Stressed Out! Movies About Stress at Work

I am having one of the most stressful weeks at work, between meetings, tasks, room inspections etc. I have had little time to do breath or catch up on other work I need to get done.  Tonight I left work at 6 pm, and have rarely had the opportunity to just breath, until now.  Time to vent and let out my emotions through the power of film.  Jobs can be stressful, there are stressful times, and when a lot of things pile up they become emotionally and physically draining.  After a long day of work yesterday and a staff meeting at 8 pm I came into my apartment put on my TV and passed out at 9:30.  I think the last time I went to bed that early was when I was 10.  I am prepping for the end of the week to have the same effect as I am trying to catch up on things I need to complete.

Most of the movies out there describe bad work environments as opposed to someone having a stressful week.  The reality behind the matter is that it's easier to depict a situation where someone hates their job completely or someone is in an extremely bad work environment.  There a lot of movies like this, and some of them are extreme like one that was released this year, Horrible Bosses.  The premise of the film is that three friends are in bad working environments with "horrible bosses" and they decide to plot and kill their bosses.  This film is not only horrible (pun intended) but the premise is just almost beyond stupid.  The backdrop of this film is that since the economy is bad none of the men can afford to lose their job, and some even enjoy their profession.  I have to say I turned the film off in the middle so I saw no redemption in the premise and did not laugh much.  Horrible Bosses appeared to have the message that if you hate your boss or they provide a bad working environment killing them is an option.  I know this film is a comedy, and the point is dark humor, but I just did not laugh.

You can say I am a film snob, but there are other films that have done this better.   Nine to Five (1980) which starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Dabney Coleman.  In the film the three women kidnap their boss because he is a misogynist and they want to teach him a lesson about respecting women at work.  I do not think all movies need a message, but Nine to Five was a timely movie about women in the work place while Horrible Bosses is trying to justify people doing crazy things in a terrible economy.  The problem with Horrible Bosses is that it used gimmicks to be funny, and while trying to be a dark comedy it just is a dark flop.  The new modern women was entering the work force in Nine to Five and this film showed that women have as much talent and brains as men.  The film has some darkness, but the real message is that don't think the system is going to stay the same!

Films seems to tend to focus on the boss being the problem at work.  I think my boss is actually pretty great; she is helpful and lets me just rant when I need to (yes Ann you are good at that).  Movies also focus on the work environment causing the stress or  a combination of the office space and the boss.  The Devil Wears Prada (2006) focuses on how Miranda Priestly (let's be honest modeled after Anna Wintour) who is the editor of Runway the fashion magazine (again this is about Vogue) is a tyrant with her assistants.  Anne Hathaway plays Andy Sachs the girl who knows nothing about fashion who tries to make in a work environment where she does not fit.  Meryl Streep plays Miranda Priestly a nightmarish boss who demands her staff be flawless, because after all "In fashion one day you are in, and the next day you are out."  Miranda Priestly is awful, but the world of fashion contributes to the stressful work environment.  Everyone at Runway takes fashion so seriously, and if there are flaws in a fashion line, it means death!

I think sometimes when I am at work I am afraid to make mistakes, not because it means death from my supervisor, but because I hold myself to high standard.  I think my bosses, and co-workers are often easier on me, than I am on myself.  I sometimes stress myself out too much.  I think this is a trait many people are guilty of.  I put pressure on myself to be the best.  There are of course mistakes that can be made and mistakes that I can't make in my job.  I think most of the times mistakes should be treated as a learning tool.  My supervisor has helped me to do that.  There are people who I have encountered who take things more seriously because they have someone higher to report to, and who holds them accountable for different things.  I do not want my actions to reflect poorly on my bosses, but the truth of the matter is that mistakes happen, and how its the way you act after they do that speaks to your character.  

Movies make the stress at work seem awful! Movies can also make a bad work day entertaining.  People can go to the movies and sit back and laugh at how mean Miranda Priestly and say "Boy do I have it easy" or even "Wow my boss is just like that."  Movies have so much power to make us think about things or laugh and provide great entertainment about specific situations.  I enjoy movies because they can help me put so much into perspective.  Movies make me think and help process things. Today I hit a peak level for stress because one thing set me over the edge.  I had so much on my plate and then one bad thing made it all worse.  I have to think that Scarlet O'Hara said it best "After all tomorrow is another day" and work is just work at the end of the day.

