of why the “Role Models” Blu-Ray delivers. The video transfer, something you wouldn’t usually notice on a comedy, is perfect. There’s depth and vibrancy to the picture that’s usually ignored in video transfers for comedy. In comparison, the audio is a little flat but never distractingly so.

A great gag reel, three more minutes of jokes in the “unrated version,” behind-the-scenes featurettes, a commentary by Wain, and Universal’s awesome U-Control, the feature that allows b-t-s access picture-in-picture as the movie plays, work together to make a collection of special features that perfectly enhance the film itself without feeling like overkill. Universal continues to be the role model when it comes to Blu-Ray special features.

‘Role Models’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Jane Lynch, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb’e J. Thompson, and Elizabeth Banks. It was written by Paul Rudd & David Wain & Ken Marino and Timothy Dowling and directed by Wain. It was released on March 10th, 2009. It is rated R and unrated.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Rocker’ Hits a Few False Notes

BrianTT — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:21:35 -0700

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Rainn Wilson made the jump from supporting player on NBC’s “The Office” to leading comedy star in the so-so “The Rocker,” a film with a few inspired moments, some great cameos, and talented young actors, but the timing is a bit off with this routine. The Blu-Ray release goes a long way in redeeming the set list, but the entire show is still a little mediocre.

“The Rocker” is a frustrating comedy. Everything that works - Wilson’s fearless performance, great appearances from comedians like Jane Lynch, Will Arnett, Jeff Garlin, and Jason Sudeikis, likable young stars - is usually followed by something that just doesn’t click. There are some jokes in “The Rocker” that hit the floor with the thud of a bass drum. It may make a satisfying rental for some, but with the pedigree of the people involved, this super-band should have been better.

“A.D.D.” band members Amelia (Emma Stone, left), Curtis (Teddy Geiger) and Matt (Josh Gad) behold the splendor that is Fish.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

Wilson plays Robert “Fish” Fishman, a drummer for the eighties hair band Vesuvius (which also features Will Arnett, Fred Armisen, and Bradley Cooper). The movie opens with a blistering set by the band, after which an exec offers them a breakthrough deal, but they have to axe Fish.

Photo credit: Fox

Twenty years later, in a world where grunge never killed hair metal, Vesuvius is the biggest band on the planet and Fish is working a desk job that he hates. He loses his job and is forced to move in with his sister (Jane Lynch), brother-in-law (Jeff Garlin), and musically-inclined nephew Matt (Josh Gad).

The young fellow happens to be in a band called A.D.D. with his friends (Emma Stone & Teddy Geiger), who reluctantly recruit Fish after their drummer gets grounded just before a prom gig.

Being back in the spotlight makes Fish think that he can turn A.D.D. into a mega-success and he tries to take the band on the road and reclaim the rock-god throne that he’s envied for twenty years. Of course, one of his band mate’s mother happens to be the super-cute Christina Applegate to give the movie a third act love story.

A little bit of “School of Rock,” a little bit of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” a few references to other man-child movies, and too much physical humor derail the awkward and often derivative script. But the cast is great. Wilson doesn’t hold back and you can’t do much better than Lynch, Garlin, Arnett, Armisen, Cooper, and Sudeikis in your back-up band. Even the young cast is excellent in roles much deeper than teen stars usually play.

The script may not work, but, unlike a lot of awful comedies, the cast make it out completely unscathed. If anything, “The Rocker” is more proof that even the most likable cast does not make a complete comedy. Just as in music, the lyrics matter as much as the person who’s singing them.

Newly-restored rock god Fish (Rainn Wilson) and band chaperon Kim (Christina Applegate) enjoy a rare moment of quiet.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

The Fox Blu-Ray presentation for “The Rocker” is a great one with a nearly perfect 1080p transfer in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The colors are not too vibrant but the picture is always clear and the sound matches it with a great 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

The last few Fox Blu-Ray releases have featured excellent technical presentations. They struggled a bit at the beginning with Blu-Ray, but appear to have turned it around. In general, Fox Blu-Ray still doesn’t stand up to the best of Warner Brothers, DreamWorks, or Sony when it comes to video and audio, but they’re getting closer.

And they have put together a completely comprehensive collection of special features for “The Rocker,” including two commentary tracks - one by director Peter Cattaneo and Wilson and one by Gad, Geiger, Stone, and Sudeikis - “MTV Panel,” internet podcasts, deleted scenes, a gag reel, Vesuvius gags, Matt gags, Pete Best interview, Vesuvius public service announcements, “Rainn Wilson Office Rocker,” “Behind the Band,” “Rock Tales,” “The Music,” “Rock Band with Fish Fishman,” and a music video for “I’m Not Bitter”. The film also comes with a digital copy so you can rock out on your portable device. Good luck with that.

Clearly, the Blu-Ray release for “The Rocker” is excellent. I wish I could say the same for the movie itself.

