The Civil Wars keep things pure, simple

For the last few weeks I’ve been hooked. I’ve been hooked on The Civil Wars, and I’m not talking history here.

The Civil Wars — a country-folk duo who got their start at a Nashville song writing session in 2008 — have gained significant recognition over the last year. The band’s easy-going sound combines hints of country twang with low-key folk vibes and the mix has created a killer debut album, which was released in February of last year.

The album — entitled “Barton Hollow” — was included on a number of “Best Of” lists at the end of 2011, and this is what led me to first take note of them. Critics were raving about the duo, describing how great their original sound and superb song-writing skills were.

The album then led the duo — Joy Williams and John Paul White — to the Grammys one year after the album’s release where they took home Best Country Duo/Group Performance, and Best Folk Album. Go figure — even the Grammy board couldn’t decide what genre they belonged in, which, in turn, reiterates how original-sounding The Civil Wars really are.

What pushed me to eventually check the duo out was their performance at the same Grammys show. They were invited to perform ahead of well-known-Wars-supporter Taylor Swift, giving the world a brief snippet of their hit single, also named “Barton Hollow.”

The single is powerful and gritty, yet beautiful all the same. It’s the most upbeat song on their album, but it still manages to tell a story.

Aside from the hit single, The Civil Wars keep things fairly simple on their debut album. There is no background music to overcome the purity of their sound. It’s just Williams and White, singing, strumming and harmonizing along in bare-bone performances that create for an intimate setting.

The entire album’s concept seems to be based on conflicts between marriage, or any partnership for that matter. Songs such as “Poison & Wine” and “Birds of a Feather” really sound off on the theme. On “Feather” Williams and White sing their yearnings, if you will, separately and then come in together to join forces on the fact that despite their trouble, each couldn’t live without the other: “Where she walks no flowers bloom / He’s the one I see right through / She’s the absinth on my lips / Splinter in my finger tips / But who could do without you.”

Other notable tracks include the more country-sounding “Forger Me Not,” along with haunting opener “20 Years,” finger-snapping “I’ve Got This Friend,” and a beautiful piano, guitar instrumental with hints of violin called “The Violet Hour.” I could listen to it for hours.

After The Civil Wars’ Grammy performance, I think both the duo — and myself — knew they were going to be the next big thing. And you’d have to be to get invited to perform on the soundtrack to the biggest movie of 2012 so far, “The Hunger Games.”

Released last month, the album contains two songs by the duo. The first, pairing with Taylor Swift, The Civil Wars perform a wistful song called “Safe and Sound” that acts as the film’s main course of music. The second is more of a conscience-driven song called “Kingdom Come.” The song seems to place us in the mind of the film’s female protagonist, who must fight for her life, jumping from the frantic — “Run, run, run and hide / Somewhere no one else can find / Tall trees bend and lean, pointing where to go” — to the comforting — “Don’t you fret my dear / It’ll all be over soon / I’ll be waiting here for you.”

And with that, we’ll be waiting here for them too, waiting to see what else The Civil Wars will come up with next. I don’t see them running away anytime soon.

Amid viewers' woes ‘Killing’ set to continue

When AMC’s detective thriller “The Killing” returns tomorrow at 8 p.m. for a two-hour premier, three things are guaranteed to happen: One, it’ll still be raining in the drab Seattle landscape. Two, Detective Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) will have gotten off a plane that would be on its way to sunny California where her fiancé would be waiting for her (an exhaustive storyline throughout last season). And three, we still won’t know the answer to the question that framed the first season: “Who Killed Rosie Larson?”

To the chagrin of many critics — and Twitter followers — the creators of “The Killing” left us with more questions than answers as the first season came to an end. Many, many — did I say many? — people were upset and a huge backlash ensued. Some vowed to never watch the series again. And I still cannot fathom why.

The major point that sparked the so-called controversy was a particular cliffhanger where we find that Detective Linden has been betrayed by her partner Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnamen) after he presented her with false evidence to convict Councilman Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell). At the last minute, we see Holder speaking with an unknown collaborator, revealing that the Councilman, although suspicious, probably had nothing to do with Rosie’s murder. In turn, this put the Councilman in a predicament, as we last saw him with the barrel of a gun in his face after Larson family friend Belko went to avenge Rosie’s death.

I thought it was a great way to leave things. It was a classic cliffhanger that left me pining for season two. That’s what television is for, isn’t it? — to snatch up your attention and leave you wanting more?

I guess I was in the minority. Apparently, viewers were so caught up in the whodunit that they couldn’t appreciate great storytelling. Because that is what “The Killing” is all about — telling the story behind the murder, not just revealing who did it as quickly as possible. We want to know the why, not just the who.

A common theme among AMC’s dramas (“The Walking Dead,” “Mad Men” — to name a couple) is that the creators do a great job at keeping our attention by providing passionate characters within their scripts, along with passionate actors to portray those characters — no matter how bizarre the character may be made out to be (Bryan Cranston’s Walter White from “Breaking Bad” is a perfect example).

With “The Killing,” rather than simply working the case week to week, the show focuses on the people surrounding the case — parents, the city, school teachers, and even the detectives themselves. There are so many characters surrounding the case, and yet they all stand out as individuals and not as just another suspect to be checked off the list. We see the emotional obstacle course each person goes through in order to cope with what has happened, and we remember them because each character is unique and played with such passionate force.

