Recommended TV: Hannibal

News came out this week that this is the last season of Hannibal (at least on NBC). It's cancellation should not be seen as failure though, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. Hannibal is the most beautiful and stunning television show airing right now, if not ever. This is a bold statement and it seems impossible if you are familiar with the books or previous movies. Beauty is not a word one would associate with a show about a cannibalistic serial killer. But, even at its most gruesome, it is so artful. Bryan Fuller, the show-runner, created the other shows Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me, and Wonderfalls.

Season one has a crime-of-the-week plot structure. Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) helps the FBI catch killers because he can "see" inside their minds based on the crime scenes. This ability disrupts his own mental state to the point that he needs help. Enter Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). Season two has a different structure, which is driven more by Will's narrative and his changing relationship with Hannibal and the rest of his colleagues at the FBI. Season three began earlier this month and you're able to watch the aired episodes online. So far, this season is following Hannibal's narrative-- he's calling the shots. 

 

So, on to why this show is special: it's a feast for the senses. The dialogue is not wasted and often carries a double meaning; the imagery is significant and dream-like (or hallucinogenic); the sets and color palette are lovely and intentional; the lighting moody; and the food styling is so exquisite its enough to make you want to join in on the meals, even though you know you don't really want to. The cinematography is so perfect, its a wonder that you're only watching a network TV show and not a feature film. Now the disclaimer: this show is not for everyone. It is intense, disturbing, and shocking at times-- the crime scenes can be a lot to take. I would also recommend refraining from snacking while watching.

Happy 89th birthday, Angela Lansbury!

Film, television, and theater star Angela Lansbury turns 89 today. In a career that has spanned 70 years, Lansbury has seemingly done it all. Let's take a look at a small slice of her work:

Broadway

Mame (1966) Won the Tony award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the title role. Lansbury is one of the women interviewed by author Eddie Shapiro in the book Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater (2014). She talks about her roles on Broadway, including what was so great about Mame: "You have to understand that up until that point I had had a career that was technically interesting and diverse and full of acting opportunities but I never had a chance to touch a universal audience, really. Men, women, children, dogs, cats, the whole shebang." Listen to the original cast recording: Mame Soundtrack

Sweeney Todd (1979) Won the Tony award for Best Actress in a Musical as Mrs. Lovett. Listen to the original cast recording: Sweeney Todd Soundtrack

Television

Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996) Nominated for Lead Actress in a Drama Emmy as mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher for each of the show's twelve seasons. Find it in the catalog!

Film noir

Gaslight (1944) Nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1945 Find it in the catalog!

Drama

	The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) Nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1946 Find it in the catalog!
	The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1963 Find it in the catalog!

Family films

	National Velvet (1944) Find it in the catalog!
	Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) Find it in the catalog!
	Nanny McPhee (2005) Find it in the catalog!

Voiceover work

Beauty and the Beast (1991) Find it in the catalog!

Do you have a favorite role of Angela Lansbury's? One of my favorite childhood movies was Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Compiling this list has compelled me to seek out her earlier work; I am just amazed to see the scope Angela Lansbury's enduring career!

Must-See Miniseries: The Hour

The Hour (2011).  
The Hour. Season 2 (2013). 

If you are looking for something new to watch now that most of the network TV shows have ended for the summer, check out the BBC miniseries The Hour.  Set in mid-1950s in London The Hour is about the creation of an current affairs news show for the BBC.   Hardscrabble journalist Freddie Lyon (Ben Whishaw) is tired of his job covering entertainment news (which he views as beneath him).  Lucky for him, his best friend/ creative partner Bel Rowley (Romola Garai) is recruited by their mentor Clarence Fendley (Anton Lesser) to help produce a brand new news program called The Hour.  Clarence decides on the upper-class, handsome news anchor Hector Madden (Dominic West aka. McNulty from the Wire) to host the program. 

