The Sound And The "Fury" Of Spoofs

Originally released this summer but new to Netflix, "Kung Fury" is a welcome blast to and from the past. This short, action-packed parody has more '80s-centric details than you can fit into a DeLorean.

Deliberate VHS image quality and over-the-top, arcade-style effects? Check. Melodramatic dialogue and period-specific choices, right down to the fonts and title screens? Check. The authentic original soundtrack (with a contribution from David Hasselhoff, no less) literally sounds like it was sent to us from the past. Possibly the best 30 minutes you'll see this year!

New TV Shows Try To Make The Grade

Have you met the freshman class of the 2015-16 TV season? As we approach the halfway point of their first year on the air, think of the following reviews as these shows' mid-term report cards. Who's going to the head of the class and who's going to need extra credit? Keep reading for the verdict so far! There may or may not be a quiz later... ;)

"Scream Queens" (Fox)
Subject: Sociology
Premise: The friends and foes of a popular sorority are targeted by a masked serial killer who is connected to a secret from the school's past.
Episodes: 9 [out of 13 scheduled]
Evaluation: The latest offering from "Glee" and "American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy splits the difference between those two disparate genres. Never entirely funny or scary, this biting send-up of college horror tropes works better when it brazenly defies expectations than when it rehashes the same cliches it tries so earnestly to subvert. There's some truly inspired slang and dialogue that miraculously slips past the network censors, while a brilliantly-cast Jamie Lee Curtis (as the ambitious dean) steals the show from its talented ensemble. The opening credits alone are worth a watch. However, it remains to be seen whether this anthology-in-the-making has enough guts to survive until its next installment.
Grade: B-

"Quantico" (ABC)
Subject: Current Events
Premise: A dedicated FBI recruit pieces together the events that transpired between her training at the academy and a New York City bombing for which she is being framed.
Episodes: 8 [out of 22 scheduled]
Evaluation: A diverse and well-rounded cast -- combined with fast-paced storytelling and an unflinching look at the roots and effects of terrorism -- rank this series among the better fall debuts. Don't be fooled by the pretty young recruits; they've done an outstanding job of portraying the complexities of suspicious human nature. What sets "Quantico" above its soapy counterparts is its willingness to make the characters (and the audience) question the people and the world around them. Sure, there's enough relationship drama and inner turmoil to fuel a lesser show, but every interaction from a glance to a tryst makes you second-guess who's manipulating who. At the rate it's going, the show is a puzzle that will demand repeat viewings to see how its intricate pieces fall into place.
Grade: A-

"The Muppets" (ABC)
Subject: Arts & Crafts
Premise: All the puppets you know and love are back in a workplace mockumentary set in and around Miss Piggy's late-night talk show.
Episodes: 8 [out of 16 scheduled]
Evaluation: The trademark humor and heart of the characters are in full effect... even if the voice acting doesn't quite match the high standards of its original run. It's also a blast to see how their personalities fit (or don't) at work and in relationships -- a more developed concept than their variety show origins and movie adventures. The first season was always intended to have a shorter run (likely due to the technical demands of all the puppetry), but worrisome reports have surfaced that the show will be retooled mid-season amid creative differences between its producers. If it's not broke, don't fix it -- especially at the risk of ruining a bright spot in an otherwise dull sitcom line-up.
Grade: B


"Supergirl" (CBS)
Subject: Physics
Premise: Superman's cousin Kara uses her powers to help National City while trying to avoid comparisons to and reliance on the Man of Steel.
Episodes: 5 [out of 13 scheduled; full-season order is pending]
Evaluation: It's not a bird or a plane, and it's not living up to its potential. Good news: the show has a strong feminist spine, and starting with Kara as an adult prevents drawing parallels to the last Super-related, coming-of-age saga ("Smallville"). Bad news: the show can't decide what it wants to be. Is it a dramedy about purpose or a sci-fi procedural? It's hard to take it seriously when the tone is so uneven. The villain-of-the-week angle is already tired, and the special effects could use some help as well. At least the cast is capable and appealing -- particularly Calista Flockhart's deliciously driven Cat Grant (this show's answer to Perry White) -- but it'll take a lot more than good intentions to keep this one in the air.
Grade: C+

What Would Janet Do?

