It’s hard to believe that it was over six years ago that I and some ex-TV-Squaders started CliqueClack. We had some pretty high hopes at the time, that we could go out on our own and show AOL what it really meant to be writer-fans of television. It was an incredibly ambitious goal that we never came close to, but we quickly learned that that didn’t matter to us. What did matter was that we had an outlet to write what we wanted, when we wanted, for people who continued to engage in discussion with us.

It’s pained me all these years to never have earned enough with ads and Amazon referrals to pay our writers regularly. We’ve certainly lost some great folks because of it, and I don’t blame them at all. Some have gone on to continue writing for paying gigs, full-time, and that’s been awesome. With the declining frequency of posts comes declining traffic, which results in declining ad revenue … you get the picture. Maybe that’s a bit TMI, but I thought being up-front about where we were at was something I owed you.

This will likely be the final post here at CliqueClack, but there is a silver lining.

For quite some time now, Chuck Duncan and Ivey West had been heading up editing duties for the site. Chuck, I know, very much wants to continue writing. I didn’t want to simply hand over CliqueClack to someone else, though, partly because I’m just not ready to give it away and, primarily, I thought it made more sense to let Chuck have something that was truly his own. That’s just what he’s done.

Friday, April 3, Chuck launches his own site, Hotchka.com, to continue where CliqueClack left off. You’ll see some new and familiar faces there, writing about movies, TV, pop culture, and anything else Chuck might want to throw into the mix. He and his partner, Carl, have already done a fantastic job putting the site together, and I think you’re really going to dig it.

• Check out the site at www.hotchka.com.
• Follow them on Twitter @hotchka
• Facebook
• Google+
• Tumblr
• YouTube

As for CliqueClack, my plan is to keep all of our 11,000+ posts around for as long as I’m possibly able, even if they are thrown in straight HTML and image files in a searchable archive somewhere. I think it’s criminal when sites decide to completely wipe away all traces of past content when they shutter, and dammit I’m going to do my best to make sure that never happens here.

Thank you so much to the writers and, of course, to all of you readers who’ve stuck with us all these years.

I love musicals, and I love biopics. My eyes (and ears) have adored Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons since I was a kid and heard “Oh, What a Night” reverberate over the radio for the first time. I actually didn’t realize that it was an “oldie” as a kid because it seemed to enjoy quite a bit of radio time around the time the group must have reunited for their Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame induction. Needless to say, I had high hopes for Clint Eastwood’s film adaption of Jersey Boys, the musical based on the Broadway hit about their legendary rise to fame. However, I didn’t ever go see it in the theater partially based on the seemingly unfavorable reviews it received, including CliqueClack’s review.

I liked the way the film began, with Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) telling you how the group first came to be and explaining to you the ways of New Jersey and what it’s like being a Jersey boy. Actually, the asides from various members of the group throughout the film are a nice authoritative touch. While I also enjoyed the costuming and musical performances, I would agree that the film seems to lack a certain energy. At a little over two hours in length, I spent most of it waiting for Frankie to sing “Oh, What a Night” and really for the film to pick up with some major revelation or point of action. It feels like what should be big life-changing moments are quickly glossed over, such as when Frankie gets married to or even divorced from Mary (Renée Marino). There was the hint of delving further beneath the surface in the scene in which Frankie comforts his little girl on the stair, but it’s almost as if they were afraid to take anything in this film too seriously. John Lloyd Young does a convincing portrayal of Frankie Valli, but I didn’t see as much emotional depth with the role as I’ve seen in other biopics.

Spoilers: I don’t know that I understand the financial troubles of the group or what Christopher Walken’s character had to do with anything. I expected him to either bail them out of the debt instead of making Frankie do it alone or I expected him to order a hit on Tommy (that seemed like the proper Jersey way of dealing with it in my opinion). When neither of those happened, that’s about where I gave up. Nothing exciting really ever seems to happen … it feels like Jersey Boys just keeps ambling aimlessly along hoping you’re just in it for the songs. Perhaps they should’ve utilized Christopher Walken’s talents more. He didn’t appear in nearly as many scenes as I expected he would based upon the trailer and commercials.