The creators of “The Killing” also know how to pace the show. It’s well done in the sense that the creators have given us one 24-hour day of the case per episode, making for 12 consecutive days of the case to match with 12 weekly episodes — I hope they continue this tactic for the upcoming season. There is no passage of time, therefore we are seeing what everyone else is seeing — which makes us view everyone as a suspect.

Unfortunately, at this point, the question of “Who Killed Rosie Larson?” seems to be on the back burner. “Will viewers return, despite not getting what they wanted in the finale?” is the ultimate question. We’ll just have to wait and see on both accounts, as both creators and critics — never have all the answers.

'Mad Men' returns after long hiatus

AMC — it’s the network to beat these days. Just ask the creators of “The Walking Dead” whose recent finale took in a record-breaking 9 million viewers. But as much as we don’t want to see the walkers go, it’s time to put the zombie season behind us and get back to the show that put AMC on the map in the first place: “Mad Men.”

After a 17-month hiatus (due to contract negotiations and scheduling conflicts) the ad agency that is Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is back and ready for a whole new year. We last left Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and company at the end of 1965, but the two-hour premier tomorrow night skips ahead six months to May 1966 — the dawn of the Civil Rights movement. Times they are a changin’, we can see that, but the question is: How do the times affect our beloved characters?

Now in its fifth season, “Mad Men” has established quite a basis for its characters. At the end of season four, though, those characters were given another layer of depth, and then some. We may not like what we see anymore, and it will be season five’s job to manage a balance between what we fell in love with over the years with where these characters are headed in the future. Here’s where we left off:

Don — Last we left our favorite playboy he had proposed to his twenty-something secretary, Megan, to fill a lonely void that took over his life in season four. Megan is half Don’s age and twice as spunky as Don’s ex-wife Betty (January Jones). She brings life to the table, and as a twenty-something in the ’60s, I’m sure she’s not done having fun in her life despite the proposal. Perhaps we’ll see that fun personality transfer over to Don and loosen him up a bit — that is if the two are even still together. Knowing Don, he simply could have called the whole thing off.

Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) — The young gun who’s always looking to climb the ladder at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce had just announced that he and his wife Trudy would be having a baby last season. This year I’m sure we’ll see how that new responsibility affects his work life — both his drive for clients and especially his relationship with copywriter Peggy (Elisabeth Moss), with whom he once had an affair with and got pregnant, leading her to give the baby up for adoption.

Peggy — At the conclusion of last season, Peggy took a big step forward by single-handily saving Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce from a serious drought in cash flow — after the agency’s biggest client Lucky Strike took their business elsewhere — when she signed a panty-hose account. A big deal for sure, but unfortunately Don’s engagement announcement over-shadowed her news. In this season, it seems Peggy could have a new understudy in Megan, relinquishing her role as sole female copywriter and giving Peggy a run for her money just as she’s finally felt what success feels like.

Joan (Christina Hendricks) — Bombshell secretary, or newly appointed Director of Agency Operations at the agency, Joan was in the midst of deciding whether to keep her pregnancy, knowing well-enough that it wasn’t her husband Greg’s baby — as he is serving overseas. The baby, as we know, is from her go-to-guy Roger Sterling (John Slattery), with whom she had always had a long-term affair with before she was married, but happened to make another return to once her hubby was bound for Vietnam. Last we saw she was leaving the abortion clinic, having decided to not ‘take care of it’ as she told Roger.

Will she have a baby in season five? And what will that do to her career at Sterling Draper Cooper Pryce? After all, it is the ’60s, and not many women held both a career and a family life back then. The big question is, will she tell Greg that it’s not his?

Betty — Don’s ex-wife was last seen firing her children’s long-time nanny Carla, and packing up her family’s things — along with newbie husband Henry — to move into a new house for a fresh start to things. Daughter Sally had been acting out quite a bit, and we’ll see if the move did anything to help, or whether son Bobby will follow in her sister’s footsteps. The question with Betty is, despite her new house and husband, will she truly be better off, or will she still be the same cruel, woman we’ve all come to have a love-hate relationship with?

Only time will tell, and luckily we don’t have to wait much longer to find out. The good news is under the new contract negotiations signed by creator Matthew Weiner another two seasons were agreed upon, so at least we know we have a few more years of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce antics to come. Until then, let’s enjoy 1966 while it’s (finally) here.

Van Halen's still got it

It was an interesting experience, and an epic one — all at the same time. At 25 years young, I had the chance to hear Eddie Van Halen shred the guitar like no other. I had the chance to see David Lee Roth perform his heart out, complete with high kicks and plenty of splits. And at the same time, I had the chance to see “Celebration,” “Jungle Boogie” and “Ladies’ Night” performed by Kool and the Gang. Really? Yes, really.

Sunday night I got the news that my dad had scored tickets to the Van Halen show at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H., on Tuesday night. Having been “brought up” by my dad on such music as Van Halen I knew I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. And despite it being N.H. Town Meeting Day — a crazy night in the newsroom world — my very kind and thoughtful editor knew I couldn’t pass up that opportunity either, and I was free from the hustle and bustle of the newsroom to go rock out with the best of them.

Well, that is after openers Kool and the Gang took to the stage.