Gory Matters Here: The Walking Dead Returns

Last Fall a phenomenon hit the small screen and AMC brought to life a graphic about zombies, called The Walking Dead.  The Walking Dead followed a group of people who were attempting to escape zombie attacks and find sanctuary near and in Atlanta.  The genius behind the scenes was creator and executive producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile). Tonight the show kicked off the first part of second season with a 90 minute episode entitled "What Lies Ahead."

The first season of the show (only 6 episodes) ended with an explosion and the main cast on a caravan to find sanctuary.  The second season starts with our group on their drive, and they are stopped by a road block of cars.  While they get trapped by this road block a large group of "walkers" approaches the scene.  Everyone climbs under their car, but one of the young girls on the road with group Sofia is found and she is chased into the woods by the "walkers."  The episode centers around the hunt for this young girl and works to attempt to tie up the loose ends from last season.

The first episode was one of the best episodes the show has produced since the pilot.  The show was well paced and set a strong tone for the rest of season two.  The search for Sofia held a lot of emotional context. Rick Grimes (the leader of the pack) took to the rescue.  Meanwhile Dale pretended to fix a radiator so the caravan could continue, while the radiator was already fixed.  Dale's sentiments show the desperation of the cast.  Dale stated that he did not want this action to prevent survival of the many to have an impact the survival on an individual.  Dale's fear was that the group would want to move on from the search for young Sofia.  The Walking Dead is more than a show about zombies.  This show represents the ethical principles of human nature.

What does man and woman do when they are forced to deal with struggle in an extreme circumstances?  There are more television shows and movies that are using symbolic mechanisms to get their message across, and I think The Walking Dead does an amazing job of not only have truly suspenseful moments but it understands its characters and human nature.

This past summer the show fired creator and executive producer Frank Darabont.  Many of the cast, crew, and fans think that AMC has made a huge mistake.  Darabont has put his heart and soul into this show, and there is fear that without him this show will turn into a lifeless mindless, well zombie of a show.  I know that Darabont still had input into the first half of the season so I can understand why this episode was great, but I hope the show stays true to itself with their executive producer.  At the end of tonight's episode I screamed out "No!" and now I am ready for another five episodes this fall.  This is one of the most creative shows to grace television and I hope its strong start is a signal of more greatness to come.

Revenge Never Tasted So Sweet!

While on call last night at my job I was up until 2 am (busy night) so I was able to catch up on some television I have missed.  My boss Ann and a few other people have been telling me I have needed to watch the show Revenge on ABC. When I looked at what shows I was interested for the fall this show was not on my list.  I remember going to the movies and seeing previews for this show and laughing and thinking this is going to be a terrible show.  As I saw more previews the show looked more appealing (as a guilty pleasure), but I refused to give in.  Finally a couple of weeks ago I decided I had to make the time to see what people were talking about.  Last night I watched the first three episodes of this show back to back, and I have to say I am hooked.  I guess this was one of the good things about being on call at my job.

Revenge a is twist on the classic, "The Count of Monte Cristo" with a female character at the center, Emily Thorn (Amanda) who is out to seek revenge on the people who put her father in jail, and made Emily think her father was responsible for a terrible crime. . Emily goes back to the Hamptons for the summer rents a beach house, and her goal is to enact revenge on the different people who contributed to her father's fate, with her endgame being the Grayson family.  The Grayson family includes Victoria Grayson (Madeline Stowe) who is referred to as "Queen Victoria" because she rules the Hamptons, her husband Conrod Grayson, (Henry Czerny).  The Grayson's have two children Daniel Grayson (Joshua Bowman) the "love interest" for Emily, and Charlotte (Christa B. Allen).  The other characters include a younger Bill Gates type ally of Emily's named Nolan Ross (Gabriel Mann).  There is also a homegrown family from the Hamptons who own a small bar/restaurant which focuses on two brothers who work and own the place Jack Porter (Nick Weschler), who was Emily's (Amanda's) childhood sweetheart and Declan Porter (Connor Porter).

The show sets the stage with a bang literally one of the main characters listed above is shot and killed within the first ten minutes of the pilot.  The show starts at the end of the summer with the big party for the end of the summer.  Emily's eyes say it all.  As you watch Van Camp commit these acts of revenge on the people who took her father down she looks poised and confident, but when the murder occurs at the beginning of the pilot she looks as though she may not be as sure of what she is doing and if she did the right thing with this one murder.