Perhaps it’s difficult to make a biopic when the main subject is still alive. Not saying that I think Frankie Valli has led a boring life by any means or even that I necessarily expect there to be juicier details about the problems plaguing the Four Seasons, but it just felt like something epic was missing. While it moves along in a more chronological order than the other biopic I watched this year – Get On Up – it didn’t dazzle me quite as much as the other one did. The film does make for good eye and ear candy though.

The bonus features in the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack are decent. There is a fun vignette showing why Clint Eastwood chose to save “Oh, What a Night” for the ending dancing sequence in the streets (which was my favorite part of the film), as well as an interesting look at the challenges of bringing a big Broadway hit to the big screen and even one about what it was like working with Christopher Walken in his preparation for his “Godfather-like” role as Gyp DeCarlo. That man is an acting genius, but not even he was capable of saving Jersey Boys for me.

The tagline reads, “Everybody remembers it how they need to.” Perhaps that’s also accurate of the audience and their collective memories after watching Jersey Boys. My boyfriend’s parents gave it an enthusiastic “A+” rating upon viewing it, while my boyfriend felt it was closer to a “C” grade. He noted that it didn’t contain anything personally offensive to him, but he felt it lacked anything that was likely to make him want to recommend it to other friends or family. I’d probably rate it at a “B” or “B-“ myself, with the main redeeming quality being the exceptional music and that I couldn’t get those wonderfully catchy songs out of my head even over a week later (of course that speaks more volumes about the tremendous talent of Frankie Valli and the original Four Seasons than it does about those in the film). I’d probably be more inclined to recommend the soundtrack more than I’d recommend the film, but I did enjoy it. Maybe this is one of those that you have to see for yourself, as your opinion could fall further along either end of the spectrum.

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ALL PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED. COMMENTS ARE CLOSED.

CliqueClack has partnered with Fathom Events to offer readers in the MD/DC/VA area a chance to win a pair of free tickets to see One Direction, Where We Are: The Concert Film at the AMC Hoffman, 206 Swamp Fox Rd, Alexandria, VA.

The biggest band in the world and global pop superstars, One Direction, bring their epic ‘Where We Are’ world tour to cinemas all around the world. Across one un-missable weekend this October, join Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis for their first-ever full One Direction concert experience on the big screen. Recorded at Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium, experience the concert, featuring all of One Direction’s biggest hits, plus a 15-minute never before seen interview with the band cut with exclusive backstage tour footage, all in true high definition and 5:1 surround sound.

Tickets are good for screenings at 12:55 PM on October 11 and 12. There are three pairs of tickets available for each day. To be eligible to win one pair, you must do the following:

• Comment with the date you would prefer to attend: OCTOBER 11 or OCTOBER 12
• Enter your FULL NAME and correct Email Address into the proper spaces  in the comment form (not in the comment box itself)

Winners will be contacted by email, and tickets will be FedEx’d overnight directly from the studio representative. Winners must respond to our email with the information requested in order to receive your tickets. Seats are guaranteed for this event. Note: if you win and need more tickets, this is a public event and tickets are available from Fathom Events.

Have a look at the trailer and then let us know when you want to see the movie!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByoX92KMlQM

THIS OFFER IS NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WILL RECEIVE TICKETS BY MAIL.

CliqueClack has partnered with Fathom Events to offer readers in the Long Beach area a chance to win a pair of free tickets to see One Direction, Where We Are: The Concert Film at the Edwards Long Beach 26, 7501 E Carson St, Long Beach, CA.

The biggest band in the world and global pop superstars, One Direction, bring their epic ‘Where We Are’ world tour to cinemas all around the world. Across one un-missable weekend this October, join Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis for their first-ever full One Direction concert experience on the big screen. Recorded at Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium, experience the concert, featuring all of One Direction’s biggest hits, plus a 15-minute never before seen interview with the band cut with exclusive backstage tour footage, all in true high definition and 5:1 surround sound.

