 Image c/o FX By Matthew Colvin Entertainment Columnist In the absence of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” the long-running fantasy epic television series that concluded its eight-season run in 2019, modern TV has been sorely lacking any sort of analogous show of similar scale or grandeur. FX’s new historical drama series “Shogun,” created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, finally scratches that itch in striking, often visually arresting fashion.
Of course, to boil this series down to a “Game of Thrones” clone would be to do it a massive disservice. “Shogun” is very much its own story; while “Thrones” delved into an alternate fantasy world of dragons and ice zombies, “Shogun” keeps its specific flavor of violent political maneuverings grounded in a keen sense of historical accuracy at all times. The series is based on the 1975 historical fiction novel of the same name by James Clavell, taking place in feudal Japan in the year 1600. It follows a trio of vastly different, but equally important main characters; Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a cunning and ambitious Japanese lord who must use his wits to survive when the rest of the nation turns against him; Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a highborn woman and translator loyal to Toranaga; and audience surrogate John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), an English sailor who washes up on Japan’s shores in the middle of this time of unrest and must find a way to survive in an unfamiliar and unforgiving land. These three characters and their intersecting perspectives on the events of the story make up “Shogun’s” most powerful storytelling weapon, and their individual narratives are more than enough to keep the series compelling from start to finish. Combined with the rest of the show’s robust and well-performed ensemble, “Shogun” boasts one of the best casts of characters I’ve seen on television in some time. The acting is top-notch across the board as well and rarely falters, and I must give particular credit to Sawai for bringing an unprecedented degree of both pathos and quiet strength to her role as Mariko. “Shogun’s” story, while as complex and multifaceted as one would expect from such an ambitious production trying to tell a story of political manipulation, never becomes over-complicated or difficult to follow. It balances the inner lives of its characters and the growing cold war in Japan extremely resourcefully, and the thematic language of the narrative ties all of the disparate parts together with extraordinary grace. The cinematic language doesn’t lag behind, either. “Shogun” is the most expensive series in FX’s history - it knows it - and by the time the credits roll on any given episode, it’ll make sure you know it too. The visuals are consistently stunning, from gorgeously detailed CG renderings of feudal Osaka to the innumerable, exquisitely detailed practical sets and costumes the show employs. Combined with immersive and often quite clever cinematography, “Shogun” never for a moment stops being an utterly transportive visual experience. There’s a great deal more I could say about this series, but to spoil it at all would be unfair to any reader when I could instead simply give it my highest tier of recommendation. “Shogun” is one of the best pieces of television of recent years, and if you haven’t watched it already, I highly suggest you go give it a shot.
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 Image C/O Amazon MGM Studios By Andrew Martinez Cabrera Associate Editor If you’re unfortunate enough to be on X as much as I am, then you know that there’s a constant debate about the need for sex scenes in movies overall. To engage it in any matter is to engage in a Sisyphean struggle, but it’s important to detail here because of the nature of Luca Guadagnino’s latest film, “Challengers,” and its engagement with sex.
An article in The Economist revealed that the top 250 movies since 2000 have had sexual content decrease by 40%. Look at social media in general and the sentiment around younger generations is vehemently anti-sex in media, almost Puritan-like, of course without religious sentiments influencing their feelings towards sexual content in their media. Yet “Challengers,” a film that details three tennis players at various points in their careers and their on-and-off, adulterous/polyamorous relationship, is a film whose primary audience seemingly is Gen Z. It’s a fair assumption to make when you cast Zendaya as your lead star. But while sex is a prevalent theme, and “Challengers” has a fair share of sex scenes, it’s relatively tame. Perhaps the semantic argument is that it’s less intensely erotically charged and more sensual. “Challengers” follows Tashi, a once-promising tennis player who suffered a life-altering injury during a match, who coaches her husband Art (Mike Faist) and enters him in a low-effort tennis match called a Challenger. What they don’t know is that their old friend and newfound enemy, Patrick (Josh O’Connor), is the competition. What was once supposed to be an easy (ego) victory turns into a personal fight as if it were bearing the same stakes as a Wimbledon match. “Challengers'' switches back and forth between various timelines, detailing Patrick and Art’s young dual-tennis career, Tashi and Art’s time at Stanford, and their modern-day relationship in 2019. Each temporal point details a pivotal step in the dissolution of friendships, the halting of their professional careers, and the moment of sensual release. However, these moments of release are communicated mostly through the act of tennis itself. “Tennis is an amazing sport to think about a love triangle because it’s so deeply charged erotically,” said screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes. He adds “[It’s] steeped in repression, but also in wild abandon.” Guadagnino employs these sports moments cinematically while the sex scenes represent a form of repression. An especially comical scene between Zendaya and Josh O'Connor illustrates these relationships the best in that their sex (basically composed of half-naked bodies making out) is cut short because they’re too busy arguing about tennis. All the while, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’ techno-club score pulsates as the camera whip pans between the two players. In the absence of tennis being depicted in this aforementioned