To me it seemed like an odd pairing. Don’t get me wrong. I respect all music, and I respect Kool and the Gang as musicians. I just never in my life expected to see them open for an 70s rock band. And never did I expect to hear wedding staple “Celebration” performed live and in concert.

Despite my notions, the majority of the audience boogied the night away, and it was fun to see adults a few decades my senior let loose. And when an Ohio couple who showed up late uttered their disappointment in missing the Gang perform, I couldn’t help but laugh it off. This Gang must have created some lasting memories at some point, and the audience was all about bringing those memories back.

That was my mildly interesting experience. Then came the epic experience: Van friggin’ Halen.

The Van Halen boys (Alex on drums, Eddie on guitar and Wolfgang on bass) along with singer David Lee Roth took to the stage around 9 p.m. And I must say, they kept things fairly simple. No pyro. No rising platforms. A few strobe-light moments. And only one mishap — a fight down on the floor between two biker-clad women, to which David Lee Roth stopped the show completely and told them off. Aside from that, Van Halen kept things fairly intimate in a way — a simple backdrop mish-mashing current concert footage with footage from earlier years played behind the band throughout the night. It was all very classy for the rock stars.

The four-piece opened the show with “Unchained” off their 1981 album “Fair Warning.” Following through with 23 more songs — including major classics such as “Panama,” “Hot for Teacher,” “Runnin’ With the Devil,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman,” The Kinks “You Really Got Me” and John Brim’s “Ice Cream Man” — the band played what seemed like a very quick hour-and-a-half show.

To close out the rockin’ show, Van Halen performed everyone’s favorite — “Jump.” Rather than jumping around on stage as David Lee Roth does so in the classic video, he decided instead to bring out a giant black and white checkered flag and run around the stage with it as confetti rained down. Random? Sure. But I wouldn’t expect anything less.

Saddled in between those and a few songs off their newest album “A Different Kind of Truth” a couple solo performances from Alex and Eddie made for an intense night. Eddie’s 10-minute solo really showed off his insane skills and it proved that he, along with Van Halen still got it.

Best buds face off in top Oscar acting categories

Viola versus Meryl. George versus Brad. It’s the battle of the best buds in this year’s top acting categories at the Academy Awards, airing tomorrow night. Who will trump the other? Let's break it down and see where these fine actors stand.

LADIES FIRST

How Viola knows Meryl: Both starred in the 2008 film “Doubt,” which earned each of them numerous award nominations. But before that, Streep was always an idol of Davis’. These days, Streep doesn’t simply recognize Davis as a fan, but as an equal. Both admire each other and their craft, so much that throughout this award season the ladies have each given shout outs to the other in acceptance speeches, and fawned over the other’s ability.

Viola Davis
Age: 46

2012 nominated role: Davis plays Aibileen Clark, the central character of “The Help.” Clark is a black maid in Mississippi during the1960s, who decides to work with an up-and-coming journalist to tell her story — along with many other maids to follow — to the world.

Previous experience: Davis is known primarily for her acting chops on the stage, but she has also had parts in such films as “Doubt,” “Antwone Fisher” and “Traffic.”

Previous award recognition: Davis has been nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for her role in “Doubt.” She also has been nominated three times for a Tony, and won two of those.

So far this year: Davis was nominated for all three of the big awards this year: Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG award. She took home the SAG award, but lost the Globe to Streep.

Meryl Steep
Age: 62

2012 nominated role: Streep takes on the task of portraying the longest serving Prime Minister of the U.K., Margaret Thatcher, in “The Iron Lady.”

Previous experience: Streep is received as one of the most respected actresses of her generation. She has been in over 50 films including “The Deer Hunter,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “Mamma Mia!” and “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Previous award recognition: Streep has a record-breaking 17 Academy Award nominations and 26 Golden Globe nominations. Of those, she has won two Academy Awards for her roles in 1979’s “Kramer vs. Kramer” and 1982’s “Sophie’s Choice.” She has won eight of her Golden Globe nominations.

Streep has also won two Emmys, two SAG awards, five Grammys, one Tony, and the coveted AFI Life Achievement Award in 2004, to say the least.

So far this year: Streep has been nominated, just as Davis, for all three of the big awards. She is tied with Davis, 1-1, having taken the win at the Golden Globes.

Who will come out on top: This is a tough call. Both women transformed themselves greatly for their roles. Davis put on 25 pounds to play Aibileen, while Streep donned quite a bit of prosthetics and a fake set of teeth to encompass the iron lady.

While Streep may have the better acting chops here, I think the Academy is going to favor Davis, simply because “The Help” was a movie people actually saw. It grossed $206 million at the box office, while only $60 million was made from “The Iron Lady.” Critics, alike, also have said that Steep was the only good part of “The Iron Lady,” while the entire cast of “The Help” is what made it such a superb overall film.

MEN WILL BE MEN

How George knows Brad: Aside from both men being named People’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” — twice — the two hunky heartthrobs first starred together in 2001’s “Ocean’s Eleven” remake. This followed by two more Ocean’s movies in 2004 and 2007, respectively. To mix things up, Clooney and Pitt starred in another film together in 2008, the Coen brother’s “Burn After Reading,” that showcased the kookie side of both of them.

