Pop culture has been abuzz this week with the news of Lou Reed’s death. For more on Reed’s legacy, as well as updates on Martin Scorsese’s next movie and CBS’ hot drama “The Good Wife,” read on for Mark Lieberman’s weekly Take 5 column.
Rest in peace, Lou Reed.
Velvet Underground leader and rock ‘n roll pioneer Lou Reed passed away Oct. 27 at 71. Reed influenced a generation of musicians and created spaces for rock ‘n roll to explore avant-garde ideas and unconventional styles and textures. Some musicians credit Reed for inventing the aesthetic of indie rock. Though he never achieved the level of mainstream popularity of most well-known rockers, he inspired a generation of rock artists and profoundly transformed the culture in a way that few artists can claim.
Martin Scorsese’s “Wolf” will howl on cue.
Earlier this month, reports indicated that Martin Scorsese and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker were struggling to cut Scorsese’s latest film “The Wolf of Wall Street” down to a manageable length. The question lingered: would the movie be ready for its Nov. 15 release date? Paramount announced the answer on Oct. 29: “The Wolf of Wall Street” will open Christmas Day in time for Oscar consideration. Paramount attributes the delay to the movie’s lengthy running time, which has been trimmed from more than three hours to two hours and 45 minutes. Audiences will want to seek out the most comfortable seats for the latest Scorsese epic.
“The Good Wife” is on fire.
Five seasons into its acclaimed network run, “The Good Wife” is attracting huge buzz for a run of groundbreaking episodes surrounding Alicia Florrick’s controversial departure from the law firm she’s called her own since the show began. Critics praised the show for handling this potentially overwhelming story with finesse and sophistication, and the show’s reliable performers like Christine Baranski and Archie Panjabi have been given some of their juiciest material to date. In last week’s episode “Hitting the Fan,” the move was complete and the show splintered, leaving plenty of questions for audiences to ponder as the season continues. Ratings have been largely underwhelming with a majority of the viewership coming from older audiences, but fans are hoping that CBS will see the value in continuing to produce one of the most eye-catching dramas on television.
Let’s stop talking about Chris Brown, right after this.
In his continuing efforts to horrify the American public, Chris Brown was arrested yet again last week right here in D.C. He was initially charged with felony assault after a scuffle with a man who tried to take a picture with him, but the charge was downgraded to a misdemeanor. Nonetheless, Brown – or someone associated with his public relations team – evidently believes this destructive behavior has gone too far. Brown’s camp announced Oct. 29 that the singer will enter a rehab facility to gain clarity on his recent actions. Perhaps this departure from the spotlight will afford Brown the opportunity to recognize the many errors of his ways.
Olympus will fall again.
Was anyone clamoring for a sequel to “Olympus Has Fallen,” the first of two 2013 thrillers centered around terrorist attacks on the White House? Perhaps not, but the movie’s profitability both at home and abroad apparently justified the decision to move forward on a sequel, “London Has Fallen.” This time, terrorists will attack the funeral of the British prime minister. The characters played by Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman and Aaron Eckhart are expected to return, but director Antoine Fuqua will not. The final word on this mystifying news comes from HitFix.com’s Daniel Fienberg, who tweeted this bon mot on Oct. 29: “The ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ and ‘White House Down’ folks should team up on ‘London Bridge Has Fallen Down.’”
