2023 - Mad Men - Season Seven: part one

Somehow I thought we had one more episode for this half-season.  I love how this season started up and worked - it was so refreshing to see Don working for something as opposed to just coasting and bossing people around - it did a lot for regaining sympathy for him with his head between his heels.  I loved the way his relationship with Peggy has changed in all the years we’ve known them - it’s pretty amazing and staggering.  If you’d told the Don of season 1 that he’d one day be answering to the girl who gets his coffee he’d have laughed you out of his office.  

I have to say that with the exception of Sally, I could do without ever seeing the adventures of Betty and family for the rest of the series.  No offence to those cast members involved, it just feels like such a wasted amount of time especially given that we’ve got so precious few episodes left.  It really feels like everyone is getting a chance to shine - Roger visiting his daughter on a commune, co-workers going, literally, insane.  The company coming into it’s own, and Joan finally getting the financial wealth she’s only ever dreamed of.  It was actually sad to see Don and Megan’s relationship disintegrate and I wonder what they’ve got planned for him in the final eight when it comes to romance.  I doubt they’d have him and Peggy hit the sheets, but stranger things have happened… Looking forward to the final episodes when it returns.

1821 - The Trotsky

I've been wanting to revisit this film for some time now and figured tonight was as good a night as any.  This film is just chalk full of actors that I absolutely love Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Tommie-Amber-Pirie, Jessica Pare, Michael Murphy, Saul Rubinek, the list just goes on and on and on. 
This time around I watched it with the commentary which just made me like Jacon Tierney all the more.  It's an honest, casual commentary with his editor and well worth the listen.  Made me want to revisit the film with the actual sound (which I very well may do).  If you haven't seen this film it's an absolute must see!  A contemporary classic, if you will.  I hadn't planned to make this a week filled with Canadian cinema, but so be it - there are much worse ways to spend my viewing times by far, and this was a great one to go out on.  Be a good person - watch some Canadian films this week!

1814 - Suck

I feel badly that it took me this long to get around to this film.  If you're into Canadian comedy then you're hopefully aware of Rob Stefanuik and his previous film, Phil The Alien.  This time out it's a rock opera about a band that'll do anything to become famous - including selling their souls and becoming vampires.  Outside of Stefaniuk in the cast there's also the amazing Jessica Pare, Dave Foley not to mention some fantastic cameos by rock legends such as: Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, and Moby. 
As usual I don't like giving much away, and I won't here.  But this is something unique and special.  It's fun, funny, and it looks goddamn great.  If you like dark comedies, vampires, and rock and roll then you really can't go wrong with this one.  Shit tonnes of fun.

1744 - Mad Men: season five

No point in burying the lead.  As a show that has shown continued quality in storytelling, this is Mad Men's finest season.  It does what great television does - it gets better as it goes along, deeper into the characters the longer get to know them, to the point where someone like Peggy who started off as Don's secretary is now his equal.  A show that makes you hate Pete Campbell and then have a season where he literally gets punched in the face a lot and you feel, sort of, bad for him. 
I won't get into the specifics of the season, great as they were.  I will say that Jessica Pare is a very welcome edition to the main cast and there's no love lost to seeing January Jones step into a very minor part of the show (the seasons only weak spot was checking in on her, as if we cared at all about her getting fat - seriously writers, have Sally move in with Don and then drop Betty altogether). 
What I really liked about this season was how we saw deeper into Don's psyche than ever before.  This is a man whom it means a great deal to earn what you have, to work hard for it.  And this is where I'll probably get into SPOILERS… Take the characters of Lane and Megan.  Lane didn't really earn what he had, he didn't follow the proper way of things, and so his punishment was the ultimate one.  Megan, frustrated and tired of not being successful in her chosen field asks Don to pull a favour and get her the part that she wants.  And as punishment it would appear that Don's wandering eye has returned.  Joan helped the firm get a client that Don worked his ass off to earn, and so she's forever sullied their relationship.  The one person in his entire world that's worked hard and earned what they have is Peggy.  And because of that Don treasures her above everyone else, even if he does realize it too late.
I believe that the show is expecting to do two more seasons - and if it continues with this level of greatness then sign me up!  If you haven't been in on this from the get-go, I believe that the first four season are on Netflix - do yourself a favour and get caught up!