scene, sex becomes superimposed onto the sport itself. The sex scenes' cinematic language is relatively tame as opposed to the tennis moment’s unparalleled kinetic energy. It’s over-the-top, akin to an anime-style montage. Thematically too, Tashi bounces back and forth between both of its male protagonists, still participating in tennis even after she can’t athletically perform it anymore. Their bodies become moments of singled-out events during these tennis matches, sweating profusely into the camera lens, the slowed-motion movement of the racket swinging, then pummeled to the floor in a moment of anger – tension released dramatically. At the end of a match, two men hug so hard they fall to the ground. Sex bleeds into their sport. The only time the cinematic language transfers over is an overhead shot during the climatic final match scene. In its current cultural climate, “Challengers” becomes a pseudo-Hays Code film, harkening to Sirkian melodramas, where Hollywood imposed its own censorship rules, and filmmakers had to come up with creative ways to insinuate rather than depict. “Challengers” doesn’t have any restrictions to abide by, but somewhat reactionarily, emphasizes tennis over physical connection. It works with the characters because their fixed mindset is to be the greatest tennis player in the world. If that means sacrificing or minimizing human connections in favor of intense devotion to this sport, then it is a sacrifice they’re willing to make. While we may not understand the characters through romantic desires, which they often undermine, the audience comes to understand their vivacity, their drive, and their obsession with the vocation that deems them worthy challengers to be reckoned with. A celebration of the 20th anniversary of Shrek .  Image c/o Dreamworks Animation Val Hill Visiting Entertainment Columnist You could ask pretty much any millennial and older Gen Z’er about a movie series that was a core part of their childhood, you would have good odds that they would say the Shrek film series. Three years after the ever iconic first Shrek movie hit theaters, came the two time Academy Award nominated film: Shrek 2. Released in May of 2004, Shrek 2 received the nominations of Best Animated Film and Best Original Song.
The voices of Saturday Night Live legends Mike Myers (Shrek) and Eddie Murphy (Donkey), as well as Cameron Diaz (Fiona). John Lithgow rounded out the main cast, voicing the ever loved short king Lord Farquaad. It is safe to say that most everyone has heard the famous line from the movie “…Some of you may die, but that’s a sacrifice I am willing to make” by none other than our favorite 4 '2 ruler, Lord Farquaad. The overall success of this film is undeniable and was way ahead of its time in terms of animation and production. The studios of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation had a re-release of the film during the month of April to celebrate the 20th anniversary. “The Shrek franchise has become a cultural touchstone and has brought joy to audiences around the world for more than two decades,” said Jim Orr, President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution for Universal Pictures. “Its impact on popular culture has been profound, transcending generations, and it continues to resonate with viewers long after its initial release. So, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Shrek 2, we’re excited to bring this iconic film back to the big screen.” This movie, along with the original, were a huge hit with audiences of all ages and proves that not every sequel is garbage. The success of both films allowed for two more movies to be made in following years, and there are even whispers of a fifth movie being made. Wicked, Company, Cabaret, and lead slate of shows coming to theatres across the Bay.  Image c/o Wharton Center for Performing Arts By Drew Paxman Visiting Entertainment Columnist Wicked headlines a stacked slate of musicals coming to San Francisco, while the San Jose Performing Arts Center looks to host Peter Pan and Frozen.
After celebrating its 20th anniversary on Broadway on October 30, 2023, Wicked returns to the city where it originally premiered in 2003. The Wizard of Oz prequel tells the story of Elphaba, a misunderstood woman with “emerald-green skin,” who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, all while befriending a popular blonde named Glinda. “If you want to see a story about two women and their ever-evolving friendship, and a story about if a person is really wicked or [has] wickedness thrust upon them, and if you want to see a story about an underdog learning their power and learning their voice, come see this show,” prompted Olivia Valli, who has taken on the role of Elphaba for this production. While Wicked sets to end San Francisco’s summer season (performances begin August 28 and end October 13), four other shows are set to occupy the Orpheum, Curran, and Golden Gate Theatres. The Tony-Award winning revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Company kicks off the summer, followed by the biopic The Cher Show, the musical adaptation of Mrs. Doubtfire, and the Bob Dylan jukebox musical Girl From the North Country. In San Jose, a new adaptation of Peter Pan, based on the original 1954 musical, takes center stage from June 25 to 30, while Disney’s Frozen casts a spell of eternal winter from August 21 to September 1. Near the Lamorinda area, Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts says “Willkommen” to a new production of Cabaret from May 26 to June 23. Set in late 1920s Berlin, Cabaret explores the tangled relationships of a writer and nightclub singer during the rise of the Nazi Party. For Rotimi Agbabiaka, who plays the iconic Master of Ceremonies (or Emcee), joining the company of this production was a full-circle experience. “Almost two decades ago, playing the [Emcee] in college cemented my decision to attempt a career in theatre,” Agbabiaka posted on Instagram. “I can’t wait to return to this role as a professional and I hope you’ll come to the Cabaret, old chum.” These shows are just an overture of productions set to take center stage in the Bay Area this summer. Hopefully, their success will lead to an encore of more to come in the future. Tickets for these productions can be found on the BroadwaySF, Broadway San Jose, and Lesher Center for the Arts websites. |
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