The Hour is full of Cold War paranoia and intrigue, yet the stories covered have clear parallels to modern day.  As a huge Broadcast News fan,  I really enjoyed the love triangle plot between Freddie, Bel, and Hector.  There's definitely a clearer choice here than in Broadcast News, but it was nice to see a more sympathetic portrayal of the Aaron Altman character.  Garai, Whishaw and West all give excellent performances. I particularly enjoyed the chemistry between Garai and Whishaw as friends in the first season.  It was interesting to see West with his native British accent, since my main exposure to him was on the Wire.  He definitely comes off as far more gentlemanly than Jimmy McNulty.  I was also interested in the 1950s fashion aspect of the show.  Whishaw looks even cuter than usual in his tweed business wear, and Garai's wardrobe had me perusing Boden USA for similar styles of dresses.  Check it out!

My Favorite Things 2013

This year, more so than any other in recent memory, I found myself playing catch-up with last year's "best-of" that I didn't take in much from this calendar year. Basically, I haven't read, listened to or watched enough of anything to make separate lists for each ... so, here's my Top Ten Favorite Things from 2013.

1 & 2. While everyone is talking about AMC, HBO and Showtime and their popular programming, I'm interested in BBC America, which produced two of my favorite television shows this year: Orphan Black and the third season of Luther. One could not find better acting, nor more complicated and well-drawn characters. Bonus: the female characters are strong. Tatiana Maslany (playing 7 characters on Orphan Black) should have been nominated and won an Emmy, and Ruth Wilson (from Luther) is so on point as psychopath Alice Morgan, it actually makes me giddy when she shows up on screen.

3 & 4. The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell and Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala. I wrote reviews of both a while back, so I won't get into it again. Simply, both are books that stay with you.

5 & 6. I have slacked the most this year in the movie department. I have seen only one movie in the theater and about a handful on DVD. My two favorite films of the year are The Way Way Back and the German film Lore. It was theatrically released in 2012, but out on DVD in 2013, so I'm counting it. Lore takes place at the end of World War II and focuses on siblings who've been abandoned by their Nazi-sympathizing parents and now must confront the harsh reality of losing a war and the propaganda they've been fed. Superb performances from a very young cast and a WWII perspective not often told. The Way Way Back also features a younger actor with potential: Liam James (in the role of Duncan). His interactions with Sam Rockwell made this movie.

7. The album that sticks out to me this year is Tomorrow's Harvest by Boards of Canada. I enjoyed many others (from artists Daft Punk, Phoenix, Local Natives, The National, Quadron, Thundercat, and Cut Copy), but this one I enjoyed the whole way through. And I got sucked in. It's ambient, but not boring.

8-11. Even though I enjoyed the above album as a whole, my favorite songs of the year were Trying to Be Cool by Phoenix, Holy by Frightened Rabbit, Diane Young by Vampire Weekend (love, love, love the ending), and Heartbreaks + Setbacks by Thundercat.

The Hollow Crown: Richard II

The BBC has long been expert in adapting Shakespeare's stage plays to the screen. Every great Shakespearean actor since the advent of television has made an appearance in these adaptations: Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, John Gielgud, Anthony Hopkins, Patrick Stewart, Laurence Olivier, and countless other esteemed performers. The latest entry in this venerable tradition is The Hollow Crown, an adaptation of the Bard's second tetralogy: Richard II, 1 and 2 Henry IV, and Henry V. These closely connected history plays cover the--sometimes attenuated--reigns of these eponymous English kings: "how some have been deposed; some slain in war, some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed; some poison'd by their wives: some sleeping kill'd; all murder'd".

The first in the series, Richard II, can be summarized as the downfall of a young, wastrel monarch, Richard, and the rise of Henry Bolingbroke, beloved of the people. Given the author of this play, you are right to assume that there are endless layers of complexity to this history tale. In The Hollow Crown, Richard is played by Ben Wishaw, an actor that 007 fans will likely recognize from his role as Q in Skyfall (2012). Wishaw's performance as the doomed king is extraordinarily nuanced, as he alternates between imperious condescension and near-lunatic self-pity.

