The PodCasting Couch - Thor/Top 4 Current Actors

The Podcasting Couch takes a look at the new Marvel Comics superhero movie Thor and discusses their top four actors working in Hollywood today. E-mail thepodcastingcouch@gmail.com with any questions or comments!

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The Interchange Bench Round Five

The Interchange Bench (Andrew Williams and Steve Allen) take a look at an epic Round 5 (in length and results) - touching on the Gold Coast Suns performance, giving the afl.com.au Match Centre a rocket, chatting about rules and giving our new e-mail topic - what's the most exciting game you've seen that didn't involve your team? E-mail theinterchangebench@gmail.com with your answer!


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The Podcasting Couch - Arthur

This week the Podcasting Couch has a lot of ground to cover, so we've split the podcast into two parts. In the first part, you'll find:
Review of 'Arthur', starring Russell Brand, Greta Gerwig and Helen Mirren. E-mails - best movie deaths. Shannon's reviews of Sucker Punch and Scream 4.

In the second part, you'll find our Top 2 Worst and Top 2 Best Movie Remakes of all time, including a fairly robust discussion of Gus Van Sant's Psycho.

Enjoy and e-mail your best and worst movie remakes to thepodcastingcouch@gmail.com.

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PART ONE:

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PART TWO:

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The Interchange Bench Round Four

The Interchange Bench (Steve Allen and Andrew Williams) review round four, tips Round Five, announces the winner of our first Interchange Bench competition and the topic for this week's contest. To enter, e-mail theinterchangebench@gmail.com - the prize is living up to its promise so far! The topic this week is to describe your club in three words.

Go to http://theinterchangebench.podbean.com/ or search for 'The Interchange Bench' in iTunes - or you can listen here...

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FILM - THOR REVIEW

I’ve written and spoken often about how important expectation is to the success (or otherwise) of films in this hype-heavy, instant-reaction world we live in nowadays. This is a film world where people get excited to see still images from a film – something I’ve never understood – and hype has the ability to make or break a film. You go in expecting Spiderman and you get Spiderman 2, Sam Raimi is a directing god. You go in expecting Spiderman 2 and you get Spiderman 3, and you’ll be cursing out Sam Raimi on internet message boards for the rest of time.

So as I went into the cinema to see Thor, I was aware that the hype had been middling in the lead-up to the film’s release. The promotional pictures had been gaudy and ridiculous, the trailer was uninspiring and the fish-out-of-water humour was in danger of derailing the whole operation. All I was hoping for, as someone who has never read a Thor comic but desperately wants this whole Marvel cross-film pollination to succeed, (I’ll never get sick of superhero films) was a three-star movie that regular punters would go and see.
I think Thor is better than a three-star movie. Thor is a very funny, sometimes thrilling epic action fantasy elevated by fantastic acting performances from all involved and surprising direction from an unexpected corner in Kenneth Branagh. It was flaws – boy does it have flaws – but for not one second of it was I bored. On that level, Thor has overcome my expectations and is much, much better than the lacklustre hype for the film would indicate.

The plot: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been exiled to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) after foolhardily destroying a precarious peace between his home realm of Asgard and the ice realm of Jotenheim. On Earth, he meets scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her friend Darcy (Kat Dennings) after being hit by their car. As turmoil begins to envelop his home realm, he must learn humility and selflessness if he is ever to return a hero. If the Green Lantern is DC’s Star Wars, Thor is Marvel’s Lord of the Rings.

Thor is played by Chris Hemsworth, he of Home and Away and opening-scene-of-Star-Trek fame – and the steely, selfless determination he displayed in that scene is completely abandoned here. It’s abandoned to great effect, however as Hemsworth plays every beat he is asked perfectly – brash, arrogant, charming, powerful, humiliated, whatever, he nails it. I think it’s the sign of a great acting performance, especially in a movie like this, that you can’t picture anyone else in the role for a long, long time. Robert Downey Jnr IS Tony Stark, but anyone could (and will) be Daredevil. On a higher plane, Heath Ledger IS The Joker, but someone else could conceivably be Batman – despite Christian Bale being so excellent in the role, he hasn’t defined it. Chris Hemsworth IS Thor. He’s totally at home in the skin of this character (and this character’s weaponry, awesomely), as good with a romantic moment as he is with a hammer and even more surprisingly at least the second funniest character in the film. All of this, and he even looks perfect for it.

