Goth Girl Goodness abounds in PBS' Northanger Abbey

After last week's dismal debut of Persuasion in Masterpiece Theater's Complete Jane Austen series,I was truly praying and hoping that the new take on Northanger Abbey would more than make up for that. Well,my prayers were answered,folks.



This second cinematic adaptation of Austen's posthumously published Gothic parody was an utter delight,especially in the casting of Felicity Jones as the naively charming heroine Catherine Morland and JJ Field as her sweetly sardonic suitor,Henry Tilney.

Andrew Davies' script does the job of keeping in step with the pace of the source novel's plotline while adjusting it slightly for some original twists and turns. Some might quibble over the few bits of spice sprinkled into the story(particularly in Isabella's saucy subplot)but I for one didn't feel that it interfered with the true purpose of the plot,which was to show how firing up an overactive imagination can cause a person to be distracted by a false fanciful notion,making them blind to the real situations right under their nose.



Unlike the earlier version of NA,made in the mid 1980s,the costumes are not out of sync with the time period and Catherine's Goth lit inspired fantasy sequences don't look like outtakes from a Hammer movie. We are spared from such disturbing images as Mrs. Allen sewing her fingers together and pageboys doing cartwheels on the lawn,for no earthly reason whatsoever.





This version of NA is much more fresh and lively,with the gothic accents given a light visual touch. I also appreciated the love of reading and pleasures of sharing a favorite book with friends(even such sneaky ones as the Thorpes)fully blended into the story.

It's a good movie to show to those who haven't been exposed to Austen's writing before,especially young people. I think that alot of teen girls can easily identify with the gossiping giggles of Isabella and Catherine,not to mention the difference in romantic overtures between John Thorpe(way too pushy) and Henry Tilney:

LORD BYRON,INDEED!



IT IS TOO SHOCKING,YOU MUST READ IT YOURSELF!



In short,this long delayed Northanger Abbey was well worth the wait. A round of applause to all involved is entirely appropriate here and this is one new Austen inspired DVD that I will want to have on my video shelf.



Next Sunday will bring the latest version of Mansfield Park,a book that has a rather mixed following amongst Austen fans and it's film versions are just as contentious. I vastly prefer the 1983 miniseries,which starred NA's current Mrs. Allen(Sylvestra Le Touzel)but the incompatible Anna Massey as the passionately passive aggressive Aunt Norris,one of my favorite love-to-hate Austen characters.

Hopefully,this take on Fanny Price will be somewhat better than the 1999 Patricia Rozema version(which I refuse to own,but must confess to having a edition of MP with this movie's tie-in book cover. In my defense,I bought it long before I ever saw the film.)and it's not totally fair to compare a miniseries to a two hour film. I'll probably have my fingers crossed while watching this film,since it is not an Andrew Davies adaptation and the actress playing Fanny(Billie Piper)has extremely messy hair,not a good sign of things to come:

Top Ten Things I Learned from Hairspray:The Musical

I finally caught up with the new musical version of Hairspray last night,and what a great time I had! The music was so good that I couldn't resist some toe tapping and a few sways to the groovy vibes humming off the screen. By the end,I was practically on my feet,ready to shimmy and shake with the best of them.

Normally,the whole Broadway-ization of popular movies from screen to stage and back again turns me off but after watching this new take on the John Waters cult classic(and enjoying Legally Blonde on MTV as a truly guilty pleasure),I may have to rethink my whole position here.



The most pleasant surprise was how good John Travolta was;maybe he should play women more often! Following in Divine's footsteps is no easy thing to do but Travolta was able to make the role his own. Nikki Blonsky was a dazzling Tracey Turnblad who deserves to make a strong career as Ricki Lake after this part(hopefully without having to go down the talk show host route).

Despite the reworking of the original plot and the elimination of some secondary characters from the Waters version,the theme of promoting social change and learning to accept who you are despite the opinions of others held strong. My only regret is that many of the wonderful songs in Hairspray don't qualify as Oscar nominees for Best Original Song.

So,here are a few of the dance steps that Hairspray can teach us all:



10) Dancing in detention makes getting in trouble at school so worth it!




9)If a man is more interested in selling dribble glasses than drooling over a bony blonde,clearly he's sincere about his heart only beating for a size sixty.