Whatever happened to the girl who assumed control of her life and her career? The one who united all of us as one nation under rhythm and who taught us how love goes? After a lengthy hiatus, it's official: Janet Jackson is back.

As a longtime fan, I'm confident enough to concede that Jackson's last great album from start to finish was 1997's deep confessional jam "The Velvet Rope." Her last good album was 2001's free-spirited and eclectic "All For You," and her last above-average album was 2004's post-Super Bowl mea culpa "Damita Jo." Since then, 2006's "20 Y.O." and 2008's "Discipline" both had a few standout cuts, but after the artistic triumph of "Velvet," the ratio of foundation-to-filler on each subsequent album has gradually reversed. Critics are eager to point to her infamous halftime show as the tipping point between "good Janet" and "bad Janet," but that is hardly accurate or fair. Jackson's musical output of late was perhaps hardest-hit by shifting trends in the recording industry.

While Jackson has always owned her sexuality and rightfully empowered others to do the same, it started (intentionally or not) taking center stage in her lyrics. Her music became less about saying something meaningful and more about copying what others were already saying -- alas, not without awkwardness. Consider her 2008 single "Feedback": there is actually a lyric that says, "My swag is serious/Heavy like a first-day period." Such a declaration is beyond ridiculous to type out let alone sing aloud, but perhaps most offensive is that it's so far beneath her usual manner of coy, come-hither lines that used to entice body AND brain. While we don't have to regress all the way back to the innocence of classics like "Let's Wait Awhile" and "Come Back To Me," at least that initial longing matured nicely into sultry hits like "You Want This" and "I Get Lonely" before derailing into that land of TMI somewhere along the way.

Adding to a recipe that was approaching disaster was her (and everyone else's) increased use of processed vocals. As if we needed any reminders that Janet is from a famous music family, more than a few tracks went as far as making her sound a little too much like Michael for anyone's liking. Even worse was the inclusion of obligatory rap segments from guest artists, which are fine as long as they add a new layer or unique dimension to the song. Many of these attempts featured bigger names like Kanye West, Khia, and Nelly, but they failed to mesh with Jackson's genre-hopping and also pulled focus away from her -- simply because a lot of the popular singles at the time were using that formula. For a moment or two, such phoned-in methods may have caused her pop-royalty crown to slip. A recent analysis in "Flavorwire" brilliantly summarized how Jackson's late-'80s/early-'90s heyday involved her setting the trends instead of following them. While my own take on her recent efforts suggests that she's guilty of the latter, allow me to make a case for her exoneration.

As her first album in seven years, "Unbreakable" is simultaneously Jackson's return to form and a mission statement about her legacy as a pop icon. Clearly, the downtime has been good for her to refresh and focus. Right away, it's difficult not to be struck by the regal, majestic air of the cover art, which is a welcome thematic statement when compared to the scantily-clad (a.k.a. been-there, done-that) nature of her previous four albums' artwork. There's a good mix of styles represented among the album's 17 songs: the gentle inspiration of the title track, the trip-hop tinge of "Damn Baby," and even the classic-rock flourishes of "Well Traveled." In her grand tradition of releasing albums with higher track counts (often increased by a handful of spoken word interludes), Jackson more than gives us our money's worth with 16 new songs and only one interlude -- in contrast with today's average album length of 10 to 12 songs.

Unlike her more scattered collections, everything on "Unbreakable" adheres to its central messages of strength, resilience, and progress -- even when it's telling you the best thing you can do for yourself is let down your guard and have a little fun. "Burnitup," her dynamite collaboration with fellow R&B superstar Missy Elliott, is the most uptempo of these songs to capture that positive spirit. Though Elliott and the album's other contributor J. Cole could be classified under my earlier claim of obligatory guest-spots, they succeed in finding a more natural fit within their respective songs and the overall vibe of the album. More than anything, I'm just glad to hear Jackson's voice again. Her own voice, not distorted or auto-tuned on every track, is actually allowed to breathe and flourish. As light as her vocals can be, she does sound more confident -- especially given the industry's current make-or-break demand for vocal prowess that separates the wheat of Adele and Gaga from the chaff of countless imitators-in-waiting.