As Streep and Davis offer overwhelming praise for each other at this year’s award ceremonies, Clooney and Pitt have been giving each other little jabs — all respectful, of course — while at the podium. For instance, at this year’s Golden Globes, Pitt showed up with a cane after tearing his ACL. To poke fun while Clooney introduced Pitt's “Moneyball” — a Best Picture nominee — Clooney walked on stage with Pitt’s cane, stating “I have to give it back to him or he can't make it to the bar otherwise.”

George Clooney
Age: 50

2012 nominated role: Clooney portrays Matt King in Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants.” King tries to reconnect with his daughters after he find out that his wife — currently in a coma from a boating accident — has been cheating on him.

Previous experience: Clooney first started out on television with a successful run on “E.R.” He quickly made the jump to the big screen with such films as “Out of Sight” and “From Dusk till Dawn” to “The Perfect Storm” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

Clooney has also stepped in the director’s chair on numerous occasions, first with 2002’s “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” followed by three others — the most recent being “The Ides of March,” in which he also starred.

Previous award recognition: Clooney has been nominated seven times for an Academy Award, winning one of those for 2005’s “Syriana.” He also has nine Golden Globe nominations, with three of those being wins, and four SAG awards under his belt.

So far this year: Clooney has won great acclaim for his role, yet — of the big three — he has only picked up the Golden Globe win.

Brad Pitt
Age: 48

2012 nominated role: Pitt brought to life the general manager of the Oakland A’s — Billy Beane — who decided to take baseball to a whole other level by drafting players by a computer-generated analysis, rather than by the typical notions.

Previous experience: As with Clooney, Pitt also started out on TV. He quickly gained fame from a standout role in 1991‘s “Thelma & Louise.” Following, he starred in a slew of films that showcased his wide range and depth, including “Interview with the Vampire,” “Seven,” “Fight Club” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

Previous award recognition: Pitt has been nominated for three Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, five SAG awards and one Emmy for a one-episode role on “Friends.”
Yet, just as with Clooney, despite the many nominations, he has only taken home one solo award — that being a Golden Globe for “12 Monkeys.” He also was part of the “Inglourious Basterds” cast win in 2009 at the SAG awards.

So far this year: No wins for Pitt, as of yet.

Who will come out on top: Unfortunately, Pitt isn’t Clooney’s toughest competition in the Best Actor race. That honor goes to Jean Dujardin of “The Artist.” Unlike the Golden Globes, where Best Actors are separated into Comedy and Drama categories, the Academy doesn’t divvy up its categories, leaving Clooney and Dujardin to be pit (see what I did there) against each other.

"Moneyball" did well in theaters, and just as good when it was released on DVD, but, sorry to say, Pitt doesn’t have a chance really. So it looks like Clooney takes the cake here even if he loses to Dujardin in the end. But hey, at least Pitt had the pleasure of being in good company with his buddy Clooney. It’s made for an amusing awards season, and showed us just how great a true bromance can really be.

Grammys triumph, tradegy

There are always going to be ups and downs when it comes to the Grammys — especially when it comes to the performances. But this year there was one particular up and one particular down that loomed over the entire show.

The down being the death of diva Whitney Houston the night before. As host LL Cool J opened the show with a prayer, he reminded the audience that “this night is about the music,” and that despite the devastating event that occurred so close to home, the show will go on. With shout outs from Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Rhianna, among others, and an emotional performance of “I Will Always Love You,” by powerhouse singer Jennifer Hudson, Whitney’s memory was not forgotten throughout the entire night.

On the up side was the force that is Adele. Her accomplishments throughout the night included taking home six awards (tying with Beyonce for the most wins in one night by a female artist); joining the ranks of such performers as Paul Simon, Eric Clapton and the Dixie Chicks in having won the three biggest awards in one night (Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year, respectively); and performing the hit that started it all, “Rolling in the Deep,” after having recently recovered from throat surgery. She put on the most powerful and real performance of the night, that garnered her a lasting — and well-deserved — standing ovation. The girl’s got pipes — and a presence — that can’t be ignored, and the Grammys made sure of that.

Aside from the above — in terms of the actual awards given out — the Foo Fighters added another Best Rock Album Grammy to their trophy case, accomplishing the feat of winning seven Best Rock Albums for each of their seven albums. During the night, the band also took home four others including Best Rock Song for “Walk.”

Also, no-show Kanye West garnered four awards, and Bon Iver took home two including the coveted Best New Artist Grammy.

But we all know the Grammys aren’t all about the awards — only nine were actually given out on air. The Grammys are all about the three-and-a-half hours of performances, which this year made for a somewhat sluggish show. Only a select few really held my attention. Here’s who and why.

Katy Perry — Starting off with Kanye-collaborated hit “E.T.”, Perry emerged in full force. Quickly switching gears, she poured her heart out on stage in what sounded like a big F-you to ex-husband Russell Brand with “Part of Me.”

It was a very strong performance — filled with a lot of angst — but one that showed true emotion. Bravo to Katy for putting away the girly, Candyland-like set pieces and bringing out a warrior-like performance that showed us just exactly how she was feeling.

The Band Perry, Blake Shelton and Glen Campbell — The legendary Campbell — soon to be retired due to Alzheimer’s — joined The Band Perry and Shelton in a fitting tribute to himself, with performances of “Gentle on My Mind,” “Southern Nights” and, of course, “Rhinestone Cowboy.” It was all very touching, and all three acts sounded simply superb.

Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt — The soul songstress and country superstar payed tribute to the late great Etta James with a stripped-down rendition of “I Want A Sunday Kind of Love.” Keys and Raitt kept it short and sweet, but it had quite a beautiful, lasting impression.

The Civil Wars and Taylor Swift — The folk duo The Civil Wars have had a pretty good year. Their debut album “Baton Harlow” made it onto many a year-end lists, and at the Grammys they managed to take home a few wins as well, including the award for Best Country Duo and Best Folk Album. Thankfully, they were able to show off the skills that helped them win all the recent praise with a short performance as the “opener” to Swift. It may have only been for a minute, but it deserved so much more.

Swift followed suit with a performance of “Mean” — in which she rocked the banjo and seemed to be having the most fun of any of the performers on stage. It wasn’t elaborately choreographed, or filled with intense light shows, but it was — despite her tendencies to cross over
the pop line — a fun, country performance.

The Beach Boys with Maroon 5 and Foster the People — Adam Levine and Mark Foster’s voices were made for Beach Boys’ songs. Performing with their respective groups — Maroon 5 and newbies Foster the People — Levine sang a sweet “Little Surfer Girl,” while Foster tackled “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Both groups seemed to be having fun with it, and after joined the legendary group on stage for a performance of “Good Vibrations.”

Despite the fatigue-sounding vocals of the Beach Boys, the group — reuniting for a 50th anniversary performance — had the audience dancing and singing along just fine. I was hoping for a bit more — as I’ve seen them live and they are truly a lot of fun — but I give them credit for managing to get Brian Wilson and Mike Love on the same stage one last time.

Paul McCartney — He performed an acoustic “My Valentine” during the middle of the show off his newest “Kisses on the Bottom” album, which was simple and sweet. But McCartney came back with a vengeance as the closing act, along with Foo Fighter’s Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen, Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray and the Eagles’ Joe Walsh for a guitar-filled rendition of the Beatles’ “Golden Slumbers/Carry Your Weight.” It was fun to see so many talented rock musicians all on the same stage, and it was a great way to close out a somewhat-dull show overall.

'Smash' works on a number of levels

“Smash.” If you’ve been watching any network television at all, it’s the only show you’ve been hearing about for the last two months. Following the Super Bowl and the premier of the second season of “The Voice,” “Smash” made its debut Monday night on NBC. And so, despite my assumption that the show would simply be another “Glee,” I caved and decided to see what all the fuss was about. (Looks like NBC’s advertising ploy worked on at least one person.) And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

“Smash” — produced by the one-and-only Steven Spielberg — follows Karen Cartwright (“American Idol’s” season five runner-up, Katherine McPhee), a 24-year-old from Iowa who is trying to make it in the big city as a Broadway star. After much rejection, she finds herself auditioning among a group of look-alike Marilyn Monroe’s for the lead in a soon-to-be hit new musical from the likes of acclaimed songwriting duo Julia (“Will and Grace’s” Debra Messing) and Tom (Christian Borie). A brunette with little sex appeal, Karen’s voice captivates the panel, and she soon finds herself pit up against blond bombshell, Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty), a triple threat who seems to have it all, including the drive and desire to break away as the next big star. With two completely different personalities, it’s all up to the girls to woo the likes of Julia, Tom, producer Eileen (Angelica Houston) and egotistical director, Derek (“Pirates of the Caribbean’s” Jack Davenport).

What makes “Smash” so magical is the realism of it all (that, and the beautiful production quality, courtesy of Spielberg, I’m sure). With “Smash” we are shown the inner workings of putting on a successful Broadway musical, from start to finish, with all the key players and with all the backstage drama that comes with the territory. “Smash” shows us that it’s not as easy as it looks, especially when you’re trying to balance a home life, as is with Julia and her husband, who are looking to adopt a child, despite Julia’s reluctancy to turn down any new work project. The writers have successfully made us care about the characters from one episode and they make it easy for the audience to connect to them.

Many of the actors on “Smash” have been on Broadway and have plenty of experience, including Hilty, who was in acclaimed hits “Wicked” and “9 to 5: The Musical.” But if this bares anything about where the story line of the show will go, the real standout is newcomer McPhee. Despite her only previous major acting credit being the comedy “The House Bunny,” McPhee holds her own among a cast of veteran actors. She really gives us her all in “Smash,” and she has such a presence, just as she did on the “American Idol” stage back in 2006. Her voice is gorgeous, as in when she sings “Over the Rainbow” and “Beautiful” in the premier, and she simply has the “star quality” that could take her to the next level.

It’s a musical drama that seamlessly interweaves the two genres. The pacing of the story line is dead on — we don’t get bored as we get to know the characters — and “Smash” manages to transition to musical numbers effortlessly. Everything just fits — even the baseball number. Nothing is random — there aren’t any kids busting into song in the hallways of their school. It’s just solid, fun, entertainment that works. As Monroe would say, “Smash” just wants to be loved by you, and I suggest you give it a shot.

Football films that score big

Are you ready for some football? Movies... that is. Can’t say I’m as pumped as most for Super Bowl Sunday. One, I’ll be working. Two, I’ve never been much of a football fan. But I am proud that New England’s own has made it to the coveted bowl for the seventh time in the team’s history, and for that I’ve asked the seven members of our newsroom staff — myself included — to tell me what their favorite football films are. After all, a film can pack in as much blood, sweat and tears as a real game can, if not a bit more comic relief.