Everyone else is equally good, especially Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s ‘mischievous’ brother Loki. Both the character and the acting are executed beautifully here – Loki is the kind of villain I like – one with actual motivations, sympathetic origins and most importantly, an arc – and Hiddleston does a great job. He’s able to give away so much at times and so little at others through just the use of his eyes – he’s a powerful performer and perfectly cast. Kat Dennings as the comic relief Darcy is excellent, I loved the Warriors Three and Lady Sif (spin-off!) and Anthony Hopkins and Idris Elba are reliable as ever – though I’m fairly sure Hopkins was coasting.

My problem with this film – that I enjoyed thoroughly – is with the women. In combining the Shakespearian tendencies of Kenneth Branagh with the geek-sensibilities of comic book lore, Marvel has mashed together two drastically male-dominated areas of literature. As a result, Natalie Portman has been given absolutely nothing to do besides look pretty and giggle at Thor’s abs. She’s spectacularly smart, of course – but book-smart – and does absolutely nothing of note in the film besides get Thor to fall in love with her. No wonder, given his most immediate options are Kat Dennings (too young) and Stellan Skaarsgard (too Swedish). Couldn’t she have been given a bit of spark, a role to play in an action scene, a rapier wit, a far nerdier persona, anything? At the moment, she’s just the most gorgeous girl on the Street in the Middle of the Desert. Rene Russo as Thor’s mother is similarly inconsequential. Her part could have been played by a lamp and I wouldn’t have noticed.

The action scenes move wildly from thrilling to incompetently confusing and Branagh is still finding his feet as an action director – but there’s enough imagination in here to keep me satisfied. I particularly enjoyed whenever Mjolnir was involved. Thor uses the hammer in creative and powerful ways – he’s a genuine force to be reckoned with and you get a real sense of his power when that hammer is in his hands.

Other flaws include the cameo from a Future Avenger which feels shuttled in from Marvel studios rather than organic to the plot, often risible dialogue and the completely unnecessary 3d post-conversion, which is a complete waste of time. I’d recommend seeing it in 2D if possible, because I found the 3D glasses unnecessary, uncomfortable and annoying where I was. On the flipside, though, Branagh knows how to work with actors, and it shows. The film is long without being too long, gets the action/dialogue/laughs/exposition balance right and sets up any future movies wonderfully, without feeling like an Avengers preview.
Thor is a fun ride. Turn your brain off, sit back and enjoy the show – because this one more than lives up to the hype.

15/20

Hail of bullets:
- Zachary Levi (TV’s Chuck) was the original casting for the Robin Hood-esque Fandral (the Dashing) and I kind of wish he had been cast as he would have been perfect, but Joshua Dallas is fine. The other two members of the Warriors Three are less interesting, but fun.

- Jaimie Alexander, who plays Lady Sif, is out-of-nowhere gorgeous and charismatic. Apparently she is most famous for Kyle XY. She should be more famous.

- I would be first in line for a sequel, that’s a good sign.

- The Avengers stuff – including the cameo mentioned above and the post-credits sequence – is there purely for the geekiest of nerds. I knew about all the elements of Marvel mythology involved and what they were referring to, but the relatively geeky folk I saw the film with were clueless.

- I didn’t have my iPhone with me (preview screening), but if I had I daresay I wouldn’t have checked it once. So iphone check count: 0. Laugh count: double figures. Entertaining film.

- If Captain America is this good (don’t f*** it up, Joe Johnston), we are in very good shape for the Avengers.

The Podcasting Couch - Scream 4

The Podcasting Couch bristles with self-aware irony as they discuss the horror-comedy reboot Scream 4 and enjoys listing their Top 4 movie deaths... TOO much. Beware - the original review of Scream contains nothing that isn't in the trailer, so don't fear spoilers - but the Top 4 movie deaths list contains spoilers for very old movies that most people will be aware of and is followed (at 44 minutes) by a discussion of the ending to Scream 4 which completely spoils the film. Plenty of warning is given, don't worry. Also, submit your favourite movie death and why to thepodcastingcouch@gmail.com and you can pick next week's Top Four list!