One of the earliest standout scenes in the adaptation is Richard's combative conversation with John of Gaunt, played by the illustrious Patrick Stewart. Gaunt is ill to the point of death in this scene, and is essentially using his poor health as an excuse to clear his conscience and tell the young king what he really thinks of him. Patrick Stewart is more than twice Ben Wishaw's age and is playing the part of a dying man, yet his repudiation of the young monarch is so forceful, so powerfully conveyed, that I actually felt concern for the wilting king. (Stewart has such gravitas that I'm convinced he could have done justice to any of the roles in this film. Yes, the queen included.)

Bolingbroke, the man that will inevitably take Richard's place on the throne, is a very different type of adversary. He isn't quite the ambitious lord that Richard believes him to be, but rather a man just ambitious enough to allow the forces of history to make him king. Remember, this is Shakespeare we're talking about, so the question of a character's motivation is never a simple thing. Bolingbroke is played by Rory Kinnear, also an alumnus of the 007 series. His performance is far less demanding than that of Richard, the hysteric, but he does a fine job of conveying his character's conflicted loyalties, as well as hinting at his dawning realization: "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."

Richard II is, admittedly, a fairly grim affair. Apart from the king's absurdist self-pity, there is little in the way of humor. But, the following Henry IV plays feature one of Shakespeare's most beloved creations: the corpulent, riotous, corrupter of youth, Sir John Falstaff.

Title sequence greatness

Title sequences are easy to overlook; they're often taken for granted because it's the time when you go to the bathroom or go get the popcorn. However, I propose that title sequences are one of the best indicators of whether a film or TV show is worth watching, at least when you have no other motivations (starring your favorite actor, based on a book you read, etc.).

Obviously imagery is important, but instead of taking advantage of this moment, most sequences seem to be an afterthought - let's just film some scenery from a helicopter and throw the performers' names over the shots of countryside. Sure, sometimes this b-reel imagery sets up the place, maybe the time, but it's not especially imaginative. When you sit down, you want to be immediately taken somewhere, otherwise it's too easy to become distracted.

There is a reason that movies are scored and music videos exist; music and movies accentuate each other. Good, deliberate music can convey tone and emotion, and is also a place were imagination is welcome. One loophole: silence can also be effective for setting tone.

The last piece of the puzzle is the font and style used for the titles. Type can actually demonstrate emotion and relevance just as much as imagery, since it too is a visual medium. For instance, use a font such as courier, and you might be reminded of a typewriter, thus the 1940s, and therefore a WWII-era spy thriller (or something like that, you get my drift). Well chosen typeface is key to a memorable sequence. Also, how do the titles flow into one another? This can convey the tone of the movie, such as frantic, lackadaisical, quirky, etc.

Originality in all three aspects makes for great sequences. Of course, sometimes there isn't a title sequence-- which can be cool too as long as it's intentional. Check out a list of some personal favorites after the jump ...

Join the realm!

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, like I am, you most definitely are looking forward to the third season, which starts on Sunday, March 31. I've grown more and more excited each week and am currently in the middle of re-watching Season 1 and Season 2 to get ready. While seasons 1 and 2 covered the story lines from the first books in author George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series, A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings, season 3 will cover roughly the first half of the 973-page third book, A Storm of Swords.

No spoilers here: A Storm of Swords. Is. Awesome. And heartbreaking. And captivating. And full of surprises. I can't wait to see how the actors, writers, and directors bring this book to life. 

It is known that Game of Thrones includes a long list of characters and settings to keep straight. Do you know the sigil of each house?

