Charlotte Rampling on Dexter

The producers of Dexter scored a major coup in getting Charlotte Rampling for their final season. She plays Vogel, a psychiatrist who was partially responsible for creating Dexter in his formative years. She's like a combination Doctor Frankenstein/mother figure with lots of dark secrets. Needless to say, she's excellent. The always stunning, stylish and gorgeous Rampling has had such a terrific career playing cold, enigmatic woman. A few pictures below.

While I was sick ...

I watched a few movies, and one television series. Here are the highs and the lows:

The Shipping News (2001). A bunch of hooey with some nice scenery.

The Bedroom Window (1987). A well-constructed thriller from the 1980s. Not helped by some less-than-sharp dialogue and by Steve Guttenberg as a poor man's Fred MacMurray.

Separate Lies (2005). A slowly unfolding infidelity drama written and directed by Julian "Downton Abbey" Fellowes. The acting, by Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson, makes it worth sitting through, but it doesn't add up to much. And Rupert Everett with his plastic surgery just looks creepy to me.

Navajo Joe (1966). Entertaining revenge flick from Sergio Corbucci. An obvious influence for Django Unchained. Burt Reynolds plays the title Indian. He kills a lot of sniveling bad guys. Great music, natch, by Morricone.

Ghost Town (2008). A rewatch, but it confirmed my belief that this is the best romantic comedy of the last ten years, if not longer. Ricky Gervais is funny and soulful in a role that Alec Guiness might have played in an Ealing comedy.

Dexter, Season 5. The worst season, so far, as Dexter goes up against Colin Hanks (no, really) as a religious nutjob-cum-serial killer. Still, I prefer a bad season of Dexter to no season of Dexter. Especially if I'm sick.

Dexter

I won't lie. If Dexter had me wrapped in plastic and with a scalpel at my throat I'd have to admit that his show is my single favorite on-going series on television. That said, I review the new season here for Slant Magazine and it is a less-than-stellar beginning.

Dexter, Season 4

This season was a total doozy. A few highlights. John Lithgow going full-psycho as The Trinity Killer. The twist involving his family member. Jennifer Carpenter as Deb Morgan. She gets better and better every season. Courtney Ford as Christine (see picture above). At first it seemed she was an irrelevant sub-plot and an excuse for nudity but she turned out to be a fascinating character, and a really good performance. "Nothing is invevitable." The scene with the ten-year-old boy and the cement pit. Oh, and the very end. I knew it was coming (I watched this way late) but still it gave me chills.

You are almost enough to make me pay for Showtime, Dexter, but not quite.

The TV Report

Just a quick recap on the shows I'm currently watching.

Top Chef

The only reality show I consistently watch. It's still good although this season has been very unforgettable, the contestants not really standing out in either their personalities or their cooking. Still, I love the Bravo format, and I love the judges. (Will Gail Simmons still be on Top Chef now that she's getting her own Top Chef: Desserts spin off?)

Inspector Lewis

Good old-fashioned gruesome whodunnits. I'm not even sick of the beautiful shots of Oxford. And Hathaway (Laurence Fox) is the best second banana on television, and a perfect counter-balance to the literal-minded Lewis.

Dexter, Season 4

I'm watching this on Netflix. What I love about this show is how Dexter is constantly growing, even though he is a sociopath and a serial killer. He reminds me of Data on Star Trek: Next Generation. They are both fascinated by humans, and long to find a way to fit in. This year seems to be about Dexter trying to find a way to have a normal family life while continuing to satisfy his urge to kill. By the way, Jennifer Carpenter (who plays Dexter's sister on the show) gets better and better every season.

True Blood

Another season or gory, trashy fun. Some of the sub-plots are more interesting than others, but the main storyline (Russell Edgington as a would-be Vampire dictator) is truly great. Is it too much to ask that HBO produce a prequel series starring Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) in his years as a Nazi impostor tracking down SS werewolves?

Louie

As this show gets more unpredictable week by week it just gets better and better. Envelope-pushing, bleak, and sporadically very funny. The poker buddies talking about the origin of the word "faggot." Louie's date with the woman whose chemistry told her that he was a loser. The kiss with the southern sheriff. Here's my problem with the show: I just don't love Louie's stand-up bits, and it's a big part of the show. Maybe, if the show continues, it will be like Seinfeld and they'll be dropped.

Mad Men

No excuses, but this is the first season of Mad Men that I've watched. A big mistake. (Yes, Charlene, you told me so. You too, Kevin). Last week's episode (almost a two-person play with Don and Peggy) is some of the best television I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of television).

This is the golden age of television. All of these shows are so much better than their counterparts in film.