"Unbreakable" succeeds in large part because its strings are invisible. Yes, it has a lot in common with Jackson's mid-career highlights, but it's not trying too hard or forcing itself to achieve those same degrees of relevance. Instead, the album simply exists as a record of what this absence from the spotlight has taught her and allows the listener to sit back and experience its wisdom. Songs like the lilting "Shoulda Known Better" may seem too straightforward or even lackluster on the surface, but it comes down to what they mean to Jackson and why she chose to record and include them. It's worth mentioning that this is Janet's first album since Michael's passing, and the lessons from that loss echo through the album's several contemplative ballads. Ultimately, "Unbreakable" is a powerful tool to reconnect with her fans and explore her inner self in a truly transparent way. Jackson is one of the few remaining pop stars who has resisted manufacturing her image. Cultural descendants like Beyonce and Rihanna don't always delve as deeply into discussions about race, gender, sexuality, politics, or personal identity through their own music. However, they will be forever indebted to Jackson's uncanny ability to take even the most controversial topics and make them both palatable and danceable at the same time.

Jackson herself has admitted that part of her time away was spent evaluating the future of her career and her role in the music industry. As far as I'm concerned, she will always have a place in pop culture... as long as she continues to play her cards right and responsibly wields her ongoing influence.

Returning TV Shows Flex Their Staying Power

Like any relationship, the ones that we have with our favorite (or former favorite) TV shows can be complicated. Some of them are great and have no drama whatsoever beyond what we expect on the screen. Some of them we begrudgingly continue to watch -- no matter how ridiculous they get -- because we keep thinking they'll improve and/or finally reveal the big payoff that's been promised since they started. And, of course, some of them we finally convince ourselves to stop watching cold-turkey and never look back, regardless of how many friends keep insisting, "It's getting good again, I promise!"

Many of my own preferred TV shows are several seasons into their run, so lately I've been taking an honest look at how I'm spending my viewing time. Who's still got the mojo and who's heading for a Hulu break-up? My incredibly scientific scale weighs how long each series has been on the air against their pros and cons before assigning their staying power on a scale from 1 to 5... 1 being "I won't be surprised if this is your last season" and 5 being "I won't be offended if lots of people want to see you." Trust me: it's for our own good!

"South Park" (Comedy Central)
Premise: Four young boys see the world through the lens of their quirky, misguided small town.
Seasons: 19
Pros: The show will never run out of fresh material thanks to society's unlimited supply of satirical targets.
Cons: Hardly any, though inconsistent network standards censor certain episodes but not others, dampening the brilliance of the show's message and impact.
Staying Power = 5

"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Premise: Four highly intelligent, science-oriented friends have a lot to learn about life and love.
Seasons: 9
Pros: The show is still a destination for elaborately constructed, highbrow dialogue and great guest stars from the realms of classic comedy and nerd culture.
Cons: Character development has been sacrificed for the sake of preserving running jokes that stopped being funny years ago. Let these guys grow up already... even if it's just a little bit!
Staying Power = 2.5

"Modern Family" (ABC)
Premise: A fake documentary chronicles the well-meaning misadventures of an extended family.
Seasons: 7
Pros: A formidably funny ensemble cast and the rarity of its nuanced, blink-and-you'll-miss-it non-verbal humor keep the laughs coming long past their prime.
Cons: Young actors will inevitably get older, but in this case, their increased screen presence and still-developing talent slows down the whip-smart pace of this otherwise solid farce.
Staying Power = 3

"Scandal" (ABC)
Premise: A high-profile D.C. fixer (and former White House staffer) juggles the demands of her firm with the lingering secrets of the current administration.
Seasons: 5
Pros: Much like its network companion "How To Get Away With Murder," this is a show with a diverse cast that isn't afraid to tackle current events and social issues, all without being preachy. Creator Shonda Rhimes is merciless (in the best possible way) with plot twists and cliffhangers.
Cons: While it has rebounded nicely from the soapier, melodramatic antics and underused main characters that weakened previous seasons, the temptation to place too much focus on the central love triangle could cause the show to fizzle out before its time.
Staying Power = 4.5