Tickets are good for screenings on October 11 and 12. There are ten pairs of tickets available for each day. To be eligible to win one pair, you must do the following:

• PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED. HOWEVER, UNTIL WINNERS REPLY WE WILL KEEP THE OFFER OPEN AND PLACE NAMES ON STAND-BY IF INFORMATION IS NOT RECEIVED FROM WINNERS BY DEADLINE.
• Comment with the date you would prefer to attend: OCTOBER 11 or OCTOBER 12
• Comment with preferred showtime: 12:55 PM or 7:00 PM
• Enter your FULL NAME and correct Email Address into the proper spaces  in the comment form (not in the comment box itself)

Winners will be contacted by email, and tickets will be mailed directly from the studio representative. Seats are guaranteed for this event.

Commenting period will end at 5:00 PM (Pacific), Thursday, October 2nd.

Have a look at the trailer and then let us know when you want to see the movie!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByoX92KMlQM

I feel good. I knew that I would. I feel good, so good, so good, I got you. I feel nice, like sugar and spice. I feel nice, like sugar and spice. So nice, so nice, I got you.

I always wondered why James Brown was referred to as “the hardest working man in show business.” After watching Get On Up, his biopic from Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, I’m beginning to understand that moniker a little better. Prior to now, most of my knowledge about James Brown was based upon his cameo in The Blues Brothers (one of my all-time favorite movies) and the old SNL skits with Eddie Murphy impersonating him doing ridiculous things like singing about his hot tub or doing an over-the-top rendition of Annie. I always enjoyed his music casually from afar, but never really delved into the heart and soul of it. After watching this movie, I’m exploring more songs from Brown’s vast catalogue of hits and discovering that maybe, just maybe, I have a little bit of the funk in me after all. (Well as much funk as a white girl in her thirties from the Midwest is capable of anyway.)

Directed by The Help’s Tate Taylor, Get On Up follows along the lines of other past heartfelt musical biopics such as The Buddy Holly Story, La Bamba, Walk the Line and Ray. It tells the story of Brown’s rise to the super stardom stratosphere after a pretty dismal childhood speckled with bouts of domestic violence, poverty, fear, racism and abandonment. It is at times just as poignant, artsy and transcendental as other biopics, while at other times, it is difficult to follow because the story of Brown’s life is told out of sequential order. It’s as if the director wanted you to feel like you were in Brown’s befuddled mind, mixing up the order of personal and career milestones, while taking the audience on an unforgettable journey through one of the music industry’s most enigmatic, charismatic personalities.

Chadwick Boseman gives an amazing performance as James Brown. I must confess I had to look up the IMDb credits for him because I didn’t recognize him from anywhere else. Aside from doing a lot of television work for shows including All My Children, Fringe, Castle, Persons Unknown and Lie to Me, Boseman was also Jackie Robinson in the movie 42, which I missed. While I can’t vouch for his performance in 42, everything about him in Get On Up is on-point, from the groovy pompadour hairstyles and elaborate ‘70s stage costumes to the outrageous dance moves and over-the-top persona that was James Brown. Brown is certainly not an easy act to follow, but I believe he nailed it, even if he was lip-syncing the soundtrack. And his co-star Nelsan Ellis gives an equally remarkable performance as Brown’s right-hand man, Bobby Byrd. I’ve always loved Nelsan as Lafayette in the HBO series True Blood, but seeing him in this role gave me a newfound respect for him and his acting abilities. He’s so much more than just another pretty face in Hollywood. As the best friend constantly standing in a superstar’s shadow, his character shows the most emotional depth and growth when compared to anybody else in the movie.

Much of Get On Up centers around the complex relationship between James Brown and Bobby Byrd. Bobby discovered James when he was just 17 years old and in prison for petty theft. Taking him under his wing in his church’s gospel group, it quickly becomes apparent to Bobby that James is meant to shine in the spotlight. Although James develops a bigger ego as the years wear on, Bobby is the one person who understands his genius and doesn’t seem to take it personally when he goes off on his tirades. From watching this biopic, one can ascertain that James Brown was some kind of mad perfectionist when it came to his music. If his band members were late or held up the musical process in any way, he belittled and fined them for wasting his precious time. The man may have marched to the beat of his own drummer far more often than most, but you have to have mad respect for someone that disciplined, innovative and motivated to succeed. There’s a reason why James Brown is one of the most sampled artists in the long and illustrious history of music, as this movie so clearly demonstrates.

