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Wednesday, January 30, 2013 - 7A
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ood ye'30
0 As series finale when she's watching "Lost." By
taking a step'back and not obsess-
nears, a look back at ing over it, she eventually found
him. She stood her ground at work
the best Lemonisms amid all types of adversity and
created her own flavor of loneli-
By PROMA KHOSLA , and ness where nothing could take the
RADHIKA MENON place of her best friend, food.
Daily Arts Writers "30 Rock" didn't become the
universally adored comedy that
It's been seven years since "30 Fey and her colleagues aspired to
Rock" first graced our television (think of how popular "Modern
sets, but it feels like we've had Family" is today), but the show
so little time together. One hun- completely revolutionized con-
dred and thirty six episodes just temporary comedy - especially
doesn't seem like enough time to for female characters. As audience
spend with the hilarious guest members, we could relate to Liz's
stars and sharp writing of this almost-getting-it-together per-
venerable absurdist comedy. So sona and those moments in life
little has changed in the humble, where you wake up to find the
fictitious studios of "TGS with equivalent of a waffle in your DVD
Tracy Jordan," but out here in the player. Despite the certifiably
real world, life has not been the insane parade of people in her life,
same since meeting Liz Lemon she somehow managed to never
(Tina Fey). stray far from who she is.
When Fey created what she In the same way, the rest of
hoped would be a classic, com- the cast never shied away from
mercial sitcom, she may not have embracing the bizarre caricatures
mastered the entire formula. But written for them. Jane Krakowski
what she always got right, from let Jenna over-enunciate and be
day one, were the madcap char- the worst diva imaginable; Tracy
acters that populate Studio 6H of Morgan indulged in the parody of
Rockefeller Plaza - none more his own behavior; Jack McBrayer
than the protagonist that she her- showcased his own innate nice-
self portrays. In a world fresh off ness with embellishments like
of Carrie Bradshaw's reign over Kenneth Parcell's outlandish
New York City, Liz Lemon was a country bumpkin background.
revelation. She wasn't obsessed Part of the excellence of "30
with sex and romance; she want- Rock" was the illustrious guest
ed a man who would be monoga- stars, presenting amazing and
mous but still know to shut up unprecedented performances
Rock'
from everyone from "Saturday
Night Live" alums like Chris Par-
nell to acclaimed television actors
like Jon Hamm to Oscar winners
like Octavia Spencer (as herself,
in arguably one of the best guest
appearances of the series). On
Fey's set, all actors become equals;
it looks like they have almost as
much fun joking around with her
cast as we do at home watching
the finished product.
Above all, the heart and soul of
"30 Rock" was always the strictly
platonic relationship between Liz
and Jack (Alec Baldwin). From
mentor-mentee to respected
coworkers and finally to true and
indispensable friends, they kept
the show grounded while weird-
ness erupted left, right and center.
This past Sunday, Fey and Bald-
win both received long-overdue
recognition for these roles from
their peers in the Screen Actors
Guild.
Losing Liz Lemon and her
friends after all this time feels
like moving away from all our
best friends. They'll always be
there when we need them, and we
have years of wonderful memo-
ries to look back on ... buta part of
us is missing. There will be new
friends and new shows, but no one
will ever replace Elizabeth Mier-
valdis Lemon.
The show will end and the
characters will move on, but we'll
always have 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
Blerg.
"Look at all the fucks I give
Well-crafted 'Quartet'.
full olf nostalgia
By BRIAN BURLAGE
For the Daily
Dustin Hoffman ("Meet the
Parents") can put a spark of
magic in anything. Watch his first
couple movies
and you'll see a .3-
young, passion-
ate actor poised Quartet
to ascend to the
heights of Hol- Atthe
lywood. His Michigan
more recent Weinstein
roles reveal
a man totally
confident in his ability to explore
different characters. In his inter-
views, he's. calm; On the red
carpet, he's gregarious; - In his
personal life, he's a devoted activ-
ist. Now, in his directorial debut
"Quartet," Hoffman salutes the
work of other great entertainers,
offering an inspiring glimpse into
old age.
Maggie Smith ("Harry Potter"
series) delivers a stellar perfor-
mance as Jean Horton, an aging
operatic singer who moves to the
Beecham House retirement home
to be with other musical talents.
Whileher fervor formusic andthe
opera still burns, she is reluctant
to brandish her own talent in the
company of some of her former
fellow performers. Among her
old acquaintances, and also retir-
ees at Beecham, are Cissy (Pau-
line Col
Wilfred
and ex-
Courten
lamenti
doned t
of age,
differen
the Hou
Whil
kled wit
at the s
of nost
Each re
wit that
into sha
is given
that is fi
en age
short ro
for earl
backsto:
which p
point o
the char
especial
the exci
ing their
FeG
Ma
Move
both in
dents a
pins, "Shirley Valentine"), fictional Beecham House is, in
(Billy Connolly, "Brave") reality, an old royal estate that sits
husband Reginald (Tom in the celestial English country-
ay, "The Dresser"). After side. Several camera shots of the
ng over lost love, aban- structure's faded exterior and a
alent and the challenges few scenes from different areas
the four reconcile their of the grounds add a strong visual
ces and form a quartet for dimension to the film's'only loca-
se's charity performance. tion. As for the residents, since
e "Quartet" may be sprin- they are largely restricted in
th superficial charm, it is, movement, the film focuses on
ame time, a layered story personal microcosms and exam-
algia and retrospection. ines the singular memories of
sident possesses seasoned aging musicians and performers.
