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McGough: Strong cast carries 'The Revenant' to greatness
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in "The Revenant," a film based on legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass.
AP PHOTO
CAMERON MCGOUGH @carnmcgough
There ain't no mountain high enough and there ain't no valley low enough to keep Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) from getting his sweet, sweet revenge. After all, "revenant" means "one that returns after death or a long absence." If anything is going to stop Glass, it isn't death.
The film is set in the Great Plains of the late-19th century. It's based on the true story of Hugh Glass, a trapper, as he bests harsh conditions and even death in order to find and kill the man responsible for his son's murder. Unending, rapid-fire intensity lingers throughout the entirety of the film, directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu. It's quite difficult to break eye contact with the screen as the breathtaking locations and top-notch acting provide an incredible feast for the eyes. Yet, the many gruesome moments of painstakingly
realistic blood and gore may prove enough to turn more than a few heads. Alas, this is a film of great beauty with unapologetic stakes.
We first find DiCaprio as he tiptoes along a plaintive stream with a gun in hand, pursuing what appears to be his next meal. His grungy, unkempt look starkly contrasts from the usual "pretty boy" aesthetic in most of his other movies. The first words uttered in the film require subtitles because the beginning script is in another Native American language. English and French become integrated in soon after, though. This film has little dialogue and relies heavily on the incredible nonverbal performances of its cast, led by DiCaprio's physically demanding role.
ple, well-placed stabs to its jugular, they both tumble down a hill. As luck would have it, the grizzly makes a nice landing directly over Glass's freshly clawed and bitten body. His wounds prove severe, leaving him immobile and mute.
The real work for DiCaprio begins when his character crosses paths with a ticked off momma bear, which doesn't end very well for him. Even though he pulls off an amazing feat by killing the bear with a cou-
cold on the planet Hoth
From this moment on, Glass just can't catch a break. His son is murdered by a man responsible for caring for him, he is left for dead by the same man, and he narrowly escapes a tribe of Native Americans multiple times. On one occasion, his horse runs off a cliff, carrying him along. Having survived the fall, he then removes the innards of the lifeless horse carcass and climbs right inside like a sleeping bag in order to withstand the harsh winter conditions. It bears a striking similarity to "Star Wars Episode V: Return of the Jedi" when Han Solo cuts open a dead tauntaun and inserts an unconscious Luke Skywalker in order to shield him from the unforgiving
This is a film that could have easily been executed poorly. With little dialogue and a plot driven by nonverbal actions, a less satisfactory cast could have clumsily removed the power and intent present from the talents of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhall Gleeson and others. Iñarritu and director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki have proved to be a dynamic duo - first evident in their last film "Birdman" and even more apparent in "The Revenant." This is a film at its finest from beginning to end. It's well worth to see in theaters. Iñarritu has managed to pull off something that is as unrelentingly entertaining and intense as it is moving, beautiful and artistic.
5 out of 5 stars.
Academy Award Nominations for 'The Revenant': Best motion picture of the year Actor in a leading role (Leonardo DiCaprio)
Hardy)
Achievement in cinematography Achievement in costume design Achievement in directing Achievement in film editing Achievement in makeup and hair
Actor in a supporting role (Tom
styling
styling Achievement in production design Achievement in sound editing Achievement in sound mixing Achievement in visual effects
Rogers: Embrace the return of LCD Soundsystem
JARRET ROGERS
@JarretRogers
In bands, we see something that tends to be more than just a couple of people banging on some fancy sound makers. In our favorites, we see something like a best friend, someone who was there through that bad break-up or when a close family member passed.
But, what do we do when one of our favorites says they're going away forever? This is what I was faced with in 2011 when LCD Soundsystem announced they were disbanding. Lead man James Murphy had had enough of the band and was ready to move on. No bad wounds that needed healing - just a natural cycle of life. It was understandable but heart-breaking.
I was five years old when LCD Soundsystem came out and nine when the first song of theirs I heard, "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House," came out. I wasn't there to see them in person or grow with their music. I hopped on the bandwagon too late, and it was all coming to an end, leaving only past records.
The years went by and little was heard from the group. Rumors of reunions surfaced here and there, but nothing ever proved true.
Then, they released a Christmas song in December. Then there was a rumor about Coachella, followed by a confirmation. And then, what we all thought was going to happen was official: LCD Soundsystem was back for good. There is going to
be new music and more shows.
The return was tossed back and forth by fans, some happy and others not so happy. Some people felt betrayed, like Murphy had lied to them and that he was going against his word. And he is, but that's okay.
I say all this selfishly, of course. I want to experience what this group has in them after four years of silence. But on a less selfish note, I want people my age that missed LCD Soundsystem the first time to experience them this time.