I was not a big fan of Brown’s many asides to the audience throughout the movie. While they occasionally made me laugh, they sometimes felt a bit stilted and disjointed. I don’t think the movie would have suffered any without them. It felt as if they relied too heavily upon this gimmick to reveal key pieces of information that probably would have been more effectively revealed in dialogue. But even if there are minor flaws in the seemingly scattered storytelling, the casting for Get On Up is spot-on. Dan Aykroyd plays to his acting strengths as James’ manager Ben Bart, while Brandon Smith puts in a memorable, colorful portrayal of Little Richard. Also look for The Office’s Craig Robinson as a leading – and very vocal – member of the band, Octavia Spencer as Aunt Honey (the woman who raised Brown when he was abandoned by both of his parents as a young boy) and Jill Scott as DeeDee Brown, a woman who manages to come across as strong and fiery even if the movie hints about Brown’s drug use, infidelities and spurts of unpredictable domestic violence.

All in all, I found Get On Up mesmerizing because of the music and the passion that went into making that music. James Brown was one of those rare artists who was able to reinvent himself to fit every era. Whether he’s Mr. Dynamite, Soul Brother Number One, the King of Funk or the Godfather of Soul to you, there’s no denying the man belonged in the spotlight. It’s about time Hollywood gave him his due in the theatrical limelight. Now I’m just patiently waiting for a movie about Marvin Gaye or Sam Cooke.

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CliqueClack has partnered with Fathom Events to offer readers in the Maryland/DC area an opportunity to attend special encore screenings of The Met: Live in HD. The Metropolitan Opera and Fathom events will once again present Summer HD Encores, a series of choice encore performances from the groundbreaking Live in HD series. Patrons will have the chance to see these shows in a theatre that will bring it to life in a very unique setting.

We have five pairs of passes available for each screening which take place on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, June 25th – July 16th. Screenings will be held at the Regal Cinemas Bowie Stadium 14, 15200 Major Lansdale Blvd, Bowie, MD. To get your free pair of passes, you must comment below with the name of the performance you wish to see. A description of each performance is listed below.

La Rondine — Wednesday, June 25th, 2014
Program Length: 2 hours
Puccini’s achingly beautiful score charmingly conveys the plight of Magda (the “swallow” of the title), who unexpectedly finds true love with the handsome young Ruggero. But their idyllic life comes to a premature end as she is haunted by the fear that her checkered past will ruin his future. Opera stars Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna portray Puccini’s star-crossed lovers. Nicholas Joël’s production features elegant and sophisticated art-deco sets that contribute to the dazzling stage picture.

Otello — Wednesday, July 9th, 2014
Program Length: 2 hours 50 min
In Verdi’s retelling of Shakespeare’s towering tragedy, Renée Fleming gives a captivating performance as the innocent Desdemona, a role long considered one of her calling cards. As the title hero, Johan Botha, delivers an imposing portrayal of a proud warrior brought down by jealousy, and Falk Struckmann is thrilling as the villainous Iago.

The Enchanted Island — Wednesday, July 16th, 2014
Program Length: 3 hours 15 min
A contemporary take on the 18th-century genre of the pastiche, this delightful Baroque fantasy brings together some of the greatest arias and ensembles by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, Purcell, and other composers, with a new English libretto by Jeremy Sams, inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The all-star cast is headed by David Daniels as Prospero, Joyce DiDonato as Sycorax, Danielle de Niese as Ariel, Luca Pisaroni as Caliban, and the legendary Plácido Domingo as Neptune. William Christie conducts this dazzling world-premiere production.

Please include your full name and email address on the submission form. Winners will be notified by email with further instructions. Don’t delay, comment today!

CliqueClack has partnered with Fathom Events to offer readers in Los Angeles an opportunity to attend special encore screenings of The Met: Live in HD. The Metropolitan Opera and Fathom events will once again present Summer HD Encores, a series of choice encore performances from the groundbreaking Live in HD series. Patrons will have the chance to see these shows in a theatre that will bring it to life in a very unique setting.

We have five pairs of passes available for each screening which take place on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, June 18th – July 16th. Screenings will be held at the Promenade 16 with IMAX, 21801 Oxnard St, Woodland Hills, CA. To get your free pair of passes, you must comment below with the name of the performance you wish to see. A description of each performance is listed below.