t neither bites nor backs The film's signature statement
me. Each talented retiree - declaration, rather - is made
an illustrious backstory by Wilfred in a conversation he:
lled with tales of the gold- has with Reginald. The two are
of opera, recollections of talkingofart and the fruits of per-
mantic flings and praise formance as they reminisce over a
y ambition. Many of the cup of coffee. After a short break
ries intermingle, in fact, in the conversation, Wilfred,
roves to be an interesting reflects that though their talents:
f interaction for some of and careers are very different,-
acters (Jean and Reginald one thing has been made very:
ly) who hope to reawaken obvious: While Reginald is an'
tement they once felt dur- artist, Wilfred is an artisan. Wil--
r careers. fred has had to constantly work at
being talented. He's had to mold
his own way to stardom. And.
irless Sm ith what's truly beautiful about this
sentiment - what makes it ring
it it again, true time and again throughout
the film - is that no matter how
far we've strayed from who we
might have been in the past, we'll
ment plays a key role - always have the things we love in
terms of the retired resi- the present to help us shape who
nd in the film itself. The we want to be in the future.
TVcommercils are about
to get a whole lot smarter
By JULIAN AIDAN to co
Daily Arts Writer of an
Picture this: You're hungover,
stumbling out of bed to get your
post-bender coffee while face-
paint, hair dye and last night's
drinks cling to your shirt like
that weird girl in the too-small.
nurse costume did last night.
What greets your half-closed
eyes as you seek sobering sol-
ace in "Law & Order" reruns?
Overly enthusiastic failed
actors with tacked-on smiles
trying to sell you everything
from male enhancement pills to
Bratz dolls. It's enough to make
you chuck your mug of liquid
redemption through the screen.
Commercials are, by and
large, annoying and irrelevant.
Depending on what you watch
and when you watch it, you
could see everything from a
commercial for unicorn slip-
pers to a 1-900 number sex line,
sometimes back-to-back. Con-
gress graciously turned com-
mercials down to save us from
doing it ourselves, but the con-
tent - the sometimes bleak,
sometimes cheery, sometimes
so-sweet-you-want-to-puke
content - hasn't changed. Yet.
You're watching "Despi-
cable Me" on ABC Family. Just
as (SPOILER ALERT) Gru is
about to steal the moon, it cuts
carryi
the s
it says
again,
tion:I
mersO
ABC F
Tha
found
advert
your c
or lo
histor
Googl
gadge
peopl
didn't
Ad
mmercial. A grainy shot invasiveness, this, along with
unhappy-looking woman Comcast's viewing choice-rec-
ng buckets of water fills ognizing camera and Google's
creen. FarmersOnly.com, room-watching Google TV,
. You'll never farm alone means that if you don't feel like
it says, begging the ques- having Joe Jonas serenade you
Who the fuck does Far- every time "Archer" cuts to
)nly.com think watches commercial, it would probably
amily? be in your best interest to take
nkfully, tech giants have down that poster hanging above
a better way to direct your bed.
tising. Not unlike tracking It's not to say that commer-
ookies on your computer cials aren't necessary for TV
oking at your browsing stations or for online" media
y, Verizon, Comcast and channels like YouTube and
e have patented a few new Hulu. Some online options are
ts to better sell things allowing viewers to watch a
e don't need to people who longer commercial prior to an
think they wanted them. episode as opposed to watch-
ing several small ones in tradi-
tional television broadcasting
vertisements style. As interactivity between
the consumer and the adver-
'ust xwant tiser increases, it seems that (at
least online) the advertisement
to be your watcher is slowly gaining more
control over when and what he
friend., or she gets to see.
The age of improved direct-
ed advertising is coming rap-
idly. In many ways, it already
st recently, Verizon pat- exists online. As our televisions
a DVR that essentially become more and more similar
on the customer. It can to computers, who's to say that
and listen to everything in a few, years your hangover
on in the room it's putt coffee with a double shot of
stensibly to better direct shame won't be accompanied
tising. Bordering on some by Advil and Plan B advertise-
sly Big Brother-style ments?
ARE YOU OR ARE YOU HAPPY ABOUT J.J.
ABRAMS DIRECTING "STAR WARS"?
MAD If so, see left for application information.
ABOUTJ.J.
ABRAMS
DIRECTING
THE NEW
"STAR
WARS"
MOVIE?
IF SO, YOU
SHOULD WRITE
FOR DAILY
ARTS!
E-mail arts@
michigandaily.
com to request
an application.
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Michigan Union I Art Lounge 1ist Floor
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ented
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