8) While waiting to hear from your loved one on the run,sharing the worry with her parents and having some pork is the best way to do it.

7)Being the daughter of Miss Baltimore Crabs is no easy burden,especially when she's your stage manager to boot:





6) Entering new places and meeting different people can be less unnerving when there's good food and good dancing involved.

5)If they won't let you dance together,you can always march.

4) Being big,blonde and beautiful is an empowering option for all kinds of women:




3) It helps to have a good attitude when you first get up,to start your day off just right:





2) Keep your principles as strong as the hold your favorite brand of hairspray has on your head!

1) You can't stop the beat!!:

TAR's Final Three,Project Runway gets a two for one deal and American Idol begins!

Project Runway did one of their patented fake-outs on the designers this week by first giving them a challenge to create an avant garde gown inspired by the wild hairstyles given to the models. They also had to work in teams of two,with one person deemed to be the leader.

Rami and Sweet P were paired up and remember what I said last time about the risk of being pegged as Repeat-o Guy that Rami was running? He went for his comfort zone yet again,with the draping. Rami,you seriously need to watch that PR season when the judges kept hounding Uli over her continued use of patterns. You're heading down that same road there,buddy! Also, you were way too harsh with Sweet P-you have to remember that she's working WITH you,not FOR you!



On day two,Tim Gunn announced that the teams would be required to design a ready to wear version of their over the top numbers(one team member would be allowed to go out and shop for extra materials)to be completed that day. Many freaked,but others rose to the extra challenge especially after they were told that the winning team would get an Elle magazine photo shoot as a bonus prize.

Sweet P made the second outfit,which got more praise from the judges that Rami's did but didn't save them from being on the chopping block. The judges also didn't like it when Rami tried to shift some of the blame for the team results on Sweet P. Not cool, dude,so not cool of a team leader to do that!



A much better example of teamwork came from Christian and Chris March,aka "Team Fierce". Christian was the leader and he and Chris got along like long lost brothers reunited. The ruffled creamy dreamy creation they came up with was beyond amazing.


Their ready to wear outfit was nice as well and the judges awarded them the win. It would've been great if Chris March had gotten immunity along with Christian but he did get to share in the photo shoot,so pretty good going there. Jillian and Victorya got some props for their smoking hot trench coat ensemble but I was less than thrilled about their complementary outfit. It looked so much like an afterthought.



Kit was dismissed for this layered mess of a dress,which was dubbed a poor man's Scarlet O'Hara number by Michael Kors and the guest judge this week. Kit worked with Ricky on what she called a "bird's nest" which was supposed to resemble aprons, but looked more like cheap bedspreads.

Ricky's follow-up dress did their team no favors by appearing to be a cheaply made over apron. Nina Garcia called it "amateurish",which is the closest she comes to swearing on this show and if I were Ricky,I'd make damn sure to step up my game for the next round.



The three teams who will end The Amazing Race are TK and Rachel,Ron and Christina and Team Grandpa. While I wished that the Goths could've made the Final Three,I am happy to see such a group of rather decent folks who are not out to stomp each other into the ground get a real chance at the million dollars.

Nate and Jen were finally eliminated after one of their worst arguments,which also lead them to come in last. Jen had the brilliant notion of taking the subway to their next challenge instead of a cab like everyone else who got there ahead of them.

She and Nate wound up screaming at one another on a street corner for their troubles and later pondering their fate as a couple. I have two words for you: break up. Also,get better attitudes(especially Jen) and stop whining. That's what made you lose:





American Idol started off the audition rounds in Philly and in Texas and I have to say that between the guy in the Princess Leia Return of the Jedi Slave Girl outfit(that body waxing bit was so unnecessary) and the self proclaimed "dork" girl with the fake hair buns,Star Wars fans were not well represented here.

Trekkies will be able to use this footage to razz SW folks for many eons to come. Of course,she blamed the judges for not wanting someone "different". Honey,it's more like they wanted someone talented:



In comparison to many of the other loons who let their freak flags fly,the Pseudo Leia was Miss Mary Meek and Mild. Here's a gander at a few of the musical maniacs:

SHE CERTAINLY IS LISTENING TO THE BEAT OF A VERY DIFFERENT DRUMMER



NO CREEPY PEOPLE ALLOWED




RESTRAINING ORDER ALERT!



