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Blog #8 - ANOTHER BINGE GUIDE: PREACHER premieres on AMC! PLUS Archer, The Characters, Horace and Pete, The Returned Season 2, Portlandia, and Better Call Saul

PREACHER, AMC, Season 1 Premiere May 22, 2016

In my previous blog about Season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil, (http://daviewonder.tumblr.com/post/141746038317/blog-7-netflix-original-daredevil-season-2-aka), I happened to mention the work of a cult comic book, writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillion, creators of my personal favorite version of Marvel’s The Punisher. They also did a great run of Hellblazer, (originally created by Alan Moore), featuring surly occultist John Constantine. But the very first time I ever heard of Ennis and Dillon was in the late 1990s, when a friend loaned me a copy of the debut issue of a twisted, darkly hilarious little DC comic book series called Preacher. I subsequently followed the title and its namesake hero Jesse Custer with cultish devotion until the final issue in 2000.

Thus, when I recently heard rumors of there possibly being a live action, television version of Preacher, I was very hopeful but skeptical. After all, this was a fantastical, violent, and oftentimes crude road story featuring a conflicted preacher with a power equal to both God and the Devil’s, a pistol packing mama, an Irish vampire, and more secret societies, racists, cults, ghouls, freaks, and demons to gag a goat. In other words, too dirty, disturbing, yet fun for its own good. To be sure, the world of television wouldn’t have known what to do with this classic comic fifteen years ago.

But that was then. And lucky for us, there are dudes making moves in Hollywood who loved the comic as much as me – namely, writers/producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express, This is the End, etc) and writer Sam Caitlin (of the almighty Breaking Bad). The three are executive producers of the Preacher TV series, which will premiere on AMC – drum roll – May 22, 2016! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNgI2sRzr8I)

A glance at the promo pics and trailers reveals one clear distinction between the comic and the show: appearance. Notably, the TV version of Jesse Custer, played by Dominic Cooper – (yet another British guy who can do a crazy, pseudo-Texan accent) - has a goatee and short cropped hair. Another striking (and original) contrast is the casting of Custer’s love interest/road dawg Tulip O’Hare, a blond bombshell in the comic. On the show she is played by Ruth Negga, (Jimi: All is By My Side), and Ethiopian born actress.

Evidently, these visual distinctions are a synecdoche of the show as a whole. In a recent interview for Collider.com, (http://collider.com/preacher-amc-sam-catlin-interview/), Sam Caitlin explains that, though the show will be extremely respectful of the source material, it will not be a slave to it, much less a panel-for-panel recreation. One of the most marked differences is the fact that, on the show, Jesse will struggle to continue as an actual preacher, to advise and lead others. In the comic, Jesse’s quits the church at the outset; his status as a preacher is purely nominal, expressed by wardrobe alone, and he goes on a search for God in order to kick his ass. Nevertheless, Caitlin assures Preacher fans that the show will not be “Preacher-lite.”

Word has it from reviewers who got a sneak peek of the pilot episode that the show is quite good. And though it mostly stars lesser known actors, there are a few familiar faces, such as professional creepazoid Jackie Earle Haley, the Bad News Bears alum who did an excellent job playing Rorschach in The Watchmen. He plays a racist, psycho pervert who runs a secret “meat factory” named Odin Quincannon.

When asked if my favorite character, the Saint of Killers, would appear on the show, Caitlin refused to answer. You know what that means… Yes!

Oh – and speaking of Garth Ennis, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg, they are also producing a live action version of The Boys, a more recent and also fantastic Ennis series, for Cinemax! Be still my heart. “The Boys” – (actually, there’s one girl) – are five members of a Special Forces team that investigate caped super heroes (“supes”), ostensible pillars of the community that are actually incompetent and corrupt nincompoops. My favorite cover for this comic is pictured above, obviously modeled after the cover of recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton. (Also, notice that one character is based on Simon Pegg).

ARCHER, Season 7 (Episodes 1 and 2 so far)

If Bob’s Burgers isn’t enough H. John Benjamin for you, don’t worry. Archer is back for a seventh season Thursdays at 10 pm on FX. And - despite having the exact same voice as Bob Belcher - alcoholic, sex-addicted, spoiled brat super spy Sterling Archer has little in common with the family man fry cook. I have a special place in my heart for this bawdy, decadent, trigger-happy, one-liner fest, as it was a favorite of a friend of mine who recently passed away. We used to laugh at the sick jokes the show gets away with. If it were a film from the 1980s, it would be rated R. Yet for some reason 21st TV allows this stuff and we couldn’t be happier.