"Once Upon A Time" (ABC)
Premise: A curse brings all of the famous storybook characters into the real world.
Seasons: 5
Pros: Increasingly few, but memorable performances can still be found in the dual roles of Regina/The Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) and Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle).
Cons: The show used to subvert fairy-tale characters and situations to clever effect; now it seems to merely shove together as many unrelated characters as possible and force a connection among them. Not to mention that its once-promising non-linear narrative has fractured itself into too many timelines and settings for even an experienced viewer to keep track.
Staying Power = 1

"Homeland" (Showtime)
Premise: A bipolar CIA agent solves international cases while trying to hide her condition.
Seasons: 5
Pros: The show remains a phenomenal acting showcase for leads Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin. Despite uneven storytelling, the shifts of power in their mentoring relationship are still compelling to watch.
Cons: Since the finale of its third season, which tied up the majority of its original plotlines, the show has essentially rebooted itself twice for its fourth and now its (current) fifth season -- losing touch with its initial sources of dramatic tension along the way.
Staying Power = 2

"Supernatural" (The CW)
Premise: Two brothers travel cross-country to battle the forces of darkness.
Seasons: 11
Pros: The long-running series winks at itself through self-aware, meta moments like the book-series-within-the-show about the show's events and its acknowledgement of the various segments of its own fan base and genre.
Cons: There will always be "new" monsters, but the show's core mythology of good vs. evil/angels vs. demons/heaven vs. hell has nearly exhausted itself. Only one credible story thread -- the identity and whereabouts of God, who is often referenced but never seen -- remains unexplored.
Staying Power = 1.5

"The Good Wife" (CBS)
Premise: The wife of a disgraced politician finds success and identity on her own terms.
Seasons: 7
Pros: This is one of the finest dramas on television, with fully-formed characters and truly realistic performances across the board. The juxtaposition of the title character's personal and professional life is a master-class in how to write, develop, and sustain subplots between episodes and entire seasons.
Cons: The departure of two beloved main characters in the last two years has taken its toll (both personally and dramatically), leaving fans to question how the show's endgame will eventually play out.
Staying Power = 4

"If" There's A Better Musical, "Then" I Haven't Seen It

Stop me if you've heard this one before: a career-minded young woman makes a split-second, seemingly innocuous decision that ends up creating two very divergent possibilities for her future. If you're thinking about the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow film "Sliding Doors," you're on the right track... but I'm actually describing the 2014 Idina Menzel musical "If/Then," which launched its national tour in Denver last month.

On the surface, it's easy to see the parallels between the two. You could swap the setting of London and making or missing the subway in "Sliding Doors" with New York and deciding which circle of friends to spend the day with in "If/Then." However, it's a disservice to both of these works to characterize them based solely on the similarities of their premise. While the former offers whimsy and romantic comedy, the latter is deeply rooted in emotional honesty -- something missing from many of today's big Broadway productions. "If/Then" is everything that a stage show should be and the best of both worlds: the joy and bombast of a musical with the resonance and maturity of a play. The show doesn't shy away from controversial, hot-button elements like homosexuality and abortion, yet it doesn't treat them with tokenism; they are ingrained aspects of the story rather than gimmicks to grab attention. "If/Then" isn't afraid to ask the big questions about life's volleys between fate and coincidence, but it satisfyingly settles for not having all of the answers.

Part of why I'm so impressed with this particular show is that its creators' previous stage project, "Next To Normal," was a highly lauded affair that never sat well with me. Despite multiple Tony award wins and even a Pulitzer Prize, I never felt its acclaim was worthy of the uneven production that was presented. Yes, the show was groundbreaking in its depiction of the main character's bipolar disorder -- such heavy subject matter isn't traditionally fodder for a Broadway musical -- but to me, the show itself was atonal, discordant, and unsettling. It's what would happen if someone took a promising art-house film and shoehorned a bunch of unremarkable, rock-inflected songs into it.