HE IS YOUR BROTHER,YOUR BEST FRIEND FOREVER!!



Random Notes:



Nip/Tuck: McNamara and Troy are back,with Sean seething over Christian and Julia's romantic reunion,Julia getting sicker and sicker from whatever Eden dosed those fruitcakes with and Dawn Budge having another facial assault which leads to her realizing that Freddie(her intended)is clearly not of the hetro persuasion. Plus,as a bonus,Gina is back on the scene as the practice's new receptionist. Should be fun!

Ugly Betty: Another new episode and this time,Betty starts acting wacky after being sprayed with an experimental new perfume. I don't know how many fresh shows are left in the Mode closet but let's treasure them while we can:

They're bacck! The Satellite of Love crew climbs abroad Cinematic Titanic

Those of us who loved to catch a good laugh at the antics of either Joel or Mike and their robot buddies Tom Servo and Crow on Mystery Science Theater 3000 now have a new format to enjoy the movie mockery in. Joel Hodgson and friends have formed the Cinematic Titanic,another excuse for them to riff on insanely bad movies.

The big backstory here involves a dying dictator,mad scientists and brain transplants but what really matters is more silhouetted folks gather about to comment on the likes of "The Oozing Skull":





So far,Cinematic Titanic has only one film done and available for purchase on DVD. They're planning to have downloads sometime this spring. I just hope that I can rent this movie from Netflix but since this is a brand new venture,it might be awhile for that to happen.




It is good to see some of the traditional MST3K style return. I do like the idea behind RiffTrax(Mike Nelson's audio commentaries for mainstream films and TV)but I do like seeing those audience doppleganger figures at the edge of the frame. Makes me identify with the humor more,plus adds to the unreality of the whole thing.

Rifftrax does allow for some excellant shots being taken at the big boys and girls in Hollywoodland,however. Here's a taste of some of that snark to snack on:

DAREDEVIL'S DATING DUEL



HARRY POTTER'S FIRST SHOPPING TRIP



MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!



GREY'S ANATOMY DISSECTED



Whether you prefer RiffTrax or Cinematic Titanic,one thing we can all agree on is how good it is to see some creative writers getting the chance to strut their stuff and be decently paid for it. You may not think that what these folks do is as hard work but trust me,they don't just think up these comments on the fly. Alot of thought is put behind this and just as much hard work as writing a TV or movie script. Something that the big wigs in studioland should keep in mind while the writers are still on strike as we speak. Time to make a deal,folks or your professional nightmares will never end:

Walking in a Winter Pop Culture Wonderland

We were due for a big snow storm in the Northeast this weekend,but in my neck of the woods,the flakes just passed us right by. A tad disappointing,since I adore snow and big snowfalls(especially when I'm inside,safe and warm,with a good book beside me).

However,all is not lost. After all,winter is just getting started up here and like many other things in life,one can live their dreams vicariously thru pop culture images. So,let me share with you all some of my favorite winter time TV/Movie moments.




GILMORE GIRLS FROLIC AMONGST THE FLAKES

One of the biggest snow advocates in the annals of TV history is Lorelai Gilmore. She not only has a literal nose for incoming wintery weather,she can sing the praises of what Luke prefers to call "frozen water" to the high heavens and delight in the glories of the season with relish.

Of course,there was that one bad period where Lorelai and snow went thru a rather bad patch. For a moment there,it looked as if the two of them were doomed to end their loving relationship but like many problems in Stars Hollow,Luke was able to heal the breach in that incredibly charming way of his:

LORELAI'S SENSE OF SNOW



ME AND SNOW,WE'RE THROUGH!



A LITTLE GIFT FROM JACK FROST





Rory also inherited a love of snow from her mother and a flair for making unique snow women. During the early course of her turbulent courtship with Jess,one thing they both agreed on was that personality should count more than flashy showmanship when it comes to judging snowmen:





REGALLY COLD AS ICE

Ice and snow have been used as symbolic hallmarks of villainy in literature over the centuries and one of the best examples of that comes from C.S. Lewis' The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The White Witch of Narnia ,who makes the realm always winter but never allows Christmas to come, lives up to her frightening frozen reputation and in this scene,uses her chilling charms to lead young Edmund astray and seal his siblings' doom:





A FROZEN FRENZY OF MURDER AND BETRAYAL

Many of the Coen brothers' collaborations have had mixed results and reviews from the critics,yet when it came to Fargo,the response was unanimous.