Rigoletto — Wednesday, June 18th, 2014
Program Length: 2 hours 30 min
Michael Mayer’s acclaimed production, the talk of the opera world when it premiered in 2013, sets the action of Verdi’s masterpiece in 1960 Las Vegas — a neon-lit world ruled by money and ruthless, powerful men. In this bold new vision, Piotr Beczala is the Duke, a popular entertainer and casino owner. Željko Lučić sings Rigoletto, a comedian and the Duke’s sidekick, and Diana Damrau is Rigoletto’s innocent daughter, Gilda. When she is seduced by the Duke, Rigoletto sets out on a tragic course of murderous revenge.

La Rondine — Wednesday, June 25th, 2014
Program Length: 2 hours
Puccini’s achingly beautiful score charmingly conveys the plight of Magda (the “swallow” of the title), who unexpectedly finds true love with the handsome young Ruggero. But their idyllic life comes to a premature end as she is haunted by the fear that her checkered past will ruin his future. Opera stars Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna portray Puccini’s star-crossed lovers. Nicholas Joël’s production features elegant and sophisticated art-deco sets that contribute to the dazzling stage picture.

Otello — Wednesday, July 9th, 2014
Program Length: 2 hours 50 min
In Verdi’s retelling of Shakespeare’s towering tragedy, Renée Fleming gives a captivating performance as the innocent Desdemona, a role long considered one of her calling cards. As the title hero, Johan Botha, delivers an imposing portrayal of a proud warrior brought down by jealousy, and Falk Struckmann is thrilling as the villainous Iago.

The Enchanted Island — Wednesday, July 16th, 2014
Program Length: 3 hours 15 min
A contemporary take on the 18th-century genre of the pastiche, this delightful Baroque fantasy brings together some of the greatest arias and ensembles by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, Purcell, and other composers, with a new English libretto by Jeremy Sams, inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The all-star cast is headed by David Daniels as Prospero, Joyce DiDonato as Sycorax, Danielle de Niese as Ariel, Luca Pisaroni as Caliban, and the legendary Plácido Domingo as Neptune. William Christie conducts this dazzling world-premiere production.

Please include your full name and email address on the submission form. Winners will be notified by email with further instructions. Have a look at the trailer below, and tell us which performance you’d like to see!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaHArRASguY

CliqueClack has partnered with Fathom Events to give readers in the Los Angeles area an opportunity to see the live performance of The Met’s La Cenerentola on the big screen. A peerless pair of Rossini virtuosos joins forces in La Cenerentola—a vocal tour de force for mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, singing her first Met performances of the Cinderella title role, and the high-flying tenor Juan Diego Flórez, as her Prince Charming. Alessandro Corbelli and Luca Pisaroni complete the cast, with Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leading the effervescent score.

We have a very limited number of passes available for the live performance, which will take place on Saturday, May 10 at 9:55 AM, and the encore performance which will be screened on Wednesday, May 14 at 6:30 PM. Both screenings will be held at Orange 30 with IMAX in Orange, CA.

Passes are available on a first come, first served basis. Simply comment on this post with the date of the performance you wish to attend. Winners’ names will be placed on a Will Call list at the theater’s Customer Service Desk. Be sure to include your full name and email address in the appropriate spaces on the form before submitting your comment. Comments without a full name will not be eligible.

Have a look at the trailer below, and then let us know which performance of this masterpiece you’d like to attend!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_6uja4JcD8

I’ve got a question for you. Does the name Gus Kahn mean anything to you at all? Perhaps you’re more familiar with some of these nostalgic song titles from the early 20th century: “It Had to Be You,” “Pretty Baby,” “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” “Carolina in the Morning” or “Makin’ Whoopee.” Gus Kahn was the brilliant lyricist behind all of those perennial favorites taken out of the dog-eared pages of the song books of yesteryear.

Released by Warner Bros. in 1951, I’ll See You in My Dreams is a wonderful biopic depicting the many ups and downs in Gus Kahn’s life. Starring Danny Thomas and Doris Day as Grace LeBoy Kahn, the woman who would become his wife and the leading lady in his life, this film was recently released on DVD by the Warner Archive Collection, who graciously provided a copy for my review. I’d seen this movie on AMC as a child, but it had been many years ago. Ever the hopeless romantic, a movie such as this is right up my alley, and perhaps you’ll also enjoy its whimsy.