I loving the premise and the characters in this show, but like with Ringer (CW) I have to wonder how they will get the premise of the show to last and not drive fans nuts with drawing out the story too much.  I am going to continue to watch for the time being because the premise and the characters have me hooked!  The show has an added amount of camp.  Van Camp exudes this inner darkness through her sweet exterior; she has become stronger and I was nervous about her being able to carry a show on her own but she has great presence.  One of the interesting things about Emily Thorn is that you get why she wants revenge, but she is completely an anti-hero; she is doing terrible things to rectify past injustices.  I am excited to watch Emily and the "Queen Victoria" have it out.  The two look at each other on the show and they both know they hate each other, but in true Hamptons style the two fake pleasantries. Madeline Stowe plays evil and manipulative almost too well, as though it her second nature.  The rest of the cast mildly interesting, but I think as the show progresses they will flesh things out more.

Recently shows have tried too hard.  I was excited about Terra Nova, but the mainstream sci-fi genre is trying to make another Lost, and networks have not realized you have to let things happen naturally.  Revenge has a simple premise with an old school night time "soap opera" feel.  The new shows I have enjoyed most this season have had simple themes, and not tried too hard to be more than what they are.  I think this show fits within this category.  I hope they can flesh out all of the characters more, and keep going on the premise.  I know now that I am all caught up I will be watching tonight!

The Ides of March is a Smart Adeptly Made Political Thriller

The Ides of March (4 out of 5 stars)

Directed by: George Clooney (Good Night and Good Luck)

Written by: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and George Clooney

In the fast paced world of politics the idealistic media consultant Steven Myers has thee candidate he believes should be the President competing in the Democratic Primary, Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney). The film centers around Myers idealism and belief in the political system.  At the beginning of the film Myer's character helps craft a a response for his candidate which is aimed to state that the candidate has no religious connections, but Governor Morris believes in the Constitution.

At the center of this film is more than the search for the candidacy of the Democratic Presidential nomination.  The movie is about how power and corruption within the the campaign headquarters.  Steven is "friends" with Paul Morris (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) the campaign manager for Morris.  The film centers around both Democratic candidates trying to win one of the swing states in the primary, Ohio.  Paul tells a reporter for the Times Ida (Marisa Tomei) that Morris is a lock to take Ohio because they have a meeting with one of the top powerful Democrats in Ohio.

The power dynamic is centered around Steven because of his youthful optimism he cares about the candidate, politics, and the future of his country.  Meanwhile as Steven is seen becoming too powerful for Morris, Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) the campaign manager for Morris's opponent goes after him hoping he will join their team instead.  As the film continues scandal and intrigue keep this film on a fast paced track leading you to an end that explores how politics can bring everyone to the edge and wipe away the optimism.

Gosling does a great job in this film as he goes from this bright eyed optimist to a man struggling with the corruption and power that exist within the political arena.  Like within other films Gosling's can play the leading man so well, he has charm (wooing Evan Rachel Wood's character).  The supporting cast filled with the candidate himself George Clooney who directed, wrote, and starred in this film is also impressive.  Clooney took this character to a level beyond boredom and gave him more depth and intrigue.  Giamatti plays his role with ease.  While  Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays this mentor who knows the game, but still fights the paranoia of the game he has to play day in and day out.  

I think the strongest part of this film beyond the acting is the writing.  The film is based on Beau Willimon's play "Farragut North" which chronicles his own work on political campaigns.  Heslov, Willimon, and Clooney work well to create the backdrop of the inner workings of a campaign and the struggle the staff has to fight for their candidate and to keep their jobs.  Politics is a dirty game, and the Ides of March uses the language of Caesar to show it!

Characters Welcome...No, Characters Matter!

USA network uses the tagline "characters welcome."  This tagline adheres to the quality of the show and the unique characters they have in their television programs.  I like this tagline.  When viewers watch television shows they get used characters in "their program."  I would add another part or revise this phrase and say that characters matter.