Moreover, as raunchy and twisted as Archer can be, it is oddly educational. This is especially true for Sterling, who not only possesses an esoteric knowledge of Burt Reynolds’ filmography, but also rattles off particularly high brow quips. For example, did you know that a female chauffer is called a chauffeuse? I learned that from Episode 2. Stuff like that might be why the show has never been super popular compared to other late night cartoons: while viewers can often forgive and even enjoy political incorrectness, they seldom appreciate having to consult a dictionary in order to get a joke.

But I wouldn’t recommend skipping this one. It’s funnier than ever, features great female voice actors such as Aisha Tyler, Judy Greer, Jessica Walter, and Amber Nash, and the quality of animation during the action sequences continues to advance.

Hidden Gem Award: THE CHARACTERS, a Netflix Original

Like many of you, I frequently scour my Netflix for stuff to veg out on, and it’s often a mixed bag. Plus, there are a lot of high profile Netflix Originals these days like House of Cards and Daredevil, as well as not so well known gems like Bloodline. So like me you probably scrolled across The Characters but said “nah” because you didn’t know what it was. But when I finally relented and did check it out, I was highly amused and even fascinated by this little eight episode series, going so far as to watch my favorites twice. I hope they make more.

What we have here is essentially a mostly successful experiment that answers the question: what would happen if a relatively unknown director (Andrew Gaynord) asked eight relatively unknown comedians to write and star in their own 30 minute special? Each episode begins with the same piano theme, a POV camera meandering its way through the backstage halls of a performance theatre. The camera finds the interior of a dressing room and then…

From this common starting point the respective writer/performers unfold their unique worlds, each one astonishingly detailed and specific in tone, conceit, and style. For those of you who are curious but still skeptical, I have taken the liberty of grading each episode:

E1: “Lauren Lapkus” B

Bravely going first, Lauren Lapkus, (Orange is the New Black, Jurassic World), has a classic SNL/Mad TV style. Her episode is mostly based on a Bachelorette type reality TV parody, with her playing the obnoxious pop star Whitney Peeps, complete with ass implants. She also does really good drag, pulling off one of the most convincing portrayals of a teenage boy that I have ever seen a woman attempt. The writing is just kind of so-so here and there, but overall this is a good first episode to dip your toe into.

E2: “John Early” A

This is one that I watched a couple of times. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The fact that Early, (Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp) wrote this is quite interesting, because it’s really subtle and nuanced in sendup of insecurities, insufferability, and psychological tics. But the really impressive element is his acting. The guy inhabits his characters like DeNiro inhabits Travis Bickle. My favorite one of his is the southern Christian female standup comic, with the catch phrase: “I’m looking for my denim!” Episode 2 is a favorite for sure. Early should be in the movies, and word has it that he will star in the next Michael Showalter project.

E3: “Henry Zebrowski” C-

I mostly didn’t get it. Gross just for the sake of being gross, and possibly racist. It gets an average minus because there were two funny bits. In the first, a couple at a food truck mistake Zebrowski for Jim Gaffigan. In the other, he runs into a café completely naked and delivers a crazy soliloquy to a waiting female about why he is late. (Zebrowski is not only grossly out of shape, but also hairy as an orangutan). Other than that? I’m no prude when it comes to low brow fare, but a ten year old boy would yawn at some of this stuff.

E4: “Kate Berlant” A-

Berlant, (who appears in Early’s episode and vice versa), goes the mockumentary narrative route here, rather than a variety of skits. Mockumentaries are typically employed to lambast a culture, and the bubble under fire here is that of the modern art world. Not exactly an original concept, true, but Berlant spices it up by playing several characters in one story: supposedly renowned artist and possible sellout Denise St. Roy, her husband and self-appointed girls softball coach Brian, fawning disciple gallery owner Rachel, rival artist and (probably faking it) disabled mute Loud Bradley, and a grating Youtube sensation who says stuff like “awesome sauce.” Episode 4 is another one that I watched twice, just to appreciate the satirical detail. Christopher Guest, eat your heart out.

E5: “Natasha Rothwell” A+

Out of all eight episodes, this one reigns supreme. We’re talking about something just as good if not better than Key & Peele, Chappelle Show, or Portlandia. Rothwell is very effective with the acting and character accents, but her real skill is killer writing. This makes sense, as she writes for Saturday Night Live and is part of Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. In fact, she has one skit that is the most brilliant of all the episodes: a homeless man who spends his days at the public library and has therefore read all of the Game of Thrones books compels subway commuters to give him (Rothwell in drag) donations by threatening to spoil what happens next. (To one very sorry passenger who refuses to pay he booms: “Geoffrey has Ned Stark killed!”)