So after the Super Bowl, when you’re not quite ready to push football aside and welcome in the baseball season, go out and rent a couple of these somewhat surprising choices — you’ll have just as much fun watching them as you would cheering on the Patriots. Go team!

“Little Giants” (1994)

So basically, I don’t do movies. But when I did, back in 1994, I was pretty into “Little Giants” staring Rick Moranis. That’s right, the dude from “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” The movie had it all. A 9-year-old named Spike who could carry a fridge on his back, a cheerleader turned running back, and a little guy who knocked himself out cold when he ran straight into the field-goal post after scoring a touchdown . Oh, and Al Bundy was in it too.

— Michael Pezone, Sport Editor

“Lucas” (1986)

I don’t care for football movies but I do have a special place in my heart for “Lucas” starring the late Corey Haim. This movie is almost painful for me to watch because high school is depicted so accurately with the cruel bullying, the intense crushes and embarrassments and the best friends you’ll ever make.

— Amy Cotton, Social Editor

“The Replacements” (2000)

“Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole.” That’s what you’ll have stuck in your head after watching “The Replacements.”

After a pro football team goes on strike, the owners are forced to find substitute players to finish out the season. Gene Hackman and Keanu Reeves are at the helm of the movie, but to me it’s all about the supporting players.

A chain-smoking soccer player from Whales with a bad gambling habit is recruited as kicker. A former defensive back who is now is prison for assaulting a police officer is allowed to play with the permission of the governor. A sumo wrestler from Japan is recruited to play offensive tackle. A SWAT team leader with an anger management problem, played by Jon Favreau, does his best as linebacker. And Orlando Jones as a convenience store clerk, with the quickest legs, but who can’t catch, is chosen as the wide receiver. Throw in two security guards brothers to come on as, you guessed it, guards, and you’ve got yourself a team.

With “The Replacements” it’s not just about the game, but the camaraderie that goes along with it. And you’ll get a whole lot of laughs out of it too, especially when they start recruiting for the cheerleading positions.

— Laura Kennedy, Assistant Editor

“Necessary Roughness” (1991)

While it didn’t win any Oscars and it’s certainly not going to be added to the National Film Registry any time soon, I still felt that “Necessary Roughness” — which stars Scott Bakula, Sinbad and Kathy Ireland — ought to be considered as one of the best football movies. Granted, I haven’t actually seen the movie but after two of my co-workers gave it a resounding endorsement, I decided to watch some clips. After I watched a few scenes — which included Wally’s pep talk and one called Samurai football — I decided it wasn’t as terrible as I thought and figured it deserved to be a part of this list. Go Armadillos.

— Craig Lyons, Staff Reporter

“Rudy” (1993)

It’s an obvious choice to any Notre Dame football fan such as myself, but even those non-Irish lovers recognize the triumph of the human spirit in this story.

“Rudy” represents the essence of Notre Dame football; it is not an affection grown from mere school affiliation, but a deep-seated love that is passed down from generations, just as it is from Rudy and his father and it was with my parents to me. When he finally gets to play in a game, sacks the quarterback from Georgia Tech on the final play (no Hollywood there, that really happened), and is carried off the field on his teammates’ shoulders, I get misty eyed.

“Rudy” is more than a football movie, it’s a testament to the triumph of the underdog, the accomplishment of a dream and the fulfillment of a destiny.

— Monica Hogan, Sports Writer

“The Longest Yard” (1974)

“The Longest Yard” is my favorite — the one with Burt Reynolds, not Adam Sandler. It was a movie that most definitely did not need to be remade.

It’s a hilarious mixture of off-color comedy, drama and surprisingly good football scenes facilitated by roles from such NFL greats as Ray Nitschke and Joe Kapp, who each played in Super Bowls.

I thought it was Burt Reynolds’ finest role, and I also loved Bernadette Peters as the warden’s secretary with the beehive hairdo, which begat the Reynolds line: “Nice hair. Ever find any spiders in it?”

— Roger Carroll, Editor

“Remember the Titans” (2000)

“Remember the Titans” juxtaposes a feel-good football story with an important historical and cultural message. Who could expect anything less from Disney?

An all-star cast drives the story of an early ’70s Virginia high school football team that represents one of the first integrated squads in the country. Denzel Washington leads the way as the hard-nosed coach, and the roster is filled up by several recognizable actors before their primes, including Ryan Gosling, “Scrubs’s” Donald Faison, and “The Wire’s” Wood Harris, among others.

Besides some excellent football scenes, the movie is rounded out by an exceptional soundtrack, drawing on some timely tunes from James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Marvin Gaye, to name a few.

— Ian Lord, Staff Writer

Recapping the Golden Globes

I would like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press — for taking all the fun out of the Golden Globes this year.

As many of you may know, last year’s host Ricky Gervais pushed the envelop with his comedy when it came to his opening monologue. It was harsh ... but it was the harsh truth at that. And it was funny. He was told he wouldn’t be invited back.

Well, he was — to many people’s chagrin. This year, as he approached the podium during his opening monologue, he spoke his best line of the night: “So, where was I? Nervous?” he asked the audience.

Unfortunately, the audience had nothing to worry about.