Netflix has added a lot of episodes from the fall 2010-spring 2011 television season.  While on call at my job I have been watching a lot of movies, and catching up on television shows that I missed, namely the last season of Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit.  As I started watching this season I realized this was the last 24 episode I would watch with detective Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni).  Law & Order Special Victim's Unit has broken the tradition that most procedural dramas have adhered to.  Most other procedural shows have had a revolving door with their lead characters, but for 12 years fans were able to tune in and watch Benson and Stabler fight crime and their sexual tension in the work place.  This new season's first episode had its first episode without Stabler.  The first episode had Stabler's partner Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) solving a crime with the other cops in the precinct and things just were not the same.  This is where the my tagline, characters matter, means something more.  I think Stabler may be back towards the end of the year, but that is only because I think this will be the last year for this show.

The original Law & Order was guilty of trying to be able to rotate

and juggle their main characters as well, and it worked in the beginning, but when you put a character with no development or back story on the forefront of someone's television the viewer can either lose interest or walk away because there is a lack of buy-in.  Jerry Orbach's Lennie Briscoe who was named one of the best television detectives of all time by TV Guide, before his death he stepped aside from Law & Order to help establish Law & Order: Trial by Jury, but his death prevented him from continuing on.  Soon after Briscoe's sidekick Jesse L. Martin left, and the two's string of replacements never filled their shoes the same way.  The show also tried to replace female ADAs and again none ever seemed to hold a candle to Angie Harmon or Jill Hennessy (the first two).

This has happened in numerous law/cop shows like NYPD Blue, all of the CSI shows, and so on, but many of the more recent medical dramas have also been guilty of forgetting that characters matter.  The two biggest culprits of this crime are ER and Grey's Anatomy.  The difference with these two genres is that medical dramas attempt to develop newer characters better, but still fail to make us care about these newer people as well as they did with the original cast.

ER started as this hardcore gritty drama that followed doctors in an emergency room in Chicago.  To ER's credit this show did a good job of creating new characters and integrating them into the seam of television landscape.  This show understood that we care about the doctors at this hospital and even as many of our favorite characters left, this show brought new ones to fill the void.  Once most of the original characters and most of the replacement characters started to leave and the show got to its third and fourth string of replacements ER lost its groove and fell into a slump.  This show ended well, but if had ended years earlier it would have ended on top with its loyal fans still caring about the show.  I have talked to many ER fans, and there were of course people who watched every season, but numbers don't lie and this show went from from a peak of an average 24 million viewers in its sixth season to about 10 million viewers in its last season, a drop of more than 50 percent.

Grey's Anatomy is another show that is following in the foot steps of ER.  Grey's is currently in its eighth  season, and the show has lost only three of its original cast members, TR Knight, Isaiah Washington, and Katherine Heigl (two of the actors were seen as divas and caused lots of drama.)  The show has also tried out other characters (which failed) and did a spin off with Kate Walsh's character.  Grey's could potentially be at an impetus at the end of this season with Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo (the narrator of the show) wanting to leave.  What does a show do when the main characters including the voice of the show want to leave?  Shondra Rimes who created the show foresaw this and created another character with last name Grey at the end of the third season, Lexie, Meredith's half sister.  I have stopped watching this show, but I have to say this show was created and meant to center around Meredith.  The show centered around Lexie will not be the same show.

If Grey's continues I think this show will fall victim to the thing that has happened to numerous television

 shows in the past, they will flatline.  Grey's Anatomy is already starting do badly in the ratings and without the heart of the show there i think this show will flounder.  So what's the answer?  I say pull the plug (pun intended).  Grey's costs a lot of money, and why not end this show on top rather than have it drag along half ass for another year or two.  When shows last far beyond their prime even the most faithful viewers feel the tired with the writing and characters.  The answer is, characters matter.  When shows try and move on and think character do not they often lose ratings, thus making them less profitable.  I myself do not look at shows as just about ratings, but many producers do, and they let their shows go.  I hope Rimes does the smart thing and either entices Pompeo and Dempsey to stay for one more season and end the show, or if they do decide to leave that she ends the show all together.  i realize I am wishing the cancellation of a show, but I am also putting the value and worth in the characters that drive and entertain viewers above everything.

Dawn of the Dead: Zombies on the Rise!

My friend Kevin texted me tonight with the plan to make cupcakes.  With his love of Whole Foods (sarcasm) he was not able to get the supplies for the cupcakes.  I have to ask what store does not have funfetti cupcake mix.  In the end the two of us ended eating store bought cupcakes, taking a walk to Best Buy and cursing at them for lying about their store hours (Best Buy is a terrible store), and watching another thriller Dawn of the Dead (2004).