This tale of crime and punishment in the seemingly calm and quiet heartland of America has become a classic film,known not only for it's brilliant storytelling and excellent performances from Frances McDormand and William H. Macy,but the cinematic use of a flat,endlessly snow coated landscape as a metaphor for the growing despair and desperation of the characters as well:





SUPERMAN'S SNOWBALL FORTRESS

Heroes are allowed to embrace the cold of winter as well,in the battle against evil. The X-Men have Iceman in their ranks and even Superman takes a break from the warmth of Metropolis once in awhile there.

The greatest superhero of all has his homebase firmly planted in the frozen zone of the Arctic,with it's icicle structure neatly blending into the background and yet making a strong statement for solitude and hoped for serenity:



So,whether you love or hate the weather outside,which can be frightful,just remember that the fires of imagination can be so delightful. And as long as you're not too cold,let it snow,let it snow,let it snow!

Crystal clear about feeling blue for PBS's Persuasion

Instead of enduring that pitiful excuse for an awards show that was the Golden Globes this year,I turned to PBS for their new version of Masterpiece Theater(now just called "Masterpiece")and the first of several Jane Austen related films to be shown,Persuasion. This third adaptation of Austen's last completed novel was shown in the UK last year(along with the upcoming Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey films to follow)and from what I read on a couple of message boards at the Republic of Pemberley,several minutes were snipped from the film before it's TV premiere.



I'm not so concerned about the possible editing that was done before showtime because even with a few extra minutes removed,this take on the story just seemed very cut and paste to me.

Granted,my feelings regarding this book are very biased,since it is my favorite Austen novel(not to mention that I totally adored the Roger Michell adaptation which stars Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds)but the pace of the plot had a rather rushed tone which didn't fully flesh out many of the supporting characters or develop the rich satirical points about inner workings of family life that embellish the novel's theme of hoping to regain a former love so well.



The casting choices were pretty good here,especially with Alice Krige as Lady Russell and Anthony Stewart Head(listed as "Anthony Head" in the credits) as Sir Walter Eliot. However,time was sparsely given to both of those characters,which undercut the perceived influence they have over the leading lady of the piece,Anne(nicely played by Sally Hawkins,who looked a little too young to be Anne Eliot)and in the case of Lady Russell,that's practically a literary crime.




Also,Head's take on Sir Walter made him appear very harsh,more in a Dickensian way than an Austen character(even General Tilney wasn't as vicious as Sir Walter seemed to be here). Sir Walter is no sweetheart by any means but a couple of times,I thought he was going to hit somebody,I swear! I'm not blaming Head for this,my suspicions lean more towards the screenplay written by Simon Burke,which puts alot of the pivotal dialogue of the book in the wrong places and has Anne running laps all around Bath during the finale. I felt as if I was watching the Regency version of The Amazing Race!:



This wasn't the worst Austen based movie that I've seen(that honor goes to the 1999 theatrical film that should rightly be called Patricia Rozema's Fan Fiction Version of Mansfield Park) but I truly feel that it could've been much,much better than it was. I did enjoy seeing it,but this is one Jane Austen film that I will not be adding to my video collection.


My hopes are higher for next Sunday's JA film,the long awaited Andrew Davies scripted Northanger Abbey,which has my favorite Fanny Price as the delightfully dizzy Mrs. Allen. From what little I have seen of this film,it appears to be more in tune with the Austen spirit and very amusing as well in the bargain:



On a final note,the new intro to Masterpiece Theater is very modern and sleek but doesn't have the grandeur of the old school opening theme. I am not alone in saying that one of the joys of MPT was seeing that great sweeping camera pan across a Very British library/reading room and hearing that elegant music set the tone for what was to come. And what is up with dropping the "theater" part of the name of the series? Folks,this is PBS,not MTV and I for one would prefer to keep it that:

If Sweeney Todd has stirred up your soul for Sondheim,go Into The Woods for a happy ever after

With all of the attention given to Sweeney Todd recently(and rightly so),this seems like a good time to share my fondness for one of Stephen Sondheim's best known and beloved musicals,Into The Woods. I first became enchanted with this show after watching a PBS broadcast of it with the original Broadway cast of Bernadette Peters,Joanna Gleason and Chip Zien.