Gervais’ jokes centered on people he would never come in contact with. His jokes were mediocre and tame, taking jabs at Justin Bieber, Kate Middleton and Kim Kardashian (“The Golden Globes are to the Oscars like Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton — bit louder, bit drunker, bit trashier, and more easily bought. Allegedly. Nothing’s been proved.”), Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler (“Between the two of them, they played all the parts in ‘The Help.’ ”) and NBC, the network the ceremony was aired on (“You get Britain’s first comedian, hosting the second-biggest awards show on America’s third-biggest network”). Easy targets, if you ask me. All thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press.

If you’re going to invite someone back to host for a third time, there must be a reason. And I would think making people laugh would be one of those. Last year’s audience might have been uncomfortable with Gervais’ risky humor, but at least a large part of the audience was laughing. I can’t say the same for this year’s group.

Overall the night was fairly predictable, as were the recipients of the awards themselves, and the Oscars will surely have the same results, aside from Billy Crystal who will bring his all, as usual, as host. For now, here’s a quick look at who took home the gold this year.

Pleasant surprises

• Christopher Plummer wins Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in “Beginners” as Hal, an elderly man who comes out as gay after his wife passes away, only to find out that he has terminal cancer. Plummer has won many awards over his longstanding career, but never a Golden Globe.

• Jessica Lange outdoes Maggie Smith and Evan Rachel Wood, among others, to win the honor for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, for her stint on “American Horror Story.” “American Horror Story” was a risky show, not one likely for nomination. But Lange’s perfect performance as Constance, the next-door neighbor to a house full of ghosts made for an easy win.

• Martin Scorsese takes home Best Director for “Hugo” — a film he said he made at his youngest daughter’s request so that she would be able to see one of her father’s films for once. Keep racking them up Marty.

Unpleasant surprise

• Kelsey Grammar beats Bryan Cranston and Steve Buscemi for Best Actor in a Television Series — Drama. Grammar took the award home for his role in Starz’ “Boss,” after Buscemi won last year for his role in “Boardwalk Empire.” I’m sure Grammar’s performance was superb, as he is a seasoned actor, but Cranston’s performance on this year’s “Breaking Bad” was his best yet, and everyone was abuzz about it — apparently, just not the Hollywood Foreign Press.

• “Bridesmaids” goes home empty handed. It was a longshot for a raunchy, yet well-developed comedy to take home any hardward. Comedies usually get shafted at the elite award shows, and it would have been a nice surprise to see all of Kristin Wiig’s hard work pay off with a win in either of the two categories it was nominated for — Best Supporting Actress — Musical or Comedy (for Wiig), or Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy.

No surprise there

• Peter Dinklage of “Game of Thrones” wins Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. He scooped up the Emmy in the fall for the same role, both well-deserved.

• Silent black and white film “The Artist” picks up Best Picture — Comedy or Musical and actor Jean Dujardin wins for Best Actor — Comedy or Musical. It’s nice to see people can still appreciate a great silent film, no matter what day and age.

• “The Descendants” wins Best Picture — Drama, as does its star, George Clooney, for Best Actor — Drama. Director Alexander Payne is a noted director, especially for his previously winning film “Sideways.” It was no surprise that after seven years he came back and won it again.

• Octavia Spencer wins Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal as outspoken maid Minny Jackson in “The Help.” According to author and longtime friend Kathryn Stockett, Spencer inspired the character of Jackson, who was then cast by mutual friend and director Tate Taylor. Looks like Spencer couldn’t go wrong with a role made — literally — for her.

• Kate Winslet wins for Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for HBO’s “Mildred Pierce.” How many awards does she have now? It seems if you’re up against Winslet, you barely have a fighting chance.

Well-deserved wins

• Clair Danes is three for three as she took home the award in the Best Actress in a Television Series — Drama for her role in HBO’s “Homeland.” She first won a Golden Globe at the age of 15 for her role on the TV series “My So-Called Life” and last year she took home another for the television mini-series “Temple Grandin.”

• “Modern Family” wins Best Television Series — Comedy or Musical. Believe it or not, it’s the show’s first Globe win in the three years it’s been nominated. It lost out to “Glee” in the previous two years.

• Morgan Freeman, the man with the golden narrative voice and a prolific film career, is honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. It’s about time.

Mid-season TV schedule full of familiar faces

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time for our favorite shows to resurface. And along with our usual favorites, there’s always a new crop of mid-season shows hoping to capture our attention. This year, it’s all about the familiar faces.

Ashley Judd makes the leap to television — after a fairly prolific movie career — with “Missing” (Wednesday, March 15). “Missing” takes Judd’s character overseas to find her son after he disappears while studying abroad.

The entire original cast of 2004’s underground hit “Napoleon Dynamite” return (Sunday, Jan. 15) in an animated series on Fox. Should be friggin’ sweet.

Laura Prepon, best known as Donna on “That 70’s Show,” takes a stab (Wednesdays) at playing comedian and late night host Chelsea Handler (along with Handler, who plays the best friend, not herself) on NBC’s “Are You There, Chelsea?”

And who can forget about SNL vet, Mr. Deuce Bigalow himself, Rob Schneider. He’ll return (Thursdays on CBS) to television with aptly named comedy “Rob” — a sitcom that follows Rob’s newlywed life and the very close Mexican-American family he inherits, which includes cult-icon Cheech Marin.