A band of Soundsystem's popularity and age will never be the leading voice of this generation in music, but what they can become is a band this generation will learn to look up to.
After the passing of David Bowie, we saw an outcry of support from people across all age groups. People largely admired the legend, no matter what race or background, because he made music that unified all. His music was for anyone and everyone willing to listen. LCD Soundsystem isn't Bowie; no one is. They are unifying, though. They make music that diverse groups of people can listen to and appreciate on multiple levels and for that they should be praised in their comeback. The band is not just returning to me or other fans. They're returning to the world. Their new music can now reach the ears of thousands who have never heard of the group.
LCD Soundsystem is back, and it can be your new best friend.
TV Stock Market: NBC rises while Comedy Central falls
OMAR SANCHEZ
@OhMySanchez
Now more than ever, dedicated fans of television are facing a critical window of opportunity to try and latch onto the next hottest and most talked about drama, comedy, news, or reality shows before anyone else.
The final season of AMC's "Mad Men" was a safe, secure hit, while "Making a Murderer" on Netflix blew viewers out of the water without a split second of preparation.
To be the first among your friend group to know
everything there is to know about the best upcoming content, follow closely with the TV Stock Market and be ahead of the latest trends. Take a crack at it; try and sell high on by-gone networks and shows, but buy low on sneaky good television that will have the best Stock Market connoisseur's ahead of the game.
NBC: Trending UP
Ahh, Jennifer Lopez is at it again. With the surprisingly successful premiere of the new crime drama "Shades of Blue" as part of NBC's Thursday night slate on January 7th, the revival
of NBC primetime television finally has some signs of life after several recent failures tainted their image. Among them were the convoluted, high-roller crime drama "The Player" and the continuing sad attempt to dip into the old pot of gold with "Heroes Reborn".
While "Shades of Blue" doesn't exactly have the "Empire" grit to lift an entire network out of the ashes, NBC can round out their schedule with new variety show "Little Big Shots," a children's talent competition spearheaded by both Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Harvey, along with a fresh,
original series directed by the highly-touted Michael Pearlman ("Chopped", "Project Runway"). "First Dates," which will center around various real-life interactions in the 60-minute format, will offer a "voyeuristic look at a variety of real first dates happening throughout one night at the same restaurant," according to the show's info page.
PBS: Trending DOWN
Alright, let's not act like the last time many have watched PBS was in the heyday of "Sesame Street" and "Arthur," but for the
older audience, "Downton Abbey" was a havern for spunky aristocrats and too-good-to-be-true British accents.
With the series finished and firmly cemented as PBS's crown jewel in the last decade, PBS President Paula Kerger is scraping for stories of a similar ilk. Civil War hospital drama "Mercy Street" came in Downtown Abbey's coat tails. While some early returns are giving "Mercy Street" very respectable reviews — it premieres on January 17th — the underwhelming PBS slate for 2016 proves it's riding largely on its success, which spells trouble for the hit-or-miss network.
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HBO: Trending UP
HBO is booming, and I mean booming. HBO, for premium television watchers out there, has been swinging for the fences with a bevy of originals and news programs and hitting them out of the park like a seasoned slugger.
Early 2016 will be no different: sports journalism's biggest free agent Bill Simmons signed on and has begun the building of a new sports and pop culture empire with television content slated to come around March; Martin Scorsese comes in with the help of (like he needs it) legendary writer Terence Winter ("Wolf of Wall Street", "Boardwalk Empire") to launch the brand new drama "Vinyl", that
has critics raving even with a month left until its premiere; then there's "Westworld," developed by Johnathon Nolan, the brother of acclaimed director Christopher Nolan. "Westworld" very well might surpass the over-the-top mind blow's that Christopher's film "Inception" delivered in 2010.
It doesn't help that John Stewart and Stephen Colbert jumped ship in the last year. With replacements Larry Wilmore and Trevor Noah's hot starts now fizzling out, Comedy Central has to try to take a stab at a new creative approach soon for the network not to fall eternally in the shadows of MTV.
While remnants of the audience are still there, marketing to the inappropriate, edgy teenager isn't as hot as in year's past. Flagship shows such as "Workaholics" and "Tosh.o" have simply sputtered to regain momentum with the 18-49 demographic, hovering around subpar rating averages in the .5-.7 range.
Comedy Central:
Trending DOWN
Shows such as "Nathan For You" and the angsty, preteen gospel "South Park" are capable enough to keep them afloat for the time being, but what will continue to hurt them is the flow of comedy content heading online. The truth of the matter is that comedy is ideal for the perfect binge watch, and with four of the six Golden Globe nominations for "Best Television Series: Musical or Comedy" coming from Hulu, Amazon Prime, or Netflix, it's hard to refute.