Rob Reiner:"Misery" (1990)

Adapted from a Stephen King novel, Rob Reiner's Misery cast James Caan as a writer at a career crossroads. The film opens with Paul Sheldon (Caan) completing work on his latest novel, a break from his popular series of novels featuring the character Misery Chastain. He gets into a severe car accident and is saved by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a reclusive woman who nurses him back to health. Annie is a huge fan of the Misery novels, and she finishes reading the new one while Paul is convalescing. She becomes enraged when she discovers that Paul has killed off Misery. Annie injures Paul's foot severely so that he is unable to leave her house, and forces him to write a new Misery novel. A local sheriff (Richard Farnsworth) and Paul's agent (Lauren Bacall) both attempt to track down what happened to the missing author. Misery shot the relatively unknown Kathy Bates to stardom, winning her one of the few Best Actress Oscars ever bestowed for portraying an evil character.

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Smashing Pumpkins:"Siamese Dream" (1993)

While Gish had placed the Smashing Pumpkins on the "most promising artist" list for many, troubles were threatening to break the band apart. Singer/guitarist/leader Billy Corgan was battling a severe case of writer's block and was in a deep state of depression brought on by a relationship in turmoil; drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was addicted to hard drugs; and bassist D'Arcy and guitarist James Iha severed their romantic relationship. The sessions for their sophomore effort, Siamese Dream, were wrought with friction -- Corgan eventually played almost all the instruments himself (except for percussion). Some say strife and tension produces the best music, and it certainly helped make Siamese Dream one of the finest alt-rock albums of all time. Instead of following Nirvana's punk rock route, Siamese Dream went in the opposite direction -- guitar solos galore, layered walls of sound courtesy of the album's producers (Butch Vig and Corgan), extended compositions that bordered on prog rock, plus often reflective and heartfelt lyrics. The four tracks that were selected as singles became alternative radio standards -- the anthems "Cherub Rock," "Today," and "Rocket," plus the symphonic ballad "Disarm" -- but as a whole, Siamese Dream proved to be an incredibly consistent album. Such compositions as the red-hot rockers "Quiet" and "Geek U.S.A." were standouts, as were the epics "Hummer," "Soma," and "Silverfuck," plus the soothing sounds of "Mayonaise," "Spaceboy," and "Luna." After the difficult recording sessions, Corgan stated publicly that if Siamese Dream didn't achieve breakthrough success, he would end the band. He didn't have to worry for long -- the album debuted in the Billboard Top Ten and sold more than four million copies in three years. Siamese Dream stands alongside Nevermind and Superunknown as one of the decade's finest (and most influential) rock albums.

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Ridley Scott:"Blade Runner" (1982)

A blend of science fiction and noir detective fiction, Blade Runner (1982) was a box office and critical bust upon its initial exhibition, but its unique postmodern production design became hugely influential within the sci-fi genre, and the film gained a significant cult following that increased its stature. Harrison Ford stars as Rick Deckard, a retired cop in Los Angeles circa 2019. L.A. has become a pan-cultural dystopia of corporate advertising, pollution and flying automobiles, as well as replicants, human-like androids with short life spans built by the Tyrell Corporation for use in dangerous off-world colonization. Deckard's former job in the police department was as a talented blade runner, a euphemism for detectives that hunt down and assassinate rogue replicants. Called before his one-time superior (M. Emmett Walsh), Deckard is forced back into active duty. A quartet of replicants led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) has escaped and headed to Earth, killing several humans in the process. After meeting with the eccentric Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel), creator of the replicants, Deckard finds and eliminates Zhora (Joanna Cassidy), one of his targets. Attacked by another replicant, Leon (Brion James), Deckard is about to be killed when he's saved by Rachael (Sean Young), Tyrell's assistant and a replicant who's unaware of her true nature. In the meantime, Batty and his replicant pleasure model lover, Pris (Darryl Hannah) use a dying inventor, J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson) to get close to Tyrell and murder him. Deckard tracks the pair to Sebastian's, where a bloody and violent final confrontation between Deckard and Batty takes place on a skyscraper rooftop high above the city. In 1992, Ridley Scott released a popular director's cut that removed Deckard's narration, added a dream sequence, and excised a happy ending imposed by the results of test screenings; these legendary behind-the-scenes battles were chronicled in a 1996 tome, Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner by Paul M. Sammon.

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Loretta Lynn:"Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)" (1967)

The title track was one of those defining songs for Loretta Lynn, not only one of the best but one of the most likeable country & western artists. She bats one home run after another in these vocals, singing her brains out and coming across as totally convincing in each role she takes on. The cynical "I Got Caught" is one of her finer originals, while she also has the knack of picking covers that suit her perfectly, such as "The Shoe Goes on the Other Foot Tonight" by the underrated Buddy Mize. No country fan will mind that she covers a number by her old sidekick, Ernest Tubb. Then there's the pickers who came along for the ride, totally tearing it up. The series of lead guitar/pedal steel interchanges that run through this album are certainly more attractive than the Nashville freeway system, and definitely contributed more to 20th century civilization. Lynn would later record the song "You're Lookin' at Country," and that pretty much sums up the view of this mighty lady. This here is stone-cold country, and it doesn't get much better.