Dawn of the Dead is of course a re-make of George A. Romero's 1978 film with the same title. Romero's vision of a world haunted by the living dead aka zombies started in 1968 with Night of the Living Dead.  Ten years later came one of the best cult classics of all time, and this left an indelible mark on the horror genre.  I like the original and the re-make of this film they both highlight a world with no where to turn as society destroys itself.

 Zombies are all the rage these days.  The Walking Dead is a hit television series, the highest rated show on AMC. The Walking Dead takes this genre and on a weekly basis gave a raw and dark portrayal of zombies in a way no television show ever has done.  The creator of this show, Frank Darabont (no long the a  producer) took this subject matter to the small screen for the first time from a graphic novel and produced six episodes that were some of the best television in 2010. The Walking Dead returns with another 6 episodes starting on October 16th, and will have another six episodes air starting February 12th (how romantic).

There are also a number of films that cover the genre in an ironic way, like Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Zombieland (2009). Shaun of the Dead tells the story of a young bloke trying to get his life together and win his ex-girlfriend back, but has to deal with a zombie apocalypse too.  The wonderful director Edgar Wright directed this film and wrote it with star Simon Peg and made zombies hilarious.  Zombieland chronicles the adventure of Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) as he tries to avoid zombies, but also gives the audience helpful tips on how to survive a zombie attack.  With Bill Murray playing himself as a cameo in this film, this zombie movie also bring the laughs and creates a fresh look at combatting the living dead.

I was glad my friend picked Dawn of the Dead, because I think this is one of the few films that lives up to the original, and helps aid in creating quality film making.   I was surprised (and forgot) that Zack Snyder directed this movie.  Snyder has become far too over the top with films like 300, Watchmen, and Sucker Punch, so watching this movie reminded me of his vision for this genre (I had to mention this). I like that this film sparked a trend that allowed smart well made films to discuss the current problems within our society, and how things can spiral out of control.  In a month filled with horror,      zombies represent the threat of a world gone bad by its own doing.

Rosemary's Baby starts the Thrilling Month of October

October is the month of pumpkin flavored food, apple picking with cider doughnuts, Sam Addam's Octoberfest, and of course the month that contains Halloween.  I loved Halloween for several reasons: getting dressed up in costumes has always been fun for me, as a kid who wouldn't love free candy, and getting Halloween is full of good scares!  I am not a big fan of scary movies, in fact I think they are my least favorite genre of film.  Scary movies are often silly, and poorly written.  When it comes to being scared I enjoy a good thriller above the typical type of slasher film or one of the gross torture scary films.

Roman Polanski (Chinatown, The Pianist) wrote and directed Rosemary's Baby (1968)  a smart thriller that goes beyond traditional standards.  Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy  (Jon Casavetes) Woodhouse  who move into an apartment and they encounter their peculiar neighbors The Castevets (played by Ruth Gordon and Sydey Blackmer).  Rosemary and her husband are trying to have a baby; she becomes pregnant and their neighbors step into the picture and interfere with this process in an atypical way.

Without giving too much of the plot away this film is far and away one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever seen.  Mia Farrow plays Rosemary with vulnerability and genuine fear  Farrow's performance was so nuanced I am shocked she did not earn an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.  The film only received two Oscar nominations one for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and one for Best Supporting Actress for Ruth Gordon, which she won.  This was a film ahead of its time and it provided such an interesting dark twist on the concept of evil.


I remember the first time I watched this movie, I was sitting on the edge of my seat and this fast paced film raced to the end with Rosemary walking down the hallway and into the Castevets apartment.  The genius of this film was brought to life by two men the talented director, Roman Polanski and producer Robert Evans.  Polanski was genius behind the scenes and his shots of New York City along with the up close shots he uses on Farrow to feel her emotional angst.  Evans pushed this film to be made and pushed for Farrow to be the lead player, and boy did he know his stuff.  Farrow's waifish looks help characterize the gaunt nature of Rosemary much better than a Jane Fonda ever could have.


In an era of challenging the establishment this film uses the concept of the thriller to tell the story of control.  Scary movies rarely have a deeper point of view, but this film so adeptly uses its dark tones to keep the audience on their toes in a different way.  This film does not try to hard, nor does it take on the gimmicks of the genre.  The simplistic nature of the story makes this one of the best thrillers of all time.