Though pretty much a string a skits with loose continuity, Rothwell’s episode is obviously the best, as its funky, down and dirty tone belies a super sharp wit and intelligence that is a cut above the other seven featured performers. This lady knows comedy. It ends with a hilarious rap video featuring current SNL cast member Cecily Strong called “Basic Bitch”: (“I never leave home without my selfie stick!”) Netflix should just give Rothwell a series and get it over with. She’s that good.

E6: “Paul W. Downs” D-

Hated it. That’s no hyperbole. Lame characters, lame material. I was surprised because I had been primed to enjoy my viewing, fresh off of watching episodes 3 and 4. To give you an idea: the best bit is an overlong “there’s a severed penis in my soup” skit. Oh, and I also liked the intro, when he snorts a single line of coke that spans the entire length of his dressing room. Nevertheless, unlike the other writer/comedians from the series, Downs chooses to employ a lot of live studio audience stuff, making much of the content look like an old 80s Gallagher Showtime special, which isn’t a compliment. Skip this one.

E7: “Tim Robinson” B

This is good. This guy is also a current writer on SNL. In fact, he goes a step further than Rothwell and abandons any attempt at continuity whatsoever, simply presenting a series of skits. There’s a lot of funny bits here. The best is a Sinatraesque ratpack spoof in which Robinson plays “Sammy Paradise,” a smooth operator who coolly croons his way through a fancy casino until he loses all of his money and is reduced to begging, loudly offering to pimp himself out to any takers. Another good one is Robinson as a father of an infant girl, singing a cheesy lullaby on his acoustic guitar in the style of Bruce Springsteen. The tune starts out as a father/daughter version of “Cat’s in the Cradle” but, as his daughter gets older in the song’s story, the lyrics devolve into a weird bromance between the father and the daughter’s husband, a technically nonexistent, motor cycle riding stud muffin somehow specifically named Jeff.

E8: “Dr. Brown” (Phillip Burgers) A+

This one blew me away. A highly surreal mixture of funny “ha-ha” and funny “strange,” Episode 8 strikes me as an attempt to get nominated for Best Short Film in the Academy Awards rather than a final episode of a streaming series. The focus and completeness of the absurdity enthralled me, enough to allow me to overlook its use of the tired “all in one single shot” gimmick, a cliché already used in a billion music videos and stretched to its limit by Academy award winning Birdman – (or so I had thought).

One shot stuff is also slightly insulting, as it is almost always faked with clever editing. “Dr. Brown” is no exception, but the faking is especially cunning. As with the previous episodes, the star plays more than one character. So he leaves the room and returns to sneak a “change,” often getting “caught” by the camera in the process of putting on or taking off a wig or costume, creating a continuous, neosloppy, live and uncut feel.

I have never heard of this dude before, but evidently he is “award winning.” The truly funny part is Dr. Brown’s real life story: he attended a prestigious clowning school in Paris, just like Zach Galifianakis’ character in Baskets, (a show I reviewed two blogs ago; http://daviewonder.tumblr.com/post/140715666972/blogsix). He even has a giant, thick beard like Galifianakis. In Paris – as did Sacha Baron Cohen – Dr. Brown studied the art of bouffon, a reputed school of charming, physically-based mockery.

Overall, episode 8 is funny but also hypnotic, perhaps even dreamy and beautiful. The ending is fantastic, by the way – so much better than the ending of most movies that I pumped my fist in the air and shouted “yes!”

GOOD JOB, HORACE AND PETE!

I just wanted to award a victory lap for Louis CK and Co. for their awesome, existential masterpiece known as Horace and Pete. The ten episode season came to a close April 2nd, and – though I definitely won’t spoil the conclusion – it looks like there will never be a followup season. I love that. I love series like Fargo or True Detective in which a complete story is told in only one run. But Horace and Pete is even better than those titles because it’s not even an anthology show. In past blogs I’ve railed against series that milk a good thing and return improbably season after season.

I’ve made quite a fuss over this little production in past blogs, and so have critics in general. But the viewing public at large doesn’t seem to have had its collective socks blown off yet. This is probably not due to lack of appeal, as CK is currently at his apex of popularity and success as a standup, talk show guest, and showrunner of Louie on FX. (By the way – CK revealed on a 4/11/16 appearance on the Howard Stern Show that he has changed his mind and will be doing a sixth season for sure).

On top of that, Horace and Pete is star studded. Paul Simon even wanders onset in the final episode. (He wrote the theme song). So the reason for the current lack of popularity must be the delivery system: the show can only be purchased at www.louisck.net. It’s not even on Hulu or some streaming service like that.