I've always been a fan of fairytales and intrigued by their overtly dark first versions,which Into The Woods refuses to shy away from. Here,Cinderella's stepsisters get their eyes pecked out after the wedding(and one loses a big toe while trying on the glass slipper)and Little Red Riding Hood has to be cut out of the Big Bad Wolf's belly,along with her grandmother,to be saved.

The traditional fairy tale characters are joined in this story by a Narrator and a new set of folks;a Baker and his Wife who desperately want to have a child but find out the magical reasons why they can't,courtesy of their neighbor,The Witch. She has a taste for vengeance and for greens:



The Witch gives them a chance to undo her curse,by finding several items to make a special potion. This quest has the couple encounter Cinderella to and from her times at the ball,Jack discovering his Beanstalk and Red Riding Hood,who really needs Benson and Stabler from SVU to escort her to her grandmother's house:



By the end of the first half,everyone seems to have found what they were looking for and are ready for their happily ever after, However,many realize that what they thought they wanted didn't really fulfill them or had unforeseen consequences. Things get even more off kilter when an angry giantess invades the land,stomping around to avenger her husband's death and creating more victims in her wake:



My favorite character in the show is The Witch,who is the most selfish but yet the most honest about her failings(as well as those of others). She is also the loneliest person in the piece,which does make you understand why she insisted upon keeping Rapunzel all to herself for so long,even if that wasn't exactly a Dr. Spock recommended method of child rearing:



Into The Woods is available on DVD and a treasured gem in my video library. There's been talk over the years of making a film adaptation of ITW and maybe with the success of Sweeney Todd,it will finally happen one day. This is one musical fantasy that delivers some home truths and sparkles with true inspiration,not just a cheesy gimmick to drag folks into theaters and sell them some tie-in merchandise. Like any good tale,it's straight from the heart:

Project Runway preps for the prom,TAR's TK and Rachel get Lost in Translation,and America Idol will soon be upon us!

The latest challenge on Project Runway was to design a prom dress to be worn by an actual high school girl(Catholic high school girls from New Jersey,to be precise). The girls chose which designers they wanted to work with based on their portfolios and I have to say that the young lady who selected Rami clearly has excellent taste.

As much as I like Rami however,I have to agree with the judges that what he made for his client was a tad too mature for her(she did look good,tho).

Rami did mention earlier,in one of "aside" moments,that he's not too familar with the prom tradition growing up in Jerusalem and did politely defend himself during the judging section by saying that he believes in making sophisticated clothes. A great goal but you gotta show some flexibility in your work or you can be easily pegged as a One Note Johnny!



Atleast Rami dealt with his client better than Christian did. Granted the girl who chose him was not a shrinking violet,but he just couldn't handle her input. The two of them clashed over the dress,which was a good color but way too short(especially in the back there. What was up with that?)and the ruffles and embellishments were totally at cross purposes.

When it came time to talk with the judges,Christian immediately started complaining about how difficult it was to work with his client,Maddie,which annoyed Nina Garcia to no end. Nina's picky at times but she's right about not throwing all of your failures upon the client(particularly when she's just a kid). Christian came this close to getting "aufed" for his troubles.



Kevin was the one who was sent packing,for this red number that made his girl look "matronly",according to Michael Kors. It was also too short,so much that Kevin didn't even hem the dress for fear it would look even worse. Also,having her hair swept up like that really made her look very harsh.

Why is it that every time these designers(not just this PR season)have real people to work with,the results are such a mixed bag? Is it the industry who focuses too much on creating an "ideal" image of physical beauty or the shortsightedness of the designers who don't see beyond the catwalk just who will really be wearing the clothes they dream up?



Ok,enough with the philosophizing-Victorya won the challenge and receives immunity for the next round,thanks to this blue bedazzled number. Personally,that dress seemed to be like something out of the Junior Miss Sex And The City collection(or Gossip Girl couture,if you will). It didn't impress me much.

I liked Chris March's olive gown way more,with it's sleek lines and o-ring construction in the back. Sweet P created a lovely,champagne colored dress with Hollywood flair that was a front runner but alas,came in second here. Sweet P was seriously hoping for a win,after being in the bottom two for quite awhile. Well,she did survive to sew another day.