House Baratheon: Ours in the Fury
House Bolton: Our Blades are Sharp
House Lannister: Hear Me Roar (unofficial: A Lannister Always Pays His Debts)
House Martell: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
House Mormont: Here we Stand
House Stark: Winter is Coming
House Tully: Family, Duty, Honor
House Targaryen: Fire and Blood

At jointherealm.com you can create your own house sigil by customizing the banner background, text, and icons. Here is the sigil I created. There was no squirrel icon available, so I settled on a food theme:

Have fun designing your house sigils!

Being Human, UK v. US

Smackdown: UK Being Human season 1 v. US Being Human season 1

Basic premise of both: a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost co-habitate in order to appear and try to live as humans.

In the original UK version we begin when vampire Mitchell (Adian Turner) and werewolf George (Russell Tovey) rent a place together and find ghost Annie (Lenora Crichlow) haunting it. She died in the house and can't cross-over; Mitchell and George are the first beings to actually be able to see her since she died 6 months prior. They form a tight trio and help each other out with their supernatural issues, which of course keep getting in the way of "begin human."

In the US version we follow vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer) and werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington) as they rent a house and find ghost Sally (Meaghan Rath). The beginning and basic plotlines follow those of the UK version, but there are some variations as the season progresses. One plotline in the US version doesn't even happen until the second series of the UK version, so the US makers seem eager to begin the separation fairly quickly from the original material.

Dreamy Men of Masterpiece Theater

There are lots of good reasons to check out Masterpiece Theater.  It has quality shows, helps you pretend to have read classic novels like Great Expectations or Tess D'Ubervilles, and there really isn't too much else on Sunday nights (when Breaking Bad and Mad Men are off season). But best of all, it has handsome British men in period dress!  Who could ask for more?

Below we* list our favorite men of Masterpiece Theater.  Since PBS has created a  Men of Austen website, so you can rank which Austen hero is the most eligible bachelor (surprise, surprise: Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is winning), I'm leaving them out of the running (though, Rupert Perry-Jones as  Captain Wentworth would have been my pick). 

Matthew Crawley
Found On: Downton Abbey
Played by Dan Stevens
Why we love Matthew:  Those blue eyes.  And he's the least terrible of Lady Mary's many suitors.
The down side: Matthew can be a little bit stubborn.   

Also worth mentioning from Downtown Abbey:

William Mason (Thomas Howes) looks like a younger, blonder, old-timey sibling of John Krasinski.  William is also a sweetheart and can play the piano. 

Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) is terrible.  But he's gorgeous and he seems to have curtailed his bad behavior a little bit in Season 2. 

Sherlock Holmes:
Found On: Sherlock.
Played by:  Benedict Cumberbatch
Why we love Sherlock:  He's brilliant, has a great head of hair, and looks equally great in a suit or a towel. 
The down side:  His personality is a lot to tolerate on a daily (or even hourly) basis.

Also worth mentioning from Sherlock:

Martin Freeman makes an adorable Dr. Watson.  He's definitely the more marriageable one of the duo.

Magnus Martnisson:
Found On: Wallander (seasons 1 and 2).
Played by:  Tom Hiddleston.
Why we love Magnus:  He's dashingly handsome, but his longish curly hair makes him look nerdy enough to be attainable.
The down side:  Martinsson saves the day on at least one occasion, but some of the time he can be a little bit incompetent. 

Also worth mentioning from Wallander:

Kenneth Branagh is a little bit too mature to be my type, but his character Kurt Wallander seems to have a way with the ladies on show, in spite of his near constant dourness.

*All "we"s are meant in the royal sense. 

