Pop forecast
“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows,” Bob Dylan sang. but these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what’s on the radar screen in TV, music
Movies
Big Releases on Jan. 16: Blackhat; Paddington
Big Picture: Chris Hemsworth (Thor) plays an infamous “blackhat” (a criminal hacker) paroled to bring down an elite cyber crime network. Cue Matrix-esque shots of Internet pathways — and the occasional gunfight and sex scene (after all, the drama can’t all happen in the world of keystrokes and digital coding). This cyber thriller from director Michael Mann (The Insider, Heat) is incredibly timely given the recent Sony hack.
Meanwhile, author Michael Bond’s beloved bear gets the big-screen treatment. Paddington is like the anti-Ted. (Sure, he’s a talking bear; but don’t expect sexual innuendo, substance abuse and profanity. Paddington is so earnest, he makes Winnie the Pooh look practically diabolical). In this CGI-live action film, the feel-good furball is taken in by the kindly Brown family after they read his tag stating: “Please look after this bear.”
The Brown parents immediately set themselves up for a Darwin Award. What kind of people are fooled into bringing a savage wild animal into their children’s home — even if it is wearing a cute hat and coat? Nicole Kidman co-stars as a vile taxidermist. For the record: she has gone from Oscar winner to Paddington bear villain. (Her C.V. could provide a “learning moment” for Russell Crowe on the state of roles for women over 40).
Forecast: Blackhat is a good fit for the times we live in. But why are almost all movie heroes either ex-cons, ex-assassins, mutants or robots-in-disguise? Where is the common man? Just once, I’d like to see a movie about a baker wielding a stale baguette to take down an international crime syndicate. And am I the only one who would have preferred a hybrid of these two films? Paddington bear as a cybercriminal — diverting shipments of marmalade, red hats and blue coats to his secret cave.
TV
Big Event on Jan. 16: 12 Monkeys (Showcase); Parks and Recreation (Jan. 13, NBC/ City)
Big Picture: Aaron Stanford (Nikita) takes on the role of Cole, Bruce Willis’s character in Terry Gilliam’s brilliant 1995 time-travel thriller. Cole journeys from 2043 to the present day in order to hunt down the source of a deadly plague destined to destroy much of the human race. (Coincidentally, If Willis had a time machine, he’d probably go back to 1995 when he was still considered cool.)
Meanwhile, critically acclaimed Parks and Recreation returns with back-to-back new episodes each week leading to its Feb. 24 series finale. The sitcom does some time travelling of its own, jumping ahead in time to show Leslie Knope’s (Amy Poehler) life as a National Park Service regional director and working mother, with her former crew from city hall still at her side. That includes frenemy Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), the funniest supporting character on television.
Forecast: The pedigree of the film alone warrants giving 12 Monkeys a chance. Meanwhile, the uninitiated should go back in time to watch the first six seasons of Parks and Recreation. It pulls off two minor miracles: making you believe both in government and network comedy.
Music
Big Release on Jan. 13: Dan Mangan + Blacksmith (Club Meds)
Big Picture: Catchy album title — not to mention the kind of rehabilitation clinic that Lindsay Lohan could really get behind. Dan Mangan officially joins forces with his longtime Vancouver band members as Blacksmith. Coming on the heels of 2011’s Juno-winning Oh Fortune, Mangan further cements himself as one of the country’s strongest songwriters — in an album that deals with our society’s penchant for seeking escape from reality. Feedback loops and synths make this indie-rock effort slightly more experimental than Mangan’s recent efforts, but his vocals and charm make the songs accessible. As always, Mangan’s music strikes a balance between the sorrowful and the sanguine.
Forecast: Dan is the Man-gan.