Aside from those, here are five more shows that I think will fare well among viewers, all with a familiar face, or two, in the cast.

“Alcatraz” (Monday, Jan. 16 — Fox — 8 p.m.)

A J.J. Abrams-produced show that reunites him with former “Lost” actor Jorge Garcia, “Alcatraz” explores the mystery behind a group of criminals who begin to reappear after a supposed 50-year disappearance from the famed prison.

Abrams brought us “Alias,” “Lost” “Fringe” and most recently “Person of Interest,” and I have no worries that “Alcatraz” will bring forth the great storytelling that Abrams is known for.

“Luck” (Sunday, Jan. 29 — HBO — 9 p.m.)

The one-and-only Dustin Hoffman stars as the central character in HBO’s newest alongside Nick Nolte in a story about the world of competitive horse racing, the gamblers involved and the people who run the show. It’s an easy bet we can’t go wrong by watching.

“Smash” (Monday, Feb. 6 — NBC — 10 p.m.)

“Will and Grace’s” Debra Messing, and former “American Idol” contestant Katherine McPhee join forces in the newest sing-song sitcom “Smash.”

If you’re any fan of “Glee” I’m sure this will be right up your alley, as it follows the production of a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe and all the behind-the-scenes drama that ensues.

Veteran actress Anjelica Huston also stars, so you’ll be sure to get a big enough bang for your buck.

“GCB” (Sunday, March 4 — ABC — 10 p.m.)

Much like Diablo Cody’s newest film “Young Adult,” “GCB” tells the story of a former bully of a girl returning to her hometown after her marriage goes kapute, only to find she must make nice with the women she once played mean girl to in high school.

These women are all out for payback, including Miss Adorable “Wicked” star Kristin Chenoweth. Chenoweth’s character, once the ugly girl in high school, now has the picture-perfect life and the picture-perfect looks to go with it, and she’s not pleased to find her nemesis return.

“GCB” reads like a soap opera, but it combines the gossip and rumor-filled drama with the perfect amount of comedy. It’s sure to be a good fit now that “Desperate Housewives” is on its way out.

“Touch” (Monday, March 19 — Fox — 9 p.m.)

Kiefer Sutherland returns to Fox not as action-adventure man Jack Bauer of “24,” but as a widowed father whose autistic son can predict the future. “Touch” will follow a group of seemingly unrelated characters who eventually affect each other in one way or another. With Sutherland at the reigns, and a puzzle-like plot, “Touch” will surely grab our attention.

Stay away from the 'House of Lies'

Don Cheadle. The man who wooed us over in “Hotel Rwanda” and “Crash,” — heck, even in “Ocean’s Eleven” as an explosive enthusiast — Cheadle’s charm always shows through his work. With Cheadle at the helm, as he is with the new 30-minute Showtime comedy “House of Lies,” you can’t go wrong, right?

Very wrong indeed, my friends.

But first, let’s go off course for a bit.

Showtime. It’s a network filled with characters we shouldn’t relate to, yet somehow we find ourselves living vicariously through them, time and time again.

We have Dexter Morgan, a vigilante serial killer with a “dark passenger”; Nancy Botwin, a drug-dealing mother simply trying to support her family; Hank Moody, a sex-aholic writer; and the Gallagher family, a bunch of gypsy thieves, among others. With “House of Lies” we can add money-hungry management consultants to the list.

And this is where Cheadle comes into play. Cheadle tackles the role of central character Marty Kaan, a cut-throat consultant who will do anything to land the client. Which is all good and well if his character wasn’t portrayed as a complete sleezball.

When we first meet Kaan, he is waking up next to his drugged-out ex wife - who happens to be his main competition in the consulting world. Following this shameful incident, we meet Marty’s other half, his pre-pubescent son who is discovering his other side of his sexuality — he really wants to nab the role of Sandy in his elementary school’s performance of “Grease” — to which Marty tries to ignore. And that’s just in the first five minutes.

Cheadle, an actor so refined, really takes a big step down with this role. What’s written for him is an over-the-top, sloppy, crude and disrespectful guy to all those involved. Including another fine actress who gets pulled into the “House of Lies” undertow, Kristen Bell — of “Veronica Mars” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” fame. Bell plays Jeannie Van Der Hooven, an Ivy-leaguer and right-hand woman to Kaan within his team of consultants — which also includes “Parks and Recreations” actor Ben Schwartz and Australian actor Josh Lawson, as Clyde and Doug, respectively. Bell’s character is meant to be strong and independent, but she’s so entwined with Marty in the overall scheme of things, that it creates a turn-off. I realize that Showtime is a prolific network, but Bell can do so much better.

It’s a fast-paced world when it comes to management consulting — which is probably why “House of Lies” feels the need to stop every five minutes or so in freeze-frame style and explain things to us, a tactic that gets real old, real fast — and I think the creators of “House of Lies” will soon come to find that it’s all a little too much. Viewers aren’t going to want to sympathize with Marty’s character as they do with other Showtime faves. Unless the creators of “House of Lies” can clean the show up a bit and make it smarter rather than sleazier, than I’m sorry to say the creators are the ones lying to themselves if they think “House of Lies” will make it past a first season.

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“House of Lies” debuts tomorrow at 9 p.m. on Showtime, but if you want to take a look sooner, though I highly recommend you don’t waste your time, TVGuide.com is showing the first episode online for free.