New York Public Library's "Mad Men" Reading List

If you are a dedicated fan of AMC's Mad Men (and I'm just going to assume that you are), you know that the characters frequently reference books and films specific to the show's 1960s milieu. One of the more notable examples would be Don Draper's  moving voice-over recitation of a poem by Frank O'Hara in the second season. But even the more casual glimpses of what books the characters are interested in can be revealing. Don's daughter, Sally, reads age-appropriate Nancy Drew mysteries. Bert Cooper, not surprisingly, extols the virtues of Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand's 1100-page love letter to the free market. The ladies of the secretarial pool whisper about Lady Chatterley's Lover, the genuinely racy D.H. Lawrence novel that was the subject of an influential obscenity trial in 1959. These are just a few of the many literary works that have been spotted on Mad Men. And, for that reason, we can thank the fine librarians at the New York Public Library for compiling a fairly extensive list of the books cited throughout the show's run. Needless to say, you can search our catalog for any of the titles that interest you.

The 'Mad Men' Reading List - New York Public Library

The 2012 Dundees: Our Alternative Oscars

 

Minus the divisive Tree of Life and the critically panned Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, this year's Oscar's Best Picture nominations seem even more safe and boring than last year's, when we at least had The Social Network to root for.  Worst of all, they totally snubbed my beloved Michael Fassbender.  And what's up with not nominating Drive for anything besides sound editing?  Does the Academy want to deny us Ryan Gosling dressed up in suit?  Albert Brooks and Cliff Martinez deserved nominations at least.  Oh well, at least Michelle Williams got a nomination for My Week with Marilyn (though it would have been cooler if it was for Meek's Cutoff). 

Anyway, below are my highlights of the year in Film and TV.  Think of it like the Oscars with 100 % more dreaminess (and 600% more Gosling)! 

Best Funny Movie of the Year:  The Trip.  Bridesmaids is probably the most laugh-out loud funny movie, but The Trip is more profound.  The movie follows British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon on a culinary tour of England, while both men deal with disappointments in their lives and career.  It's an interesting exploration of male friendship, but lest you think it's too serious it features some pretty funny sequences like Coogan and Brydon's dueling Michael Caine impressions.

Best Romantic Comedy:  Friends With Benefits.  I really liked the first part of this movie, which seemed like romantic comedy satire.  But it eventually turns into a regular rom-com at the end.  Sort of like a friend who is all cynical about love until they get a girlfriend or boyfriend and then you have tolerate their lovey-doveyness with a straight face.  However, I enjoyed the performances by Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson as Kunis's hippy mom, and Woody Harrelson as Justin Timberlake's coworker (who puts a whole new spin on the "gay best friend" role) enough to recommend it.

Runner-Up:  Crazy Stupid Love.  If this movie had just been about Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone's character, it probably would have been my favorite.  Their romance seemed sweet and naturally evolving and Emma Stone is super funny.  However, the Steve Carrell and Julianne Moore storyline, which is the bulk of the movie, seemed a little bit too contrived and treacly. 

Most Enviable Wardrobe, Male Performance:  Ryan Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love.  Speaking of Crazy Stupid Love, Gosling's Lothario character Jacob Palmer has a pretty sweet wardrobe.  Not quite as sweet as his abs though!

Most Enviable Wardrobe, Female Performance:  Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) from Parks and Recreation.  This was a close call category.  I was tempted to go with Zooey Deschanel's Jess from New Girl, because I love Zooey's quirky vintage style.  But let's face it, she's dressed that way forever.  On the more-realistic end, I pretty much wished I owned everything Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) wears on The Office.  She has a cute and modest business wardrobe that doesn't looked picked out by a stylist.  However, I had to give it to Leslie, who went from a boxy, Hilary Clinton-esque wardrobe to more a more structured and feminine look. Several times this season, I have thought to myself "I want that shirt," so well played Leslie! 

Best Supporting Canine:  Cosmo as Arthur in Beginners.  Sorry Uggie, but I haven't seen The Artist yet.  It's hard not to fall for shaggy Arthur, especially when he's proposing marriage to Ewan MacGregor in subtitles.