What captivated my imagination best as a child and as a middle-aged adult more recently is the fact that fewer people take the time to properly court one another anymore. In an age where people have easier access to countless dating profiles on the Internet and a heavy reliance upon social media and texting (and I myself am guilty of this to the nth degree) to make connections with people of the opposite sex, it feels like we’ve lost something that was once deemed more valuable to our society. In Gus Kahn’s time, it was more common to write the girl you loved a love letter, and he simply took it to the next level. He wrote song after song expressing his feelings of adoration and at times desperation. I think the writer who wears her heart on a sleeve in me appreciated this. I enjoyed watching him court Doris Day and win her over with his sweet song lyrics. They just don’t make them like Gus Kahn anymore!

I like that the film shows you how the relationship between Kahn and his wife develops from a casual meeting when he was a struggling songwriter trying to peddle some songs he had written to her employer to their at-times exasperating partnership to their eventual marriage and all the ups and downs of being a songwriter in Hollywood during the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression and beyond. It was sad to watch him mock his own songs just to get a paying job when his popularity waned. However, that did lead to the most memorable song lyrics in the film, which made me laugh:

“It had to be me that had to get you. I stand 5 foot 10, a man among men, but you’re 7’2″. I meet lots of girls when I make the rounds, but none are like you 7 foot 2, 70 pounds, but you make me thrill and you always will.”

I wonder how much of the film was based on truth and how much was romanticized or fictionalized for dramatic purposes. It’s noted that it was based on “The Gus Kahn Story,” which was written by Louis F. Edelman and Grace Kahn (uncredited), so that leads me to believe that much of it must be true (at least in Grace’s memories). For me, it doesn’t get much better than an inspiring story about a woman standing beside the man she loves and helping him to shine in the spotlight and be all that he can be. In these rocky, uncertain times with the number of divorces being on the rise, these are some of the true unsung heroes: the people who make a marriage or partnership work spanning multiple decades.

Here’s a little more background material on Gus Kahn that wasn’t depicted in the film: Gustav Gerson Kahn was born November 6, 1886, in Germany before his family immigrated to the United States when he was young. He died on October 8, 1941, after many successful years as a noteworthy songwriter for many vaudeville and Broadway shows. His story is truly one of rags to riches and living the American dream. He started out as a humble mail order clerk and emerged as one of the most prolific songwriters to come from Tin Pan Alley. He was included in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

All in all, Danny Thomas and Doris Day have good chemistry together and are both adorable in their roles. I’ve had a crush on Danny since the first time I saw Make Room for Daddy and seeing him sing songs like “Pretty Baby” and “It Had to Be You” to Doris melted my heart because it was like watching the tenderest, most intimate moments between lovers not to be shared. Other standouts in the cast include Mary Wickes as Anna, the fussy housekeeper for the Kahns, Jim Backus as fellow showman Sam Harris and comedian Hans Conried (uncredited, but I love him) as Grace’s tyrant of a boss in the beginning of the film.

Special features on the DVD include “The Screen Director,” a nostalgic look at what it means to be a behind-the-scenes screen director produced by Members of the Motion Picture Industry, and “Lovelorn Leghorn” a classic Warner Bros. Merry Melodies cartoon starring one of my all-time personal favorites: Foghorn Leghorn. The black-and-white documentary about screen directors was at times interesting and at times cheesy, but something I appreciated being a big movie buff. The two featurettes were nice throwbacks to a simpler time and are reminiscent of the bonus features I’m told they used to show at the theater before a show.

Whether you’re a huge fan of Gus Kahn, musical biopics in general or the actors in the film, I think I’ll See You in My Dreams is definitely worth a look. It’s a unique snapshot preserved in time, a throwback to a bygone era in which men and women found more meaningful ways to express their devotion to one another that I, for one, am jealous of. Maybe it’s because I am capable of expressing my emotions in prose that I often find myself disappointed when no one sends me thoughtful prose back. I guess that’s what watching classics such as this are all about – it satisfies a certain yearning I can’t quite define. How do I love thee, movie? Oh let me count the ways.