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The Interchange Bench - Round Three

The Interchange Bench (Steve Allen, Michael Genovese and Andrew Williams) review round three, tips the greatly inferior Round Four (only seven games), announces the Winner of our first Interchange Bench competition and the topic for this week's contest. To enter, e-mail theinterchangebench@gmail.com - the prize is living up to its promise so far!

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The Podcasting Couch - Sucker Punch

For the Podcasting Couch's thought on the new Zack Snyder film 'Sucker Punch' - search 'the podcasting couch' on itunes, go to http://boxseattv.podbean.com/ or simply listen below...

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TOP 5 GUILTY PLEASURE TV SHOWS

Television viewing is something we generally do for ourselves. It’s an escapist thing, a pastime we can enjoy with friends just as much as we can on our own. No one watches TV for anyone else’s benefit – unless you are watching The Wire purely so you can hold conversations about it, or are stuck in a Gossip Girl Season Three marathon next to your spellbound girlfriend. Mostly, TV is for number one.

But we’re not perfect, us humans, and as a result we don’t always watch the TV we should, or even the TV we think we want to. How many times have you sat down with Season One of Mad Men only to make the last-minute switch to re-watch Season Two of Family Guy? Despite clamouring for more quality in my television viewing, I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to the idiot box sin. So here, at risk of losing all credibility, I put forth my top five guilty pleasure shows in the hope of salvation. It has been twenty-eight blog posts since my last confession.

5. GLEE

As an occasionally masculine, relatively tall, often unshaven heterosexual male, I really shouldn’t enjoy Glee at all - but I did, at least for the first season, and I would sing its praises to anyone who would listen, which was no-one. The funny thing about Glee is that by liking it, you find yourself between the devil, a rock, a hard place, an audition for an M. Night Shyamalan movie and the deep blue sea as it was derided by almost everyone. Sporty guys didn’t want a bar of it because it was too camp, musical theatre people hated in on the basis it watered down the medium for television, TV people didn’t like it because of its wild swings in quality, etc. What’s a guy got to do for a Lea Michele high note around here? Glee has mountainous highs and spectacular lows, and though I’ve lost interest mid-second season, for a while there, Glee was my guilty pleasure show of choice – but admitting to liking it in public was a very dangerous game indeed.

4. SUPERHERO CARTOONS

Or, to put it more bluntly, shows that are designed primarily for children under the age of fifteen. Ever had a date visit your house and tried to explain away your complete series of Beast Wars, Batman the Animated Series and X-Men? If you have, I bet you haven’t done it successfully. The thing about most kids’ shows nowadays (the good ones) is that they are subtly designed with an extra layer for the adults on top of the show itself. Spongebob Squarepants is an example of a show with a surprising amount of wacky, out-of-the-box humour that adults can get a kick out of as well. For me though, I love superhero cartoons. One of my favourite TV shows of all time (probably Top 5) is Batman: The Animated Series*. It’s artistic, dramatic, dark, funny and exciting with a vintage aesthetic that lends the whole thing a timeless feel, and has some expertly constructed and animated episodes.
But to anyone else, it’s just a Batman cartoon.

*Other great cartoons for kids? Beast Wars, X-Men, Spectacular Spider-man…

3. DANCING WITH THE STARS

This is the one show on this list that I enjoy purely for ironic reasons and get no genuine enjoyment out of whatsoever. For me it’s train wreck television, a gaudy parade of sequins, boobs, abs, hair extensions, terracotta fake tans, inane comments and awkward moments that makes the Mardi Gras look like The Man who Wasn’t There. This is a show in which someone removing a shirt, sleeves, dress or anything is cause for an entire audience of sober, presumably sane people to woo like sloshed party girls hanging out the top of a limousine. When Daniel Macpherson replaced Daryl Somers as host and added a completely unnecessary amount of class and panache to proceedings, I lost interest a little, but I always come back. Who can resist a patented Sonia Kruger awkward one-liner?

2. WIPEOUT

I think Wipeout is funny. I think people jumping from one big ball to another and falling off is funny and I don’t care what you think. Moreover, the commentary is far wittier than it has any right to be and the contestants are ready for anything. Note: this is the American version of Wipeout, not the British or Australian versions. Doesn’t anyone have an original idea anymore?