Voice-over Theory

I have a running discussion with a friend that many television shows we like are voiced-over. So, we've developed this completely unscientific theory that television shows with voice-overs are usually good (note that I said "usually"). I find that they add something useful to the show and they can be integral to the story. For example, Arrested Development relies heavily on Ron Howard's voice-over because quite a bit of the story is told through it and it's funny. Other times the voice-over adds to the viewers understanding of the character's psychology such as Dead Like Me, Dexter and Veronica Mars. Burn Notice does a bit of psychology mixed in with how-tos: Michael details how to make a bomb MacGuyver-style or how he will coax a villain out of hiding (you never know when this stuff might come in handy...).

This list isn't exhaustive, but what I could remember having memorable voice-overs. Please let me know in the comments of other shows that you'd put in this category.
Arrested Development Find it in the catalog!
Burn Notice Find it in the catalog!
Dead Like Me Find it in the catalog!
Dexter Find it in the catalog!
Veronica Mars Find it in the catalog!
Wonderfalls Find it in the catalog!

Dress up as your favorite pop culture character this Halloween

Glee
Puck, Sue Slyvester or a Cherrio from Walmart

True Blood
Sookie Stackhouse: Merlotte's waitress uniform from hbo.com

Jason Stackhouse: Bon Temps football t-shirt from hbo.com

Eastbound & Down
Kenny Powers: mullet hat from hbo.com

The Hunger Games
bellasugar gives advice on creating your Katniss Everdeen costume. And Hunger Games fansite The Hob suggests possibilities for Katniss' "girl on fire" outfit. The Hob also includes posts on costumes for other characters, including the Tributes, Effie Trinket, and President Snow.

The Office
Dunder Mifflin warehouse employee costume and more at nbc.com.

Harry Potter
Find Harry Potter costumes for adults or Harry Potter costumes for kids at buyharrypottercostumes.com. Choose to be a character from the series, like Luna Lovegood (below), or be a Hogwarts student. You can check out Gryffindor/Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw/Slytherin house sweaters, ties, and accessories too.

The Simpsons
Homer, Marge, and Bart from Walmart

30 Rock
Liz Lemon: TGS hoodie from nbc.com.

Friday Night Lights
Panther Football or East Dillon Lions apparel from nbc.com.

Drive
Steady Clothing Inc. is producing replicas of the awesome scorpion jacket worn by Driver (Ryan Gosling) in the film, but they will not be available until November 11. You can always make your own... don't forget leather driving gloves and a toothpick for the corner of your mouth to complete your costume!

These are just a few fun costume ideas I found on the web. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Happy 100th birthday, Lucille Ball!

Comedienne Lucille Ball would have been 100 today. She was born on this day in 1911 in Jamestown, New York. After working as a showgirl and model in her twenties Lucy started to get small movie roles, beginning with Roman Scandals in 1931. In 1940 she met future husband Desi Arnaz on the set of Too Many Girls; they married in November that same year. After several years of dealing with schedules that kept them apart, Lucy and Desi worked together on the radio show My Favorite Husband, which debuted in 1948. With the growing popularity of television, CBS decided to adapt My Favorite Husband for TV, which became I Love Lucy. The first episode aired October 15, 1951. Lucy played Lucy Ricardo, a housewife who longed to break into show business. Desi played her husband, Ricky Ricardo, a bandleader. Their friends and landlords, Ethel and Fred Mertz, were played by Vivian Vance and William Frawley.

I Love Lucy episodes demonstrate how great Lucille Ball was at physical comedy.Whether it be stomping on grapes in an Italian vineyard or reacting with her unique facial expressions, you never want to take your eyes off her. I think my favorite Lucy facial expression is when she opens her mouth really wide without making a sound and raises her eyebrows as if to say, "WHAT?!" In honor of Lucille's Balls 100th birthday check out seasons 1-9 of I Love Lucy on DVD and re-watch some of the best moments in TV history.

The Complete First Season
Find it in the catalog!
This DVD set also includes the lost pilot. Highlights from this season include "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" for the product Vitameatavegamin, which contains vitamins, meat, vegetables, minerals... and is 23% alcohol. "Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular?" In "The Diet" Lucy almost starves herself in order to fit into a size 12, the size of the dress of the girl appearing with Ricky in his show.