You can purchase the new DVD of I’ll See You in My Dreams directly from the Warner Archive Collection.

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I want to talk about one character in particular featured on last Sunday’s The Walking Dead. Someone I don’t like in the least:

Bob Stookey.

I don’t like Bob. There’s something about him, maybe it’s something that hasn’t been revealed yet. I can’t put my finger on it; it’s just a gut feeling. Maybe it’s a character flaw or a quirk or kink. But it’s definitely something intuitively unsettling that continues to linger.

I haven’t liked Bob from the beginning. In the season 4 opener, I didn’t like his fishing for some project to keep him occupied at the prison, practically begging for meaningfulness in order to earn his keep. The fact he’s a closet alcoholic is problematic. As it is, his alcoholism got him in trouble in that Big Box store … remember? (Well … sort of. It almost got him toasted. And not in the way he would have liked. Not to mention his back story revelation during the last episode where we caught him quaffing freakin’ Nyquil — or its equivalent — in order to get high!) Since his introduction on the show he’s seemed not only out of sorts (that’s the lack of alcohol playing tricks with him) but a bit “off,” too.

I’ve read the comic and I know what happened with and to the character therein. The differences in the comic book character and the show character are vast. To wit, Bob wasn’t even around at this point in the comic — he died. There was nothing redeeming about him in the comic. He was story filler, nothing more. That was the comic, not the television series.

But in this last episode (the aptly titled “Alone”) the writers decided to infuse him with intelligence and sympathy and understanding and charm so you gravitated to him like a moth to flame. Post fog walker attack on Bob and Maggie and Sasha, Bob smiled at Sasha during one point and joked with her about getting bit by a walker: “It’s okay … he got me right on the bandage.” And then? He smiled at her, big as the sky, after she hugged him. And I’ll admit: I caught myself (possibly) beginning to sympathize and finally care (Really?) about Bob.

This writers’ tactic (I’m referring to it as “Bobification”) continued throughout the better part of the hour. Each time he engaged Sasha. In his glimmers of decency and understanding. In his urging Sasha to continue on after Maggie left them. And, finally, when he was reunited with the two women once again on the railroad tracks at the end of the episode.

This realization of empathy hit me at the conclusion of Sunday’s broadcast. But that’s not where it started.

It started right from the get go, as soon as the show began. It was the wordlessness of the several scenes and situations we found Bob in. That’s where it creeped into my mind. And it did so unknowingly. I was too engaged in the episode. Unwitting compassion sneakily began intruding within me. It left a little mark on my mind and caused me to take notice and start to emote. But it wasn’t until the end of the program I figured it out.

At the end, that’s where the “ah HA!” moment flicked on the imaginary light bulb above my head. My Achilles’ heel, one of my huge weaknesses! It was the music … that music!

Everyone knows I’m a sucker for a good tune. And especially so with evocative placement in a program. That intro with Bob aimlessly and shiftlessly shuffling from scene to scene — often without purpose … lost … dazed and confused — it pulled you in. It pulled me in. The tune playing was haunting, it beckoned you to come on in and see what this forlorn man might be all about, why his eyes looked so lost inside themselves. The music wafted around you and gently tugged, urging you to find out why.

I slammed that door shut as soon as I realized this: No song, I don’t care what it is, is going to make me like or appreciate Bob Stookey. I’m not that gullible …

Days later, I heard the song again out of nowhere. I instantly recognized it as the tune which opened and closed “Alone” Sunday night. But this time there was something more to it, a touch of familiarity … and not just from the fact it was featured prominently in The Walking Dead.

I researched it quickly … and was surprised by my findings: The song was one written specifically with The Walking Dead in mind. And by none other than season 9 American Idol winner Lee DeWyze. And dammit if it wasn’t one crackerjack of a tune. More so, one which effectively dramatized Bob Stookey’s presence and back story in “Alone.”

Compelling, powerful, impressive stuff.

And, while my dislike and above-voiced proclivities toward the character remain (despite the writers’ and DeWyze’ best efforts) I have to give The Walking Dead a tip of my hat for the attempt to get me on board Bob Stookey’s train.

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