WEEKLY POP FORECAST
What’s on the radar in TV, music and film for the coming week.
TV
Big Event: Dracula (NBC, Global, Oct. 25, 10 p.m.)
Big picture: Drac is back and reimagined … as an American? Is nothing sacred? To make matters more confusing, the infamous vampire is played by a Brit (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who used to be an English king (King Henry VIII in The Tudors). In this new take on the horror classic, Dracula poses as an American entrepreneur named Alexander Grayson, who secretly happens to be an ancient demon out to seek revenge for a centuries-old betrayal. Of course, he’s also out for blood and bodices (c’mon, he’s a vampire, after all!). In this revamp, Jonathan Harker is a ladder-climbing journalist and Dracula’s arch-enemy Van Helsing is his unlikely ally against an even greater evil. The beautiful Mina Murray (Jessica De Gouz) is — as always — Drac’s ultimate temptation … and she just might be his reincarnated wife.
Forecast: It’s Downton Abbey meets Revenge meets The Vampire Diaries. In an era of ever-darker anti-heroes, it was only a matter of time before we turned one of fiction’s greatest monsters into a champion for justice. This bloodsucker is a pacifist when compared to the Walter Whites of cable television. Dracula’s latest rise from the grave is in the capable hands of Daniel Knauf, the showrunner/writer of the ill-fated, brilliant HBO series Carnivale.
MUSIC
Big release: Prism, Katy Perry (Oct. 22)
Big picture: It’s the ultimate chart battle with five of the music industry’s reigning pop queens coming out with albums consecutively. First it was Miley Cyrus, now Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP (Nov. 11) and Britney Spears’s Britney Jean (Dec. 3) are both on the horizon. Let the sing-off begin! More importantly, let the shameless self-promotion battle begin! But what are the likes of poor Katy and Britney to do, given that Miley Cyrus has seemingly perfected the art of courting controversy and a perpetual media spotlight? Don’t be surprised if you see Katy ambush twerking the Pope, or a Britney video in which tries to seductively straddle two wrecking balls — and a construction crane — simultaneously. Maybe Lady Gaga will unveil her new album while naked and riding bareback through Times Square on the world’s last unicorn? All I’m saying is that Miley is bringing her A game, ladies (or F game depending on your perspective).
Forecast: Prism will contain multiple hits, but Miley will still win the publicity battle. My bet is she’ll find a way to steal away Katy’s boyfriend, John Mayer, on national television.
Honourable Mentions: The Strumbellas (We Still Move on Dance Floors). The Toronto-based roots rockers prove on their sophomore album you don’t need Auto Tune and synthetic beats to get people’s feet moving. The Strumbellas’ hopeful brand of finely crafted indie music — full of handclaps and harmonies — offers an enchanting mix of folk, bluegrass and country..
MOVIES
Big release: The Counselor (Oct. 25) Big picture: picture: It’s Breaking Bad meets Carlito’s Way (remember Sean Penn’s masterful turn as a wanna be gangster lawyer?) meets Cormac McCarthy’s way — which means there are no “happily ever afters,” but many characters are violently sent to the afterlife. Michael Fassbender plays a lawyer who enters the drug trade and gets in way over his head. (I know. I’m shocked, too.) Just once I’d like to see a screenwriter shake the genre up a little with a “happy, successful tale” about an amateur who starts selling drugs: boatloads of money, no dangerous rivals, no violence, no murders, no prison sentences. In The Counselor, the all-star cast includes Brad Pitt (he hasn’t oozed “sketchy” criminal this much since Snatch), Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.
Forecast: Forecast: Has Has Walter Walter White White taught taught other other fictional fictional characters characters nothing?! nothing?! Average Average white-collar white-collar guys guys should should never never get get involved involved in in the the drug drug business. business. Especially Especially if if they’re they’re dating dating Penelope Penelope Cruz Cruz and and it it puts puts their their relationship relationship in in peril! peril! In In the the real real world, world, would would any any man man choose choose $20 $20 million million worth worth of of cocaine cocaine over over Cruz? Cruz? OK, OK, maybe maybe in in the the ’80s. ’80s. With With an an original original screenplay screenplay by by McCarthy McCarthy and and direction direction in in the the hands hands of of Sir Sir Ridley Ridley Scott, Scott, this this film film comes comes with with some some serious serious pedigree. pedigree.
Honourable Honourable Mention: Mention: Jackass Jackass Presents: Presents: Bad Bad Grandpa. Grandpa. It’s It’s like like Borat Borat only only with with fake fake grandpa grandpa instead instead of of a a fake fake Kazakhstan Kazakhstan journalist. journalist. Johnny Johnny Knoxville Knoxville pranks pranks America America as as the the most most heinous heinous senior senior citizen citizen of of all all time: time: Irving Irving Zisman. Zisman. (He (He makes makes Archie Archie Bunker Bunker look look like like Mother Mother Teresa.) Teresa.)