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The Vaccines:"What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?" (2011)

The Vaccines suffer the slings and arrows of those who consider the well-heeled rockers fake indie, a criticism that has dogged bands long before the Strokes, who do seem to have been a pivotal group in this London band’s life. Still, those critics do have a point: The Vaccines' debut, titled What Did You Expect from the Vaccines? with a self-satisfied shrug, does bear the air of studied affectation, the bandmembers lazily splicing their favorite record collection together into a cool droning pulse. It’s plainly lifestyle music for Young Turks who need a soundtrack for their disengagement yet are too worried to play something that alienates for fear that they just may not get laid. What Did You Expect has just enough style to attract suitors of either sex but its attraction is shallow and fleeting, pasted together from other, better familiar elements stretching from the Arctic Monkeys to the Smiths and the Jesus and Mary Chain. It’s style for miles and miles unencumbered by hooks and accentuated by an attitude that carefully practices disdain for its audience, so if you’re not inclined to buy into their gait there’s not much reason to stick around.

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Rian Johnson:"Looper" (2012)

A hired gun from the future discovers that his greatest adversary is himself in this twisting sci-fi mindbender starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom). In the year 2047 time travel has yet to be invented. Thirty years later, however, it has. Though immediately outlawed, time-travel technology is quickly appropriated by the mob, and used to cleanly dispose of anyone deemed a threat. The process is simple: When the mob wants someone to disappear, they simply send them back to the year 2047, where an assassin known as a "looper" quickly carries out the hit, and disposes of the body. Joe Simmons (Gordon-Levitt) is one of the most respected loopers around. Each kill earns him a big payday, and he's got big plans to retire to France. Then, one day, as Joe patiently awaits the appearance of his next target near the edge of a remote corn field, he's shocked to come face-to-face with his future self (Bruce Willis). When the younger Joe hesitates, the older Joe makes a daring escape. Now, in order to avoid the wrath of his underworld boss (Jeff Daniels), young Joe must "close the loop" and kill his older counterpart. Meanwhile, the revelation that a powerful crime boss in the future has set the underworld ablaze pits the two Joes on a violent collision course, with the fate of a devoted mother (Emily Blunt) and her young son hanging in the balance. Paul Dano and Piper Perabo co-star.

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Homeland

Plot

After American troops raid a terrorist compound in the Middle East, they discover Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Lewis), a marine who has been missing and presumed dead for eight years. Though returning home to his loving family and a national hero’s welcome, obsessive CIA agent Carrie Mathison (Danes) isn’t so sure. Having previously received intelligence which suggested that an American prisoner of war had been turned, Carrie believes Brody is a traitor secretly working for Al-Qaeda, and together with her mentor, veteran CIA officer Saul Berenson (Patinkin), she sets out to prove it…

Review

Despite being developed by writers known for their work on 24, Homeland isn’t another fast-paced action ride full of explosions, shootouts and interrogation torture. Okay, so some of these ingredients are present, but Showtime’s conspiracy-flavoured terrorism series is actually a superior psychological thriller, more concerned with secrets, lies and surveillance. Based on Israeli show Prisoners Of War, it’s an addictive and refreshingly intelligent story which has become a deservedly huge hit, thanks to its morish blend of tense spy thrills, compelling human drama and a riveting central concept.
Yes, for all Homeland’s numerous qualities, it’s the ambiguous mystery surrounding whether Brody has turned or not which drives and informs the series. Persuading us back and forth each episode via a number of brilliantly executed red herrings, one week we’re convinced he’s a sleeper agent and the next we’re sure he’s merely suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s a fantastic core premise, and one which is explored in a number of interesting and exciting (yet utterly plausible) ways. Sure, it’s hard to see the concept stretching beyond one season (surely there’s no show once we know if he’s been turned?), yet the terrific finale simultaneously provides us with a great climax while setting up the already eagerly-awaited second season in a surprisingly credible manner.
Elevating the drama even higher is a couple of magnificent central performances. As the man at the centre of the mystery, the always-impressive Damian Lewis offers some incredible acting throughout (see him in the bunker during the finale), at once unsettling, sympathetic and – rather crucially – impossible to pin down. Likewise, Claire Danes is outstanding as the committed CIA officer (who, in a nice twist, keeps a debilitating mental illness concealed by medication), providing further proof of her absolute quality (this writer cannot think of a better screen actress) and more puzzlement as to why her career never sky-rocketed after Romeo & Juliet. Elsewhere, the support is great from Morena Baccarin (as Brody’s wife), British actor David Harewood (doing a convincing American accent) and, especially, Mandy Patinkin (as a veteran spook), whilst it’s also great to see David Marciano (Ray from Due South!) back on a prime-time show.

Verdict

A superior conspiracy thriller, Homeland is a compelling blend of tense spy thrills, moving human drama and a riveting central mystery. Now bring on season two…

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