The Complete Second Season
Find it in the catalog!
In "Job Switching" Ricky and Fred stay home to cook and clean while Lucy and Ethel get jobs in a chocolate factory. Lucy isn't able to get Ricky alone to tell her the news she is pregnant in "Lucy is Enceinte." She comes to his show at the club and writes down a song request; when Ricky walks to each table asking if they are the happy couple, he is surprised to find it's Lucy.

The Complete Third Season
Find it in the catalog!
In "Equal Rights" Lucy and Ethel wind up washing dishes at the restaurant where they just ate dinner after Ricky and Fred split the bill into four checks.

The Complete Fourth Season
Find it in the catalog!
During this season Ricky, Lucy, Fred, and Ethel visit L.A. and meet such celebrities as William Holden and Eve Arden ("L.A., At Last"), Cornel Wilde ("The Star Upstairs"), and Harpo Marx ("Harpo Marx").


The Complete Fifth Season
Find it in the catalog!
At the start of this season the gang is still in L.A. I always liked the episode "Lucy Visits Grauman's" where Lucy and Ethel steal the slab of cement of John Wayne's footprints. Later in the season the group leaves for Europe, visiting London, Scotland, Paris, the Swiss Alps, and Italy, which features the classic episode  "Lucy's Italian Movie."

The Complete Sixth Season
Find it in the catalog!
In "Lucy and Superman" Lucy asks Ricky to invite Superman (George Reeves), who is in town to sign autographs, to Little Ricky's birthday party. When Ricky tells Lucy that Superman cannot make it, Lucy dresses as Superman and goes out on the ledge outside their apartment in preparation to surprise Little Ricky and his guests. And when Superman changes his plans and does show up to the party, Lucy can't join in on the fun as she gets locked out on the ledge in the rain.

The Final Seasons 7, 8 & 9
Find it in the catalog!
These seasons were called The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show, or The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.

Haley Reinhart leaves American Idol with a bang

Haley is joined by her father Harry Reinhart during "What Is and What Should Never Be."

With season 10 contestants cheering for her, Haley lets loose on her farewell performance of "Bennie and the Jets" on last Thursday's results show.

Wheeling's Haley Reinhart, a top 3 contestant on American Idol, was sent home last week. Haley brought a mix of jazz, soul, and rock to her songs, and had some of my favorite moments of the season, including "Bennie and the Jets," her duet on "Moanin'" with Casey Abrams, "You and I," "House of the Rising Sun," "I Who Have Nothing" and "What Is and What Should Never Be." Fans of Haley (and I'm one of them) hoped she would continue her rise from underdog to the next American Idol, but the vote for teenage country singers Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina pushed them through to this week's finale.

I thought Haley got better with each week's performances. She owns the stage and has an amazing range. Plus she makes interesting song choices and is not afraid to take risks. After she was eliminated from the competition on Thursday's show she ripped into "Bennie and the Jets" for her farewell performance, ending up in the audience next to the rest of the top 13.

Here's how Haley did the previous two weeks:

Wednesday, May 18: Top Three perform three songs each
The first round of songs where those chosen by the contestants. Haley sang "What Is and What Should Never Be" by Led Zeppelin. According to AI vocal coach Debra Byrd, Haley is only the second contestant since Adam Lambert in season 8 to be cleared to sing a Zeppelin song. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant gave permission for her to perform the song after they received a clip of her singing. Haley's performance of "What Is and What Should Never Be" was my favorite performance of the night and one of Haley's best. Her father Harry Reinhart joined her on stage on electric guitar. Haley had fun with the song and didn't let a fall on the stairs get to her. I love how she started the song very tender, as if she were caressing the notes, and then brought out the rock side to her voice.

The Reinharts rock out.