During the last leg of the Amazing Race,Ronald and Christina actually got along and didn't fight once. Quite a miracle there! It helped that the teams went to Osaka, Japan,where Christina knows the language.

Ronald was so mellow that he and Grandpa Donald shared a snack while waiting for the younger halves of their teams to complete the Roadblock. Nice to see folks getting along with each other on TAR,there's not enough of that:





TK and Rachel were the first to leave for Japan but the last ones to arrive,due to booking a flight which had two stopover points. All of the others picked a flight with only one layover,which gave them a unforeseen advantage.

Lucky for TK and Rachel,this was a non-elimination leg,so they get to stay on. They do have to face a Speedbump soon and they're three hours behind all of the other teams,so keeping up will be a real challenge for them on the next leg. Good luck,guys-you're gonna need it!



American Idol will begin it's usual march of musical madness on January 15,saving us from the dreary offerings of midwinter TV. Love it or hate it,we can all agree on one thing: the auditions are the best part of the whole deal. Especially the BAD ones! Those self deluded singers who insisted upon sharing their "talent" with all of America and are stunned when Simon,Randy and Paula must say "Hell to the no!" and send them off on their merry way.

To whet your appetite for amusement,here are a few clips of some of the most deserving would-be performers to be swept away by Sandman Simms:

PANTHER MAN ATTACKS!



HONEY,IF YOU NEED TO BORROW MY MIDOL,ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK!



WELL,IF YOUR GOAL IS TO RAISE FREDDIE MERCURY FROM THE DEAD AS AN ANGRY ZOMBIE, YOU'VE SUCCEEDED!




THE GOLD STANDARD OF BAD SINGING



RANDOM NOTES

UGLY BETTY: ABC tosses us a bone by showing a new episode tonight,which has Annie Potts as one of the special guest stars. She plays a psychic consulted by Amanda to find out who her birth daddy is and Bow Wow himself shows up to be trapped in an elevator with Betty. Beats being trapped in the closet with R. Kelly!:



MASTERPIECE THEATER: Yet another reminder that the Complete Jane Austen series begins this weekend,with a new version of Persuasion and following that will be Andrew Davies' adaptation of Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park this month. For more insight into the glories of bringing Austen's brilliance to the screen,let's listen to the man himself who does it so well:

On the Shelf with Matthew Polly

While attending Princeton University in the early 1990s,Matthew Polly decided to pursue one of his longtime dream goals,which was to be like David Carradine in Kung Fu and seek out the Shaolin Temple for marital arts training. He was able to find the actual home of the Shaolin monks and for two years,was one of their students who taught him about more than kickboxing and iron forearm.

Polly returned to the States,and later became a Rhodes scholar who studied politics and philosophy at Oxford. He eventually took up travel writing and has had articles published in Esquire,Slate,Publisher's Weekly and Playboy.



Polly is the winner of a Lowell Thomas award for his travel writing and has recounted his kung fu adventures in American Shaolin: Flying Kicks,Buddhist Monks and the Legend of Iron Crotch,An Odyssey in the New China,which is an enlightening and entertaining look at a world that many only know about thru B-movies(not to mention currently available in paperback). I am most grateful to Matthew Polly for giving me a chance to ask him a few questions and getting some excellent answers:

1)You cite David Carradine in Kung Fu as one of your reasons for seeking out the Shaolin Temple. Are you still a big Carradine fan today?


A great and funny question. David Carradine is one of the better B-list celebrity tales of love, loss, and redemption. He seemed so cool to boys of my era. Then we grew up and learned (a) his kung fu skills were actually terrible, (b) he got the part of Caine only because the studios wouldn't give it to a Chinese actor named Bruce Lee, and (c) he coasted the rest of his career on this one show, selling out our affection like a crack 'ho (e.g. Yellow Book). But then Tarantino, the great excavator of '70s cool, rescued Carradine in Kill Bill the same way he did Travolta in Pulp Fiction.






2)When you went to China in 1992,you decided to find the Shaolin Temple by just asking around-would you recommend that approach to someone going to China these days?