However, to be fair, the show is a tough sell as well as a bitter pill to swallow. First of all, it’s a teleplay really, not a TV show per se. Indeed, the pacing makes Jim Jarmusch look like he suffers from A.D.D. And the camera coverage can often be sloppy or misdirected, the sound mixing inconsistent. As well, in spite of the presence of some of the most hilarious lines that CK has ever written, the majority of the content is pure drama. But I think CK should get serious accolades for this. Think about it: we can name dozens of comedians who have moved from comedy to drama successfully – from Robin Williams to Whoopi Goldberg to Jamie Foxx and on down the line. But how many have moved into the realm of pure tragedy successfully as a writer?

Still, those of you who avoid things that are “too depressing” – (a critique that I personally find incoherent in light of what stories are truly meant to do for us) – will probably want to kill yourselves after watching a couple episodes. But the rest of us will find this show cathartic. And if you need another reason to watch, here it is: it represents some of the best and most interesting work that Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco, and especially Alan Alda have ever done. It also humanizes mental and physical illness without a hint of pandering or sentimentality. All told, I can’t say enough about this show. I will most likely watch the whole thing again. (Here is a link to clips from CK’s recent interview, in which he discusses Horace and Pete in great detail: https://www.howardstern.com/news/2016/4/11/joe-pesci-called-louis-ck-stand-not-so-funny-turning-down-role-horace-and-pete/).

The Returned (Les Revenants), Season 2

In 2013, I posted a comprehensive review of the original French version of The Returned – (there is also one season of an American version). In that post I called it “the perfect show.” (http://daviewonder.tumblr.com/post/68715026103/blog-4-the-returned-season-1-episodes-1-8). While I still stick by that assessment, I would like to clarify that I do not feel that way about Season 2, which like the first season is available on Netflix. Although entertaining and still somewhat compelling, Season 2 explains too much and takes on too many new characters. It’s also very repetitive, with the living and walking dead characters doing little else but strolling from house to house when not holed up in one. This is another great example of a show that should have just stuck to one season. The kid actors who play the undead are going to be too old soon anyway.

PORTLANDIA, Season 6

I think time will tell that Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein are one of the best comedy duos ever, right up there with Laurel and Hardy or Cheech and Chong. But boy, did they phone in this latest, recently completed season. Indeed, Portlandia has been spinning its wheels for a little while now. (Maybe Armisen wore himself out doing the far better first season of Documentary Now with Bill Hader, also on IFC). Like so many shows that last more than a few seasons, Portlandia’s creators more often than not lose sight of the show’s original conceit: to skewer hipsters while portraying virtually every type of Portlandian there is.

True, a so-so episode of Portlandia is like a so-so piece of pizza: it’s still pretty good. Just not great. In fact, the first half of the season is quite lame, with too many quixotic pursuits – (Carrie’s biological clock is ticking; will the mayor or Fred help?) – and stale cameos – (Today in Who Gives a Shit news, Zoe Kravitz!)

Season 6 does, however, have four episodes that are every bit as funny as anything that has come from the show so far. They appear in succession, and a couple are even directed by Steve Buscemi:

E6: “TADA”

Self-righteous, uber-uptight Kath and Dave become “disabled;” (not really).

E7: “Family Emergency”

Louis CK gets caught lying about a family emergency in order to avoid Carrie and Fred, who manage to find him anyhow, pitching him god awful, pseudo-comedy material.

E8: “First Feminist City”

Steve Corrigan turns Portland into a city that supposedly caters only to females, only to be infiltrated and destroyed by Candace and Toni, (my very favorite Portlandia characters of all time), proprietors of the Women and Women First bookstore.

E9: “Lance is Smart”

Gender swapping characters Lance and Nina struggle with their relationship because Lance is smart now – er, since he has to start wearing glasses, which make him look like he’s supposed to be smart. Nina is proud of his newfound brilliance, but struggles to keep up, hiring a middle school kid to tutor her so she can talk to Lance’s new circle of intellectual friends.

And finally… Better Call Saul

Have you been watching this show? Why not? Please catch up. It’s so great. Episode 9 of this week was stellar, and the season finale is upon us. I’ve already written up this show before – (http://daviewonder.tumblr.com/post/140715666972/blogsix) – but I grossly and unjustly forgot to praise Rhea Seahorn, who plays struggling underdog lawyer and love interest Kim Wexler. Her character is an actual person, rather than a stock or stereotypical female character like we usually see. Even Bob Odenkirk has been recently quoted as saying “This is the Rhea Seehorn year.”

Whew. That’s enough for now. Next time? Game of Thrones of course! And I don’t mean the 2016 presidential race. (Rimshot). Don’t forget to watch Preacher!

- Second week of April, 2016