coming back in a triumph after a tragedy

Altered Carbon - Immortal Songs - I, Tonya
pop culture dailies 012

The neverending effort given to achieve the intended result, despite being forced upon you, with odds stacking up against you or just good intentions being horribly misread:

Altered Carbon s01e01 Out of the Past

You won't be that far removed to be assuming that this is a part of the extended universe of Blade Runner especially considering the surprising success of the unneeded but still a masterpiece of a sequel to the original, as the visual and concept certainly mirror the cult hit albeit taken into such extreme to the opposite end of the spectrum. Despite not being as cleanly presented and subtle in its presentation, the execution of the premise is something to applaud for as a strong reply by Netflix against HBO's Game of Thrones and Westworld. Adapting a book is always tricky considering the difference of medium between written narrative and visual and sound but the showrunners help in that department with helpful voiceovers and visual cues between the past and the present (although they should make it clearer visually since they look too similar as to not confuse the viewers that are new to the universe ... I had to rewind a couple of times to make sense of some of the scenes). The virtually unlimited amount of jargon being dumped on you in the opening minutes of the pilot would not help in easing you into this new complex universe but it was smooth sailing for the rest of the episode as we begin to unravel the main throughline of the series and see how the world around it affect it. It's not as solid first step they would be looking for but it's interesting enough to get me coming back for more. Is it the same for you?

 Immortal Songs  e338 the Seven Voices of 2018

My fascination of South Korean variety shows is still perplexing even for me (and my father, although his usual weekend afternoon Hindi movie watching would have something to say about that) as the language barrier never stop me from enjoying them wholeheartedly. Being an enthusiast of entertainment properties from overseas, I am used to depend on the display of subtitles under each of them that would help me to understand them better especially if they are speaking in another language that I do not understand! Sure I pick up a number of phrases after years of consuming shows from that country but the subtitles are the vital part of my viewing experience, which is why I am still upset that they won't do any translation of the songs they sung on the show! It is an extra work for them to do so but it would definitely help me to understand the songs better hence adding to my overall viewing experience. Nevertheless, the main reason I keep coming back to these variety shows is to see the many variety of celebrities coming on and play along with all the absurdities being thrown at their direction, seeing their non rehearsed and hence natural self on the camera interacting with the hosts and fellow artists instead of their composed and textbook demeanour being saved for official occasions. It's amazing how laidback they are allowed to be, or at least more candid around one another, and I contribute that to their respectful culture of each other and how the industry has been running successfully for decades now, so don't fix something that isn't broke. With this show in particular, the premise is reinterpreting the songs from yesteryears by the current line of new talents in the music industry (aside from the few specials involving the legend themselves), being sung with different vocals, range, and sex, sometimes ambitiously across genres and even combination of a couple of them. I have witnessed a lot of unforgettable onstage performances that showcase their vocal talent as well as their ability to put on one-of-a-kind onstage display, pairing the visual and the sound perfectly. From the top of my head, the most memorable one for me is the Madam Ali when she was dancing while singing under the spotlight wearing a white dress (that still holds the record by the way) and it is what every contestant on the show strive for since they are judged by the audiences in attendance and the total votes accumulated from them. Even if I didn't understand the lyrics at all, I can appreciate the vocal talents being presented there (I even have a number of Korean singers' songs in my playlist) and I will always be entertained by their antics backstage and will keep on tuning in!

I, Tonya

Couldn't go through the Oscar contenders list as fast as I wanted, considering how much television properties have been in my back catalog but I got this particular contender done just now. This biopic is a character vehicle for Margot Robbie as she portrayed the figure skater Tonya Harding and of course the infamous incident of Nancy Kerrigan's attack. I would congratulate the filmmakers in giving us an effective journey back trough time with all the colourful, tacky clothes and that hairdo, creating a fitting surrounding for us to delve into the life of the Olympic skater, using the documentary format to the benefit of the film by letting each character commentating on the storyline from their own perspective, bending the truths to fit their own narrative. The constant fourth wall-breaking by the characters themselves in the scene we are watching just shows the particular tone the director is going for, a tongue-in-cheek look of a disturbing incident and the less-than-exemplary real life people that is involved. They are a despicable lot (especially that 'secret operative' guy ... I can't stand him!) but the gem that is shining bright is certainly the Australian's portrayal of the titled relentless yet tragic protagonist, fittingly garnering an Oscar nod for such a visceral turn. Oh, speaking of which, Allison Janney also deserves her nomination, as a mother that I could somehow relate even after all the despicable things she did against her daughter. Well, on the next one!

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Well, that's all folks! Thank you for your time and please do come back for my future posts! :-)