No, never. But then again there were no Google maps in 1992. Al Gore hadn't invented them yet. These days the problem isn't finding Shaolin but finding the right school. The place has become so popular that there are dozens trying to lure in Western students. I get emails every week from young men seeking advice on where to go.

3) What was the hardest martial arts techique for you to learn?

The Chinese say that to learn kung fu you must first learn how to "eat bitter" (suffer). The toughest technique was to master the bitterness. After that the specifics were easy.


4)What was the biggest culture shock that you experienced while in China?

I grew up a white boy in Kansas. I had no idea what it was like to be an outsider or minority. You learn a lot about ethnicity, identity, and race when you are the only foreigner on a rural mountain top in the middle of China. The way people would stare, point, and take pictures of me, I often felt like I was a panda at the National Zoo.


5)Have you seen any films and/or TV shows since leaving China that you feel comes close to what you saw first hand over there?


No, and I keep waiting for one, because I watch all of them, especially the so-called TV "documentaries." PBS, National Geographic...they all trade on the Shaolin myth created by Carradine's show and countless Hong Kong chop socky flicks. But I do have high hopes for " The Real Shaolin" by Alexander Lee. I saw a ten minute distillation of his work a year ago when he was looking for investors, and it was as close to the truth as anything I've seen on film.




6)Are you in touch with any of the monks who trained you at Shaolin?

I am. I talked to Monk Cheng Hao and Monk Deqing after the book was first released. They were both happy with it. I am closest to Monk Lipeng, who has become an action movie producer. I'm helping him edit the script for his next picture.

7)What was your favorite pop culture discovery in China?

The Chinese absolutely loved Ace of Base's "All That She Wants." It was played constantly while I was there. If there is ever a conflict over Taiwan, America could easily settle it by throwing China an Ace of Base reunion concert.

Thank you again,Matthew Polly,for your time and if folks would like to know more his amazing experiences in China and with the Shaolin monks,please check out the official website and Matt's Iron Crotch blog. And now,for your viewing pleasure,the monks of Shaolin demonstrating their devotion to the physical arts:

All that glitters is not Golden,the Globes that is.

After alot of back room fussin' and fighting,it was announced that the Golden Globes ceremony for 2008 would be canceled and replaced with a "press conference" version on NBC that lets everyone know who the winners are.

This new development is in due to the ongoing Writers' strike,which was planning to picket outside of the theater where the awards were to be given out. A major snag in the GG saga was a show of support from SAG(Screen Actors Guild),who said that none of their members would cross the strike line and attend the show.

Since there's no point in having a Hollywood awards show without any celebs attending(especially the Globes,where half the fun is seeing just how of the winners had a few drinks to loosen their tongues before hitting the stage),so the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and NBC came up with this compromise.



To be honest,I'm really not that bummed out about this and I usually adore watching the Golden Globes. The nominees this year haven't thrilled me(particularly in the TV categories,which ignored Heroes)and while I do hope that Sweeney Todd picks up a few awards,it's not as important as the writers getting a fair shake from the studios. For SAG to be so supportive(and yes,I do know it's partly for their own benefit and their next round of contract negotiations)is a lovely thing to see.



It also makes it easier for me to watch the first film of Masterpiece Theater's "Complete Jane Austen" series,which begins this Sunday with a new version of Persuasion. This new take on my favorite Austen novel was not adapted by the incomparable Andrew Davies(it does have Buffy's favorite Watcher as Sir Walter Eliot,very nice indeed!)but Davies' hand is in play for Sense and Sensibility,not to mention his long awaited Northanger Abbey. From what Davies has described in this interview clip,S&S seems to have a bit of extra spice to stir up the viewers this winter:






My viewing preferences aside,there are many who will be disappointed over the loss of the Golden Globes on TV this year. A big concern is the fate of the Oscars-despite the insistence of producer Gilbert Cates that the show will go on,what's happened here with the GGs is not a good sign of thing to come.

The stakes are much higher with the Academy Awards,since the presentation has become a worldwide event over the years with huge advertising dollars and even more pricey egos on the line. Also,it would almost be like canceling a national holiday for those of us who feel like the Oscars are the entertainment world's equivalent of the Super Bowl. Let us hope that the studio folk soak in what has happened to the Golden Globes here and realize that the WGA is more than willing to play some serious hardball with them. So far,the writers are proving that old adage about the pen and the sword: