Hope Lies on Television #16 - The End of 30 Rock and More Besides

To commemorate the final episode of 30 Rock, Tina Fey's critically adored, popularly ignored sitcom nominally about the behind-the-scenes antics of a sketch show, I wrote about the evolution of the show, how it managed to stay on the air for seven years despite having none of the usual per-requisites for such longevity, and what its legacy might be for future shows.

Side Note: I wrote this article before seeing the excellent final episode, which is why it's focused so much on the past of the show rather than its actual ending, but needless to say the final episode did not disappoint. It managed to offer up plenty of great jokes, some emotional resolution for the characters - even Lutz! - without becoming too sappy or maudlin, and it went out on a great final gag which managed to be both about the history of television and the history of the show itself. A wonderful achievement and a fitting ending to show that was so consistently great I began to take it for granted.

Film Review: To Rome With Love (2012)

Though the films Woody Allen has made since decamping from his New York stomping ground have varied in terms of story, tone and style, one of the main consistencies has been that each new city he has visited on his European Vacation has invigorated the resulting work. This is particularly noticeable with his latest film, To Rome With Love, since, whilst it bears a number of similarities to his pretty woeful London-set 2010 film You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger - both are films set in a major European city, both are ensemble comedies, and both consist of disparate stories connected almost solely by location - the former film is actually a lot of fun, whilst the latter was a terrible chore. There's a vivaciousness to the film that suggests that Allen enjoys exploring a great city on screen almost as much as he does telling a story set in that city, and that sense of discovery then infuses the story itself with new life. The quality of his trips to Paris and  Rome suggest that a change of scenery does the veteran director a world of good, so long as he doesn't hang around for too long.

Film Review: Rock Of Ages (2012)

"I sense that Xenu is near..."

Adapted from the hit show, Adam Shankman's Rock Of Ages sets itself out as a rowdy, debauched entry into that venerable cinematic tradition, the jukebox musical. Based largely at the the Bourbon Room, a dingy rock club which, despite apparently being the home of rock and roll within the universe of the film, is always on the verge of financial collapse. Over the course of a few days in 1987, the film follows the stories of people whose lives revolve in some way around the club; the girl fresh off the bus from Oklahoma (Julianne Hough) who dreams of making it as a singer; the bartender/aspiring rock star (Diego Boneta) who falls in love with her; the owner (Alec Baldwin) and his second-in-command (Russell Brand) who are trying to keep the club alive; and the puritanical busybody (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who wants to shut it down.