‘The Rocker’ is released by Fox Home Video and stars Rainn Wilson, Josh Gad, Emma Stone, Christina Applegate, Jeff Garlin, Jane Lynch, Teddy Geiger, Jason Sudeikis, Will Arnett, Fred Armisen, and Bradley Cooper. It was written by Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky and directed by Peter Cattaneo. It was released on January 27th, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Rainn Wilson Lays Down Tracks Beyond ‘The Office’ in New Film ‘The Rocker’

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:10:08 -0600

CHICAGO – Rainn Wilson is more than just the popular NBC character Dwight Schrute. The bespectacled antagonist of “The Office” is nowhere in evidence this time around as Wilson sat down with HollywoodChicago.com to talk about his new film “The Rocker”.

The theater and TV veteran expressed a thoughtfulness and gratitude about his journey to this first feature-film lead role and spoke more about the craft of acting than the virtue of his celebrity.

Rainn Wilson in Chicago (left) for “The Rocker” with HollywoodChicago.com film critic Patrick McDonald (right).
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Rainn Wilson is “The Rocker” (also known as Robert “Fish” Fishman) who joins his nephew’s band “A.D.D.” and finally reclaims the rock-god throne he has always thought he deserved in the film “The Rocker”.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

“The Rocker” is a comedy about Richard “Fish” Fishman (Wilson): a drummer from the 1980s whose hair metal band “Vesuvius” is about to hit the big time.

Unfortunately, he isn’t going with them. The band decides to dump Fish right before the breakthrough. Distraught, Fish goes on a downward spiral for a few decades and ends up living in his sister’s attic in Cleveland, Ohio.

Rainn Wilson was able to play a drummer because he had a music background.

“I had a little bit of experience when I went to New Trier Township High School (in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, Ill.). There was a short-lived band I was in called Collective Moss,” he said. “We only played two gigs. We were the world’s worst cover band. We were just awful.”

Rainn Wilson in Chicago for “The Rocker” on June 10, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Wilson added: “But I could read music and that’s how I learned the tracks for ‘The Rocker’. I would tape the ‘score’ on the drum set and learn to play that way. This made it easier for me to pick up the rhythm.”

When Fishman’s nephew (Josh Gad) finds that his fledgling band “A.D.D.” is in need of a drummer, he turns to his now-older uncle to sit in. In a calculated turn of events, this new band (with old-man Fish on drums) becomes an up-and-coming sensation.

They go on the road with their parents (including Christina Applegate) and a new manager (Jason Sudeikis) in tow.

“A lot of dialogue was improvised,” Wilson said. “Jason Sudeikus would say some of the most wildly inappropriate stuff that would come out in a stream of consciousness. Josh Gad had the strangest wiring of his brain. You never knew what he was going to do.”

Christina Applegate is Kim: the mother of and chaperone to a young rock musician in “The Rocker”.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

Rainn Wilson in “The Rocker”.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

He added: “It was nice to see everyone doing their thing and being allowed to do their thing. Everyone was allowed to be funny.”

Strangely enough, it is Fish who’s the wild and inappropriate child on the tour. His antics almost derail the entire band. There is one last concert chance, though, at the Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame against his old 1980s band mates.

How did the normally lower-key characters that Rainn Wilson plays get morphed into a wild-man rock star?

“It was studying the drums. There is something about a drummer,” he said. “They’re not cerebral. I have a tendency in my life to be more cerebral and a bit reserved. But he’s a big puppy dog, a physical person and a ‘talk first, think later’ type with his heart on his sleeve. It was lot of fun to plunge into that.”

“There was no specific drummer who I based my character on,” he added. “It was a compilation of watching the heavy-metal drummers on YouTube. I recommend that to anyone. Start researching hair-metal drummers.”

Wilson also talked about the inevitability of comparisons between his essential Dwight Schrute character on “The Office” and drummer Fish in “The Rocker”.

“There are similarities between Dwight Schrute and Fish and there are differences,” he reflected. “But there has to be enough similarities so ‘The Office’ fans will line up when ‘The Rocker’ opens to see the guy who plays Dwight play a heavy-metal rocker dude. It was just a blast to enter into that whole genre of music.”

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our full, high-resolution “The Rocker” image gallery.

RELATED READING
More film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

Finally, Wilson discusses his experience in working at “The Office”.

“I’ve been very fortunate because Dwight Schrute comes from the writers and creator Greg Daniels. They aren’t interested in doing things the normal way things have been done,” Wilson said. “They want to find different facets and different sides to all the characters.”

“It works well,” he added. “When you see Dwight’s vulnerabilities, people respond to it and are more likely to tune in. Then we get to make more episodes.”

Note: In a unique viral marketing promotion, Rainn Wilson has “kidnapped” “The Office” mate Jenna Fischer and will not free her until “everyone” sees “The Rocker”. Visit FreeJennaNow.com to play along.

“The Rocker,” which features Rainn Wilson, Josh Gad, Christina Applegate, Emma Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Teddy Geiger, Jeff Garlin, Jane Lynch, Fred Armisen, Will Arnett and Jane Krakowski, opens on Aug. 20, 2008 everywhere.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com