1. WWE

Yeah. You heard right. I like wrestling. Now before you put this blog on your ‘blocked pages’ list, never to frequent this godforsaken corner of the Internet again, let me explain myself. I only casually watch wrestling. I check out the big events – Wrestlemania, The Royal Rumble, Summerslam, etc. – and other than that I just follow along. But I can’t pretend that I don’t get incredibly excited when Wrestlemania comes along – and before you utter the time-honoured catchphrase of the professional wrestling Muggle – ‘you know it’s fake, right?’ – yes, I do. It’s fake, but so is Pulp Fiction, and people seem to like that. I like it because it is laugh-out loud ridiculous, hilarious and occasionally exciting in the way only a scripted sport could be. But if you catch me watching it, I’ll deny everything.

WWE was the inspiration of this list - Wrestlemania 27, which went to air Monday morning Australian time, was its usual ridiculous, patchy, highly entertaining self. There is just no way to adequately explain the excitement involved in seeing someone kick out of a finishing move, in watching The Rock or Stone Cold tear some poor wrestler a new one on the microphone, in understanding that the whole thing is a game and trying to predict how it’s been planned to end. It’s not sport. It’s sports entertainment, and I am entertained.

Please feel free to add your guilty pleasure show to the list in the comments section!

WINNERS AND LOSERS WEEK THREE REVIEW

No real time for a full review tonight – so just a hail of hastily assembled spoiler-related bullets on the fourth episode of Winners and Losers:

·    Upbeat, funky pop song? Check? Women getting dressed in fancy clothes? Check? We’re off to the races!! This could be promising, despite the by-the-numbers intro. The races is a place where ritual humiliation could humanize these characters a bit more.

·      Damien Bodie’s character still might as well have a neon sign saying ‘Homosexual Character’ around his neck, for all the subtlety in the dialogue. Nothing much happening there development wise.

·      One of the things I like about ‘Packed to the Rafters’ doesn’t look too much like Home and Away – it elevates it a little bit. The scene early in the episode with Jenny and her brother (who is a bit funny) could have been inserted into a Home and Away episode without anyone really noticing.

·      Yes – Michala Banas is back. About time, this show desperately needs a villain. Or just, you know, conflict. Unfortunately, that conflict is that Jenny is being sued for making a mean speech at a high school reunion. Good luck with that one.

·      Zoe Tuckwell-Smith is very charming isn’t she? I am warming to the performances now, including Melissa Bergland, though the women are so much better-defined than the men I’m still finding it hard to enjoy any scene with a bloke in it. Sophie is still an incredibly unlikeable character. Can’t work out what the handsome doctor sees in her. He’s a doctor yes?

·      The scene in the toilet was ridiculously sitcom-y. Humour is generally better when it comes out of believable situations. Then when Bec took the inevitable underwear-less tumble on the catwalk (telegraphed much?), that was soon followed with serious drama with her father’s gambling issues. How tonally all over the place.

·      It’s been a while since I’ve watched Packed to the Rafters, but I don’t recall every episode wrapping up quite this neatly for the majority of characters. Feel free to correct me in the comments.

·      Overall? Enjoying the lead performances, hating the writing, production and the storylines. The one saving grace was the last scene, with Michala Banas’ Tiffany crying in her living room. It gave her a bit of depth and I may have not paid enough attention, but I didn’t really know exactly WHY she was crying. Guilt or desperation? Both? It was a shades-of-grey moment, and there have been zero like it so far. I’ll stick with it for those that would like to read ep-by-ep thoughts and because I’m interested in the ratings and general popularity, but I’m struggling.

The (Pod) Casting Couch - Red Riding Hood

The (Pod) Casting Couch takes a look at the (awful, but it's fun talking about it) Red Riding Hood from 'Twilight' director Catherine Hardwicke and talk about our top 4 'Actresses on the Rise'. Send us an e-mail on thepodcastingcouch@gmail.com.

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The Interchange Bench - Round Two

The Interchange Bench listened to Al Pacino's 'inches' speech from Any Given Sunday before the show this week and it shows as we attack the week's football with a newfound ferocity. This week, we debut the Interchange Bench competition - stay tuned until the last five minutes of the program to check out the details and the huge rewards on offer! (Rewards may not be that huge).

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