"If/Then," meanwhile, is the polar (pun intended?) opposite of its predecessor. The show has a palpable energy and spirit; it's not just going through the motions of a pretty but empty production. Its goal is to impact the lives of its audience members, even in the smallest ways, through story and song. Even more notable is how difficult it can be to find a truly original production these days that isn't a revival or a direct adaptation from another medium. The music propels the story forward courtesy of its forthright, unfiltered lyrics, while the book sounds like how people actually talk (profanity and all) without being too stagy. Perhaps most importantly, "If/Then" avoids the missteps of several modern shows by rebuking the pandering trend of jukebox musicals, which often fall into the trap of being little more than greatest-hits albums with dialogue. It manages to succeed on its own merits rather than accumulating the bulk of its running time from someone else's material.

In a rare move that prevents "If/Then" from becoming anyone else's too quickly, Denver's launch of the show's tour featured all of its original leads. Naturally, the major draw is Menzel -- after all, the show was written specifically for her. It's hard to imagine anyone other than her in the role of Elizabeth since the script and the songs are so tailored to the mannerisms of both her speaking voice and her singing voice. As the plots separate, she goes by Liz in one storyline and Beth in the other (a helpful device to keep the audience on-track during some of the quicker scene-changes). However, it's not just the Liz & Beth show. She is joined by three other established Broadway stars -- James Snyder, Anthony Rapp (of "Rent" fame), and LaChanze, a Tony-winner for "The Color Purple" -- as her love interest, an old friend, and a new friend, respectively. All four of these dynamic performers have created incredibly well-rounded characters who don't always say or do what you think they will. The momentum is further driven by sharp dialogue full of realistic observations (ex. "We both know love doesn't make us perfect. It just makes us want to be.") and an ingenious level of pacing that seamlessly transitions back and forth between the storylines.

Through Elizabeth's career path as a city planner, New York itself becomes a character as well. The parallels between building space and building a new life are cleverly interwoven without ever being heavy-handed or ham-fisted. For a musical with such big ambitions and production values, "If/Then" feels unusually small and focused -- a tremendous compliment given that the show's message remains intact despite everything else that transpires on the stage. Ironically, none of these songs could really stand on their own or hold up as breakaway hits like certain Broadway standards have done over the years. Because all of the songs tell important parts of a larger story, it seems counterproductive to expect them to succeed independently from the show. Case in point: when Menzel performed at Red Rocks this summer, she sang "Always Starting Over," her big solo number from the second act of "If/Then." As well as she did with the song in a concert setting, there was something infinitely more enriching about seeing what led up to that moment in the show as well as what followed, rather than seeing it out of context.

Make no mistake: all of the songs in "If/Then" are beautifully arranged and are impeccably rendered by each of the actors. From the humorous and insightful "What The Fuck?" to the spiraling, dialectic tension of the push-pull "I Hate You" (which perfectly encapsulates the warring emotions of a couple facing a turning point), the show hits the bullseye on all of its comedic and dramatic targets. Menzel is often defined by her larger-than-life voice, but there are so many intimate, poignant moments here that allow her to shine. She knows that it takes more than just sounding good; the audience has to feel what you're singing about. My eyes welled up with tears as she slowly spun a single lyric (no spoilers!) into the past tense, instantly breaking hearts and causing gasps and sniffles across the stunned audience. She along with her fellow cast members went for every beat with gusto without ever overdoing it or overpowering the critical moments. Rapp in particular has come a long way from his plaintively emo days in "Rent" and turned in a rich vocal effort from start to finish. Needless to say, I haven't been this deeply affected by a musical in a LONG time! If you can't attend one of its performances in New York or while it continues to tour, you owe it to yourself to at least listen to the original cast recording as a viable substitute.

Though the award recognition -- Tony and Drama Desk nominations for the score and for Menzel but no wins -- was disproportionate to the show's caliber, "If/Then" can take solace in the immeasurable way that it touches its viewers. No amount of awards can replace that kind of genuine connection. The show's recurring themes and metaphors about navigating the unknown and the unexpected in life reinforce the lasting surprise that such significance can still be realized on today's increasingly busy stage.